Valentine’s Day has always been about the tradition of a man spoiling a woman with affection and gifts. But even though the holiday does involve tradition, this does not essentially mean you need to give a typical gift. Now that this thought has been invoked in your mind, are you going to look for a great original gift this Valentine’s Day? Toss the same old chocolates and flowers idea out the window because there’s still time to create a personal gift for your special someone.
Most importantly, base your gift off of what interests your partner the most. If they love to eat, get to their heart through their stomach. If their niche involves arts and crafts, combine creativity with romance in order to make the perfect gift. If you are looking to break the trend of the conventional dinner and flowers and want something new and exciting, this article is for you.
Say your special someone loves sweets. A great present would be personalizing the treats you plan to give with a special touch. For instance, avoid the typical cupcake with pink frosting and instead make heart shaped cupcakes and write on each cupcake one of your partner’s favorite things. That way it is a treat they love, involves hobbies they love, and it all is coming from someone they love.
If your Valentine has a hankering for sushi, create your own sushi bar but make it out of sweets. All you need are Rice Krispy treats, Fruit by the Foot, and Swedish Fish. Begin by shaping the Rice Krispy into a circular sushi roll. Place the Swedish fish on top of the Rice Krispy. Next, wrap the fruit roll up around both items and voila: your own unique plate of sweet sushi.
If none of these ideas seem to be on par with your Valentine, there are still plenty of options. A popular home-made gift is a bucket of worms. While it reads odd, it tastes delicious.
To begin, buy a bag of gummy worms, place them in a jar, and attach the phrase “Hooked on you.” If they do not like gummy worms, you can substitute them for Swedish Fish. Another take on this idea would be swapping out the gummy worms for gummy bears and apply the phrase “Life would be unbearable without you.”
Since we all attend MU, there is a good chance that whoever your Valentine is loves the beach. Another popular gift this Valentine’s Day is to attach a bag of their favorite candy to a kid’s beach shovel with the phrase “I dig you” attached. Another play on this gift would be to put the candy in a sand bucket.
Sophomore marketing major Mallory Nelson thinks the idea of making a treat rather than buying traditional gifts is a great idea. “Not only is it a huge money saver especially being a college student, but it is more intimate and it is a lot more special knowing that you put forth the effort to make something for your special someone on a special day,” Nelson stated.
Arts and crafts are a personalized way to show your partner how important they are to you. An easy but sweet gift incorporates a deck of cards. Use each card to tell your Valentine 52 reasons why you fell in love with them. Your boyfriend or girlfriend will not only love the originality, but the gift will also remind you of all the things you love about them.
It is also great to involve arts and crafts in your Valentine’s Day card. Instead of buying a generic card, make your own. Pick up an assortment of candy bars from a local store to craft a unique message.
For example, ‘Dear (insert his/ her name here), You are sweeter than a Bit o’ Honey. I feel like a Skor when we are together. We always have fun and Snicker. I am Nuts about spending time with you. You are worth more than 100 Grand. I love you to the Milkyway and back! (Chocolate) Kisses, (your name).’
Keeping this idea in mind, you can also become that much more creative by taking bits and pieces of wrappers. For instance, you could write “you are a burst of happiness and make me feel like a star.” In this case, you could cut a Starburst wrapper into two.
Making your own scratch off cards is easy and can be done with a few items: acrylic paint, dish soap, a pen, small paintbrush, a card printed on cardstock, and a white crayon. Pick your card design from downloadable PDFs available on Google. Write your message(s) in pen and wait for the message to dry completely.
Next, cover the message completely with white crayon. Mix a 2:1 ratio of dish soap to acrylic paint, and cover the message area. Apply very thick amounts of this solution for best results. Because of the thickness of the paint, the Valentine’s card will need at least one hour to dry. Lastly, present your loved one with the card and a lucky penny to scratch off your special message.
If you are looking to spice up Valentine’s Day with creative activities, change up the dinner and a movie routine. Leave a Nerf gun at the door upon your date’s arrival. Leave a note attached to the gun reading, “Welcome to war! Two things: this gun with ammunition is now yours! I have one too, and you are under attack!” This creative game will bring out the children in both of you. To avoid lying on the couch or sitting in a movie theater, fill a kiddy pool with blankets and pillows, lay in the back yard, and relax.
“Doing something different is where all the memories come from,” Nelson said. “Even something as simple as going to your local park with a camera and just capturing that one day you guys spent together.
Or even try googling or Pintresting (the answer to everything) fun different date ideas. And if that date idea didn’t work out, a memory can still be made from that.”
Instructions and pictures of these gifts can all be found on Pinterest, a site which is full of creative gift ideas.
With these ideas and the ability to use Pinterest, it is unreasonable to settle for the traditional jewelry, flowers, and chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Show your loved one how special they are by crafting original gifts to their interests.
Sophomore communication major Allie Phillips commented, “I think a personal gift shows true thought and it shows that they know you and what you like. It shows they pay attention to you. It really isn’t the gift, it truly is the thought that counts.”
So this Valentine’s Day, use all the knowledge you have of your loved one to make you their best Valentine yet.
