Valentine's Day DIY

Looking for ideas for the perfect Valentine’s gift, but need to stick to a budget? Well, in the spirit of the holiday, maybe you should give a gift that’s truly from the heart; one you made with your own two hands. Whether it’s something for your best friend, crush, or lover, there are countless great ideas for creating meaningful (and cheap) gifts from scratch.

Make a slideshow – I’ve done this for so many occasions (including the romantic stuff). It’s really easy to do if you have a computer with any basic software. Windows PCs usually come with MovieMaker, which is a really easy program to learn. All you need are some great pictures and a few songs and you can make a musical slideshow that means a lot. Use your DVD burner to turn this digital creation into a hard-copy gift.

Make dinner – Going out to a fancy restaurant is one of those cliché Valentine’s traditions. To save some cash this year, why not make dinner at home? You can set the scene with candles, dishware, and tablecloths. Then, make your date’s favorite meal (or a simplified version if you’re not an expert chef). Top the evening off with a bottle of wine (find the best pairings here) and some decadent dessert.

Make chocolates – This is another activity I am quite familiar with. Making your own chocolates can be a lot of fun. All you need to do is visit a craft or confection store and buy some plastic molds and chocolate pieces. The pieces come in different colors so you can make red roses and pink hearts. Simply melt the chocolate, pour into the mold, and freeze for 10-15 minutes. You can also get more creative and use multiple colors or add lollipop sticks (sold in the same stores and used with special lollipop molds).

Box of love – You can paint / decorate a wooden box bought for roughly $1 to $5 from a craft store. Then, fill the box with anything you like. Homemade jewelry (if you’re extra-crafty) is an option, or you can do something simpler like candy or love notes.

Get crafty - For more great ideas, check out this site.