Giving your Valentine a great gift doesn’t have to cost a fortune, nor do the decorations for parties. With some imagination, you can create easy, low-cost valentines from nearly anything. Look around you, especially at the items you probably already have just laying around waiting to be tossed. Rather than tossing them in the trash, give them a second look. Can they be used as something else? Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Gather up all of those unused boxes and give them new life as a Valentine gift box. Good boxes to choose from include old check boxes, leftover heart-shaped candy boxes from last year, shoeboxes, jewelry boxes, or whatever else you have on hand that will hold your gift. Grab some dollar store spray paint, choosing white and red colors. Paint your box and allow to dry. Use pink, red, and white acrylic paints to sponge on additional color and texture onto the box. Add some tissue paper (in matching colors) along with your gift. Finish it off with some decorative ribbon and a bow.
Perhaps you’d like to set the mood for a romantic Valentine dinner or party. This can easily be achieved with subtle lighting from homemade Valentine candleholders. Using nothing more than an assortment of ordinary tin cans in various sizes and some candles, you can instantly create a charming Valentine’s Day atmosphere. Choose anything from coffee cans to soup and tuna cans. Give them a thorough cleaning and then apply some hearts or other creative designs with a marker. Using a hammer and nail, hole punch your design and spray paint your cans in various colors of red, white, and pink. After the cans have dried, you can also add some patterned appliqués from fabric (using a hot-glue gun) or contact paper to complement your design. If desired, add some fancy lace trim, buttons, or other embellishments. Place a candle inside and light your way to a romantic evening.
Here’s a little something for the kids, a Valentine treat bottle personalized just for them. Simply transform ordinary clear, plastic soda or water bottles into cheerful Valentine containers for candies and other small Valentine’s toys and trinkets. Clean out the bottles and let them dry. Use a crafting knife to cut a lengthwise slit into the backside of the bottle. Make sure that the slit is large enough to accommodate your desired items of toys and treats. Fill the bottle up, inserting a Valentine stick balloon (or something similar) into the top and finish it off with a decorative ribbon (in white, red, or pink) tied around the top.
Another fun gift for the kids includes a Valentine cookie or candy jar. For this simple project, all you need is a clean wide-mouth canning or mayonnaise jar with a lid. Attach a small wooden knob (about an inch in diameter) to the lid with glue. After the glue has dried, paint the knob and lid in your desired color. Glue a decorative, heart-shaped appliqué to the jar or use contact paper. Fill the jar with cookies or candy. This same idea can also be used for creating Valentine gift canisters, using cardboard or tin canisters (with lids) instead. Measure around the canister, cutting fabric or contact paper to fit, with an additional ½-inch, and glue or stick to the canister, overlapping ends at the back. You can also choose to paint the canister instead, if desired. Paint the lid to match your fabric or contact paper design and allow to dry. For additional interest, add some small appliqués or other embellishments. Once you have finished, and the canister is completely dry, you can fill it with candy.
