By: Katie Upton 

      Making your Valentine’s Day gifts yourself is such a sweet way to show someone you care. It’s all about putting in a little bit of your heart and effort to create something unique, rather than just grabbing something off a store shelf. Whether it’s for a family member, a friend, or a significant other, a DIY gift will always feel special because it’s made specifically for them. 

     If you struggle with what to make, think about what the person you’re making the gift for loves. Do they have a favorite color, treat, hobby, or animal? Use what they like and combine it with a little bit of your creativeness.  

     Recently, The Squire interviewed Haley Kent to learn more about her perspective on DIY Valentine’s Day gifts. When asked what type of DIY gift(s) she would want to be given, she replied, “I would want those cute mason jars where you decorate them and put in little notes that say 100 reasons why I love you, or I would also like the pipe cleaner flowers.” She then went on to explain her dream “DIY” date with her significant other, saying, “I would LOVE to go on a sunset picnic, but my boyfriend has to make all the food….” 

     You can start by looking on different creative platforms such as Pinterest, TikTok, Lemon8, and some different creative videos on YouTube. Search for what you like and what you believe your significant other would also appreciate. 

     The Squire researched many ideas on the listed platforms and picked out their favorites. The top favorite was “a painted box with hanging hearts from the lid and tiny photos on the hearts.” But, how can this be done? Start by getting any shoe box, which you could also paint according to your significant other’s favorite color, or a nice pink or red for Valentine’s Day. Then cut a few medium sized pieces of string, print off your photos, and use foam paper to cut out the pink or red hearts. Lay down a piece of string and put hot glue on one side of a heart then apply one heart on the opposite side so it’s a double layer and you can’t see the hot glue. Do that again until you get to the bottom, at the very end. Then you can glue on one of your photos. Repeat that on the rest of the strings, then hot glue all your strings to the top of the boxes lid until it’s filled! 

     So, this Valentine’s try something new and put in that little extra effort to make that special person smile!