In honor of Valentines Day and a tight budget I want to share a few ideas with you. With my money often tight around gift giving time, I like to make homemade gifts to give to my loved ones. Over the years I have written stories, bound them and given them as Christmas gifts. I have written poems and had them framed or laminated and attached to gifts as a cute and different "tag". Here are a few of the items I have made for my husband over the years that may help give you ideas for Valentines Day. It is coming up on us pretty quickly. (Really quick) A few things I have done that I have no pictures for are as follows:
1. How Do I love thee? Candy Jar: A jar filled with mini candy bars (mini...mini...candy bars)Printed tons of things that I love about my husband on computer paper, cut it in to thin strips(small enough to tape on to candy bar wrapper) then printed out "How do I love thee....let me count the ways" tag that I glued around the outside of the jar. Every time he went for a piece of candy, he got a reason I love him...it lasted about a month and a half.
2. Poster Board love note with Candy. I took a poster board and using the candy I made sentences. For ex. Hi "Sweettart" (made the "t" an "h" with a marker.) "York" (but blacked out the "k") my "sugarbaby'. I love you "mounds" and could smother you with "kisses". I am so happy to be Mrs. "Clark" & I wouldn't trade our love for "100 grand"...this can be done REALLY cheap by buying the stuff from the Dollar Store.(here is a picture I found on net close to what I did...but like I said, I used poster board)
3. Last year instead of a card I got an envelope and printed 30 things I wanted for his life and future. One for him to read each day for a month. I cut each "wish" in to 30 strips and put it in an envelope labeled "What I pray for your life"
Some of the things were 1. Laughter in the midst of sorrow 2. A long healthy life 3.A job that you can be passionate about...etc...etc...
Here are the things I have made...
the first gift ever when we were dating. You take a TV tray or tray like you use at a cafeteria, cut out things that remind you of that person, glue them on there and then buy craft glue that dries clear that you can wipe down (can't remember the name of it...has been soooo long) but someone at a craft store can help you. He uses it as a tv tray...(MAKE SURE TO TELL THE PERSON HELPING YOU what it will be used for and that a wet rag will be used to wipe it down so the "glue" has to be waterproof)
I took letters that I bought from Wal-Mart, cheap craft paint, and a picture that represents him and one that represents me, printed them, glued them to painted letter and we are going to attach hooks to the bottom to use as coat hangers.
Another one was a poem I wrote about his passion and framed it:
I took pictures of our pets(could do your kids) and made him a picture to hang up:
Finally, I took (he is a firefighter..volunteer for 10 years and paid now) a firefighter ornament, cut it apart and glued it inside of a shadow box...You can make all kinds of shadow boxes using old photos, concert tickets, things from when you two were dating...etc...
These are just a few ideas on how you can make gift giving a little more special. Something made with love and from your heart means more than you will ever know.
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