Making Your Own Valentine’s Day Gift: The Best DIY Ideas

Making your own Valentine’s Day gift – the advantages

Soon it’s that time again: Valentine's Day is just around the corner and people around the world celebrate a day with their beloved. However, this also brings up the question of what gift you can surprise your favorite person with. Instead of standard gifts like a book voucher, breakfast, flowers, or a love letter, this year you should get creative with your crafts. Making your own Valentine's Day gift has many advantages. First, the time you invest in your little DIY project shows your partner that it is important to you to celebrate the love you both have. A homemade Valentine's Day gift guarantees that your favorite person definitely gets a unique gift on this day and not just any present.  

Another advantage is that you can incorporate your personal strengths into your Valentine's Day gift. Whether you like to work with your hands or give your loved one homemade delicacies, February 14th offers the perfect opportunity to show off your talents. To cut a long story short, homemade gifts simply have a much greater value for your sweetheart and give her or him the feeling of being unique - and that is one of the greatest gifts.

For the day of love: DIY-pillowcase for cozy hours

Personalized home decor is a great DIY Valentine's Day gift that will make your favorite person feel like they can return to an extra cozy and comfortable home after a busy day. Whenever your sweetheart gets cozy on the sofa or snuggles up in bed, your personalized pillow will remind him or her of you. This romantic idea is especially great for couples who is in a long-distance relationship. When your sweetheart is in another place and has to fall asleep alone, your DIY pillow will be there to provide a little comfort.

You can make this Valentine's Day project with almost no preparation. Decide which design you want to create for your partner and get everything you need. Pillowcase, fabric paint, gems, small sequins, etc. you can find, for example, at the craft store. Afterwards, you can start right away. Let your creativity run wild! You do not have to be a pro at using the sewing machine to do this. A printed or painted pillow can be created even with two left hands. You still need ideas?  Lettering or motifs to iron – example, in the shape of a heart, a classic Valentine's Day motif – make it easy for the DIY inexperienced to create a one-of-a-kind gift that comes from the heart. If, on the other hand, you are a master of needle and thread, you could, for example, make an elaborate patchwork pillow. If you also want to pamper your sweetheart, you can give him or her a matching pillow to go with your DIY pillowcase on the day of love. Our Swissflex pillows offer wonderful comfort - perfect for cozy moments in bed. Now, you only need to wait for Valentine's Day and then it will be time to enjoy cozy hours together with the DIY pillow.

A recipe for love: DIY-chocolates to spoil your sweetheart

Your significant other loves chocolate? Then this year, instead of ordering a box of chocolates from the chocolatier, you should try making them yourself. Chocolates are a classic Valentine's Day gift that you can make yourself. All you need is your sweetheart's favorite type of chocolate, a mold with pretty heart or rose motifs, for example, and a few extra ingredients like edible flower petals or sugar pearls, depending on your taste. Melt the chocolate carefully in a bain-marie - if you are in a hurry, use the microwave - and then fill the liquid chocolate into the mold. In a final step, decorate the chocolates piece by piece with the ingredients of your choice. When the little works of art have cooled down, you just have to put them in the fridge for a few hours. When your sweetheart comes over on Valentine's Day, you can spoil him or her with your chocolate surprise. Extra tip for those who want to package the chocolates beautifully for the day of love: Wrap the chocolate morsels in food-safe paper, for example, and fill them into a large, decorated glass or a pretty box to present to your date or partner.

DIY idea for shared memories: the photo frame

For those who are once again looking to make a Valentine's Day gift at the last minute, here is an idea: the DIY photo frame. It is February 13th and you are late with your gift? Don't worry. The DIY photo frame is quick and easy to make. There are several ways - depending on how much time and skill you have. We'll give you several tips on how you can implement different photo frame ideas.

The first and very quick solution is to print out a photo of you and your sweetheart in a larger paper format and put it in a purchased photo frame. The photo can be hung above your shared bed. And if you are in a long-distance relationship, a photo of the two of you is the ideal gift to always be close to your sweetheart. Your loved one can put the photo frame on the bedside table and see you day after day falling asleep. You can also put together a collage. Free apps allow you to create a collage from pictures of the two of you and then print and frame them like a single photo.

Such a photo collage made up of several pictures of you is the perfect gift idea. You could frame it or have it printed on a mug for example.

If you are a little more crafty, maybe have more than a day to spare, and want to get creative, the DIY photo frame is a great Valentine's Day gift to make yourself. You will need a photo of you and your partner, a board, and craft glue. The board should be at least as big as the photo but can be a little bigger for a frame effect. The material should be thin plywood or MDF to make it dimensionally stable. The wood can be painted in any color but could also be left untreated to create a romantic farmhouse style. Glue the photo in the center of the board. Then take the craft glue, e.g. mod podge, and brush it over the entire photo. Important note: only use transparent glue. The glue seals the photo, and the brush strokes give the photo an effect reminiscent of an old painting. You can even use a filter on the photo beforehand to give it a painted look. When the glue dries, the gift is almost ready. The hook is the only thing still missing. For this you can find suitable hangers in the hardware store or craft store or attach a hook yourself. Alternatively, you can glue several small pictures together in the same way to make a DIY collage - for example, in a beautiful heart shape!

Skilled DIY experts can also consider adding a frame to the picture. A simple version without glass is quickly made with a bit of wood. Simply cut four narrow wood strips in the length of the photo sides - you can also get help at the hardware store. If you want it to look professional, you should cut the corners at a 45-degree angle. Now, connect the four pieces of wood with corner connectors and then glue, nail, or screw them to the frame. You can give the whole thing a finishing touch with paint or leave the rustic style with an unfinished wood look.

Romantic and beautiful: the DIY bed canopy

You are a little handy and really want to surprise your sweetheart on Valentine's Day? An extravagant Valentine's Day gift to make yourself is the DIY bed canopy. With a hula hoop and curtains or drapes, you can assemble a romantic bed canopy yourself. If you are handy with a needle and thread or the sewing machine, you can sew the whole thing. But don't worry – a hot glue gun works just as well if sewing is not your thing. With the DIY canopy you will create a romantic atmosphere in your bedroom and your partner will feel right at home in your bed. Here’s a tutorial for you:

1. For the upper part of the bed canopy, that is, the part between the hoop and the ceiling, you will need to create a cone from your fabric. The size is a matter of taste. But the diameter of the cone should not be less than one and a half times the radius of the hoop. It is best to use the same fabric as the curtains. This way you will get a uniform look and coherent result. Sew or hot glue the cutting together to form the cone.
2. Now it is the time for the sides of the bed canopy. The width of the curtains should be as large as the circumference of the hoop. Since curtains and drapes are usually not wide enough, simply connect two or more panels of equal widths with thread or hot glue.
3. The length a canopy bed side depends on the height of the bedroom ceiling. In addition, it is up to you whether the canopy should reach the floor or just pass the bed frame. For the sake of simplicity, just follow the length of the curtain. You now need to pull the loops of the drapes over the hula hoop. Therefore, make sure that it is a hoop that you can assemble yourself and not a closed circle without an opening! When the drapes are pulled over the hoop, you need to connect it to form a closed circle. Note here: the fabric at the front remains open.
4. Now attach the fabric cone to the hoop to create the top of the bed canopy. It is up to you how you design the transition. Again, needle and thread or the hot glue gun are needed.

In the end, you will have created the ultimate DIY Valentine's Day gift and your sweetheart will surely be amazed. You can add string lights to your DIY bed canopy to create romantic lighting. Lastly, simply attach the bed canopy with a loop at the top of the cone to a hook in the ceiling, centered above you and your partner’s sleep paradise.

As you can see, it is not difficult to make a Valentine's Day gift yourself. This time, get creative and present your loved one with a personalized surprise to celebrate your love.