Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re thinking “What the heck can I do that’s easy, creative, and on a college budget?” don’t fear! HerCampus Northwestern is here with some easy last-minute DIY gifts that won’t disappoint! If you can’t find time to complete any of these gifts a nice heart-felt letter will do. Remember it’s about quality, not quantity.
For the Gals:
Seven Days of Friendship (or Love)
- A Monday-Sunday pill box
- Small candies (M&Ms, gum, etc.)
- Small handwritten notes
This craft is super easy and requires little to no craft skill. In each day of the week place a small amount of candy and a small handwritten note to your gals to remind them how much you love them! Feel free to decorate the outside of the box to spice it up.
Creative Candy Labels
What you need:
- Assorted Candy
- Paper
- Markers
- Tape
If you or your friends are fans of puns and candy, then this is the gift is for you! All it requires is you to match the pun with the brand of candy. It’s totally up to you how creative or decorated the candy bars are, but the more decorated and clever the puns the better! Here are some printable puns that clever and fun.
For Your Significant Other:
52 Reasons Why Cards
What you need:
- Playing Cards
- Glue/Tape/Your Favorite Adhesive
- Binder Rings
- One Hole Punch
- Scissors
- Sharpie
Start by thinking up of 52 reasons why you love your SO, or any favorite memories that you may have together (this is the hardest part). Once you’ve figured that out, either download a template to type each reason out and glue them to each card, or write directly on the playing cards. Once finished, hole punch two holes on the left side of each card and thread a binder clip through them.
“Open When…” Letters
What you need:
- -Envelopes
- -Notebook Paper
- -Markers
- -Little trinkets (candy, toys, etc.)
These Letters are a great gift for close friends or a SO because they come from the heart and can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be! Essentially you write down the topic of your letter, such as “Open When You’re Stressed”, and can include small little trinkets to go along with the letter. In the linked tutorial, the author included bubble wrap in her letter for her significant other for stress relief. The possibilities are endless and the linked tutorial gives many ideas! Just remember it’s the content of the letter that matters, not necessarily the quantity of the letters.
“I Love You Because…” Picture Frame
What you need:
- Print out of “I Love You Because…”
- Picture Frame
Like other crafts on this list, it can be as decorated or as bare as you want, but it’s the thought that counts! First, hand write or print out a piece of paper with the words “I Love You Because…” and complete the sentence. Next put it on the frame and decorate to your heart’s content!
And If all else fails, food is always the answer!
Cover Photo Credit: Science of Relationships