Guess what? Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!
You probably already knew that, but if you’re anything like me, you feel clueless as to how to make that special someone in your life feel extra special on February 14.
I figured we could put our heads together and come up with some creative ways to show the special people in our lives how much we care. Feel free to share your Valentine’s Day ideas in the comments section! (I could use all the help I can get this year, as I’m running out of creative ideas since this will be my ninth Valentine’s Day with Ryan!)
Below you will find some of the Valentine’s Day (or anniversary) crafts and date ideas Ryan and I have done for each other throughout the years that have received rave reviews from the recipient!
- Candy Hearts Poster: I made Ryan a poster that revolved around the sayings found on the candy hearts that are always for sale around Valentine’s Day. It took some time to come up with what I wanted the poster to say since the sayings on the candy hearts can be super hokey, but it was such a fun (and delicious!) project.
- Now That I’ve Kissed the Ground You Walked On + Trail of Hershey Kisses: I totally stole this idea from a guy in high school who used it to ask a friend of mine to the prom! I placed a trail of Hershey Kisses from the front door of Ryan’s apartment into his bedroom where I had this sign propped up on his bed, along with more Hershey Kisses, the above poster and homemade cupcakes, asking him to be my valentine.
- Met, Engaged, Married Embroidered Map: This gift popped up on the blog back in October when I gave it to Ryan for our one-year wedding anniversary. I got the idea from a map project that I saw on Pinterest and changed it slightly to read “Met, Engaged, Married.” (The original read “Met, Married, Live.”) A map of the location of each of these special events in our relationship filled the picture space above the corresponding text.
- Love Quotes, Nicknames and Sayings Poster: This was one of my favorite valentines from Ryan! He filled a poster board with love quotes, nicknames we have for each other and goofy little sayings we seem to say all the time in our relationship. I felt like it was essentially “us” on a poster!
- Scrapbook: For our first Valentine’s Day together, I gave Ryan a homemade scrapbook and filled it with photos, captions and admission tickets that captured the first year of our relationship. Be prepared: This takes hours and hours of work. Phew.
Date Ideas:
- My favorite: A Valentine’s Day Mission. Create a budget (Ryan and I do $15 – $20) and both leave the house at the same time, setting a time limit during which you both have to get each other a bunch of little Valentine’s Day gifts! (You may see how we did this idea here and here.) We have also gone to the mall together and split up for an hour to each buy each other an outfit to wear on a date that evening. So fun!
- Make a special dinner together and then go out for dessert.
- Go out to dinner and order for each other.
- Go on a picnic. (This obviously works better in Florida and the warmer states!)
- One person makes a homemade dinner while the other makes dessert.
- Book a night at a nearby bed and breakfast.
- Enjoy a gourmet brunch at a local restaurant.
- Breakfast in bed! (Heart shaped pancakes are both totally corny and totally delicious.)
Questions of the Day
- What is your favorite Valentine’s Day memory?
- What is the coolest thing you’ve ever done for someone for Valentine’s Day?
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Love these ideas!!! Definitely saving this post for later. I hadn’t been thinking much about Valentine’s day yet, but now I’m excited! My favorite Valentine’s memory was three years ago when my boyfriend and I adopted my puppy on Valentine’s day 🙂
Julie,
I have loved getting to kinda know you through reading your blog…
Some of the crafty Valentine ideas I have used are
Cut out or buy some confetti lips and put them in balloons before blowing them up with helium. And then when you get close to Ryan pop them and shower him with confetti kisses;)
Prepare a dinner and use red food coloring in everything… Mashed potatoes, biscuits, white beans, steak…
Change all of the Hershey kisses paper strips to reasons why and what you love about him. Maybe even do 365 of them and he cam eat/read one for each day of the year;)
Like I said just a few that I have come up with over the years!!
Have fun with it,
Kisha
What fun ideas! You guys are too cute! 🙂
I saw this adorable “I love you because…” board on Pinterest! Easy and cheap to make and awesome because you can use it year round! I’m making it this year for my boyfriend.
http://pinterest.com/pin/96405248243112901/
The “met, engaged, married” map idea is AMAZING!!!! I need to do this!!
this year, Nicholas and I are making a times capsel. Yep. I’m serious. On January 14th we made a list of “rules” – and for the month until valentines day we are filling out a guided journel from flytrap [the laugh version] to include as well as collecting things to add.
Then on valentine’s day, we will sit down to write two letters each – one to ourselves, and one to each other. Bundle it all up together, and mark “do not open for 7 years.” At which point i will then hide it the closet never to be seen again. [how much you want to bet I forget about it for well over 7 years?]
The list of “rules and such” is full of little to-do’s, tips, and, well, rules – to follow.
we really like to do special things together rather than spend money on THINGS for every little celebration [and you know i love to celebrate] so when we started brainstorming this idea, it seemed PERFECT.
also – oh, look! this is how you spell time capsule. doh.
The best V-day I had ever planned was for my ex boyfriend in college We had been together for 2 years prior to this, ( context!) and he lived in a frat so I had his friends let me in to his room while he was in class so I could set it up.
Basically, it was a scavenger hunt with the first clue in his room, and the clues led him around the house to different places, each clue giving him something he would need for the final destination. ( 2nd clue had my car keys so he could get to me, my car was in the parking lot, 3rd clue had a library book with the note saying it was “over due” and to return it to my address, and the 4th clue was a key to my apartment… it was that stage in our relationship). So the final clue said to come ” return the library book” to my house , which he now had the key. When he showed up i was dressed up as a librarian and had cooked a very elaborate dinner!
he loved it. It was a cheap, but very exciting idea and he LOVED it. Pays to be creative 🙂
I have also always had amazing luck with coupon books! Obviously have things like free breakfast, maybe a 30 min massage etc. but the trick is to make coupons for things they want you to do but you aren’t thrilled about – so maybe it’s watch an hour of sports, do the dishes for a week, see that movie he’s wanted to see, go to a concert/ museum etc he wants to etc….
completely free but very creative!! 🙂
I really like your ideas, and I hope you won’t be mad if I steal…
You also have some really affordable dates on here! Great post!
First of all, I look forward to reading your blog each day. You are so fun with such fantastic & creative ideas. My post last week was my Valentine’s Day ideas! I always like photos, coupons, lingerie, chocolate covered strawberries and much more! Thanks for all the great ideas!
This is such a wonderful post! I think it’s great how you and your husband have found so many sweet ways to express your love for each other without having to spend tons of money. Your romance map is especially cute. Happy Valentines’ Day to you both!
I love the candy heart card but I would love to know what the candy hearts actually say….. I can’t blow that pic up big enough to see….. can someone tell me please
We have always been so anti-valentines day since we have been together. This year we decided to give in and have a very small celebration. Last night we decided to do the make dinner at home, go out for dessert idea! I am so excited, it will be so fun and we won’t have to spend a ton of money to do it (plus it will save a few calories eating dinner at home instead of eating the whole meal out)! Thanks for the awesome alternative for us!!
I love your candy hearts poster idea! What exactly do the hearts say in the order you have them in. I’m super curious and may want to do this asap for my boyfriend! Thanks. 🙂
What does the poster board say it’s such a cute Idea I really love it