Homemade Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

Surprise your loved ones with gifts straight from the heart this Valentine's Day. Make unique gifts, using simple supplies that your friends and family are sure to love.

Valentine's Day is quickly becoming as commercialized as the rest of the holidays throughout the year. Take a step back and create homemade gifts this year instead of buying meaningless presents from a store. Show your friends and family how much you care about them with gifts made especially with each and every one of them in mind.

Coupons

Put your computer and your creativity to good use. Using your word processing program, create a table with cells measuring 2 inches by 3 inches. Design coupons featuring different free gifts such as a back rub, foot massage, doing dishes, laundry or even babysitting.

Dinner Basket

If someone special in your life enjoys immensely enjoys food, fill a basket with the supplies for his favorite dinner. Include each ingredient for the meal along with a copy of the recipe so it can be made correctly.

Dinner Basket Ideas:

Spaghetti - Fill a basket with pasta, jars of spaghetti sauce, parmesan cheese and a loaf of Italian bread or go the extra mile and include each ingredient for homemade spaghetti sauce.

Soup and Sandwiches - Add a few cans of soup, a loaf of sliced bread, prepackaged lunch meat and cheeses, along with miniature jars of mayonnaise, mustard and pickles.

Handmade Candles

Create your own unique candles using a variety of scents. Pick up a candle making kit at your local craft store, along with a few scented oils. Fill decorative jars, glasses and vases with the melted wax. Get creative with the scents, mix complementary fragrances such as cinnamon and sugar, vanilla and raspberry or strawberries and cream.

Handmade Soap

Provide your loved one with a reason to relax. Make a batch of luxurious homemade whipped soap using his or her favorite scent. Grate a bar of plain, unscented soap into a large, microwave safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup of warm water. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on high temperature for 30 seconds. Remove the soap from the microwave and stir. Add 10 to 20 drops of fragrance oil, depending on how strong you want the scent. Mix well. Pour into soap molds or form the soap into balls using your hands. Allow the soap to harden for 24 hours before packaging.