So, you’ve reached Valentines week and you still have no a gifts for your partner. Never fear, the arts section is here to save you from the inevitable side-eye of your giftless date with some cheap DIY ideas.
Gift Tokens
Who doesn’t like to be taken care of? This DIY requires only paper and your imagination. Cut coloured paper or card into ticket shapes and write down your token ideas. Examples include ‘redeem for one back massage’ or ‘redeem for one night of choosing all the netflix’. Get creative!
‘Open when’ Letters
This is a fantastic idea for all you long-term lovers and committed cuties. Buy some envelopes (decorate them if you like) and fill them with letters that relate to the scenario you write on the outside. For example ‘open when you’re sad’, ‘open when we’ve had a fight’ or ‘open when you first get this’. Sprinkle some extra sweetness by including other items in the letters – ‘open when hungry’ could have a discount coupon for a restaurant. This is a way to romance your valentine, and also show off how well you know them. Next level letter writers could make a treasure hunt, with letters as clues.
‘Remember when’ Jar
Another lovely DIY that shows off that insider knowledge you have about your valentine – newly cuffed lovers beware! For this DIY write about memories you treasure with your valentine on small pieces of paper, fold them, and put them into a jar. You can have a romantic evening reminiscing, and it’ll have only cost you your recycling.
Personalised Mug
For this DIY all you need is a plain mug in a colour of your choice, and a ceramic pen. Decorate the mug in whatever way you like, just don’t forget to read the instructions for the pen. Most ceramic pens come out a little drippy, so this is not a DIY to do on any surfaces you care about staining. Just pick a doodle or saying that would make your valentine smile, put the mug in the oven for the specified time, and voila! Lovable and functional gift.
The number one rule of gift giving is personalisation, so never forget what things your valentine enjoys and appreciates. If they like going for walks, plan a route to walk together. If they like music, write them a song or take them to a concert. The best gifts are ones where the giver has truly personalised them to the receiver’s tastes. But if none of these DIYs float your boat, Pinterest is your friend. Even if your DIY is a little rubbish, the considerate part of them is the time and energy you spent crafting it – and if it’s really that bad it’ll become something funny for them to joke about in times to come.
Sonnet 29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.