Romantic DIY Gift Ideas for your loved one this Valentine’s Day

Johntex/Wikicommons – CC BY 2.5

Paloma Rao, LLB Law

Love Coupons

What you need: Card, scissors, ribbon

1. Cut out coloured card into rectangles to make your coupons. You can print templates online.
2. Decorate each coupon with your ideas.
3. Make a hole on the left side of each coupon and tie together with ribbon.

‘Open When…‘ Envelopes

What you need: envelopes and items to put in the envelopes (you could get some items from a pound shop or make some yourself)

1. Label each envelope with ‘Open when’ and when the envelope should be opened.
2. Fill each envelope and present them in a nicely decorated box.

Ideas: Open when… you’re hungry (with your partner’s favourite snack,) you’re having a bad day (you could draw or print a funny picture to cheer them up,) you are sick (and include some medicine, tissues and a sachet of soup or hot chocolate.)

‘A Love Map

What you need: a map of your city, pins, card and scissors

1. Print off or draw a map of your area/city or you could draw the outline and label the main places (such as Kings Cross.)
2. Pinpoint on the map any places which have played a role in your relationship and label them.

Ideas: First date, first kiss, first trip to the theatre, favourite hang-out spot, best night out together… You could make a border around the map with photos of you and your loved one.

‘In our house we…‘ House rules for your family or flatmates

What you need: You could do this with planks of wood, nails and paint or simply make a smaller version using different coloured card. You will also need a black permanent marker

1. Saw/find 7-10 planks of wood or cut out different sized rectangles out of card. You will need a long plank or stick to form the backbone.
2. Paint the wood if you choose to.
3. Write each house rule onto each piece and decorate. The top one could read ‘In our house we…’
4. Nail or glue each piece to the backbone.

Ideas: be positive, share, help each other, take our shoes off…

52 Reasons why I love you

What you need: paper, pens, a jar, string/ribbons

1. On small, rectangular peices of paper write 52 (or more) reasons why you love your loved one.
2. Roll these up and tie with string.
3. Fill the jar up and decorate the jar with string/ribbon and label.

Raspberry swirl cheesecakes

A simple but foolproof idea is to bake something for your loved one.

What you need (makes 24): For the crust: 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 4 tbsp. melted unsalted butter, 3 tbsp. sugar. For the swirl: 6 oz. fresh raspberries, 2 tbsp. sugar. For the cheesecake: 2 lbs. cream cheese, 1½ cups sugar, Pinch of salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven
2. Mix together the ingredients for the crumb. Put a tablespoon of the misture at the bottom of each cake case and press flat. Bake for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk/blend the raspberries and sugar until smooth to make the fruit puree.
4. For the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Then beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. To assemble, put the cheesecake batter over the crust then add half a teaspoon of the puree over the cheesecake. Use a toothpick to swirl.
6. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Chill in fridge before serving.

A Cork Heart

What you will need: as many wine corks as you choose, superglue and paper

1. Draw a heart on a piece of paper.

1. Line up the corks around the outline and then glue together. You may add more layers or fill in the heart depending on how many corks you have.
2. Leave to dry!