13 Last-Minute Valentine's Day Ideas to Make for Everyone You Love
Short on time to make the perfect Valentine's Day gift? These fun handmade presents and flourishes are a perfect (Cupid-approved!) solution.
"How do I love thee?" If you're still pondering that question, you only have so many days left to count the ways. Surprise your valentine this holiday with one of our sweet ideas that can be made easily and speedily while still conveying a thoughtful sentiment. Discover everything you need to know to make sweet treats, handmade gifts, heart-shaped crafts, flower arrangements, and more.
Candy and Tulip Bouquet
Flowers and candy are the touchstones of courtship and romance. But handing over a bouquet and a box of chocolates isn't the only way to show you're sweet on someone; combine both of these elements into a unique floral arrangement for your valentine.
Place a vase inside another that's taller and at least 1 inch wider; if the rims don't align, add candy to the outer vase to eliminate the height difference. Fill the gap between vases with candy. Fill the small vase halfway with water.
Secure the stems of a tight bunch of flowers with a rubber band; trim evenly with a sharp knife.
Set the bouquet inside the smaller vase. Add more water if necessary. This arrangement will last 5 to 7 days.
Folding Envelope Hearts
Friends will be aflutter over envelopes that turn into valentines. Super simple to make, these paper valentines make an extra-sweet surprise when slipped into a special hiding spot for your loved one to discover.
Cut a wide heart from paper that has a white side and a patterned side—wrapping paper works well.
Lay the heart with the patterned side down. Fold in sides as shown.
Fold the top down just above the middle.
Turn envelope so flap is at the top, write a message and seal with a sticker.
Secret Messages
For a last-minute box of chocolates, include an array of secret messages on small paper disks placed beneath each candy. So sweet!
A Heart-y Start
Why settle for ordinary eggs and toast when you can show your love with this loved-up version? Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, remove the center of a thick slice of bread and toast it. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place the bread slice in the skillet and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Add another 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and flip the bread. Fit the cookie cutter, coated with cooking spray, into the bread's cutout heart, and crack an egg into the cutter. Cover the skillet, and cook until the egg is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to remove the cutter. Serve with the toasted heart for dipping into yolk.
Lavander Tub Tea
A twist on flowers for Valentine's Day! Lavender can help anyone relax, which makes it a great ingredient to drop in the water when drawing a bath. To make these sweet pouches of "tub tea" simply scoop some dried lavender and Himalayan salt into diffuser sachets.
Cappuccino Hearts
What makes a sweet partner to hearty-eggs? A heart-garlanded coffee, of course. Customize your significant other's morning eye-opener with a valentine traced in frothed milk.
A Heart of Petals
A scattering of pink and red petals and a few wispy buds, positioned just so, summon a fleeting "I love you" moment. Choose a spot sure to meet your valentine: in the entryway of your home, atop a table as an intimate prelude to dinner, or on a pillow. The silhouette is bound to elicit an endearing response.
Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts
Are you feeling soft-hearted this Valentine's Day? Reach for some marshmallows and transform them into confections of affection.
Paper Clip Hearts
Small touches show your thoughtfulness—and heart-shaped clips do the job. Open a simple paper clip into a heart with some clever configuring. Then, use the cute clip to attach a photo or keepsake to a handwritten valentine or a bouquet of flowers. Start with a standard paper clip, then follow these steps: Orient the paper clip horizontally, bend the middle of the clip while pushing the left-hand side upward, and clip the bottom tip over a photo, a love note, or a pair of tickets to a romantic getaway.
Wooden Hearts
Whether tucked inside a lunch bag or slipped into a coat pocket, these simple, painted tokens are a sweet reminder that say "I love you!"
Heart-Shaped Tea Tag
Warm someone up by adding a handwritten love message to a tea bag. Cut two hearts out of red construction paper using a heart-shaped crafter's hole punch (available at crafts stores). Use a metallic pen to write a short message on one of the hearts. Next, remove a tea bag tag and, at the end of the string, affix two hearts, back-to-back, using double-sided tape or a stapler. Package bags to give as a present, or steep one in hot water to serve with breakfast in bed.
Say It With Flowers
Create these candy hearts for a romantic touch to any Valentine's Day gift. Cut out paper conversation hearts. Using string, attach paper conversation hearts to an 11-inch piece of wire bent into a curve. Tuck into a bouquet (we used parrot tulips and nerine lilies).
Get the Sweet Gestures Candy Hearts Print-Out
Fondue for Two
If you still have time to hit the supermarket, surprise your sweetheart, or even a sweet friend, with a resplendent fondue for two. There's something to be said for a leisurely and interactive dinner. This gooey mix of Gruyere and fontina is the perfect partner for all kinds of dippers: roasted potatoes, bread cubes and sticks, fennel, apple, salami, you name it.
Read the original article on Martha Stewart.
