Whether you forgot to buy your significant other their Valentine’s gift or you simply cannot afford one because the bookstore ate up your wallet, here are three Valentine’s Day gifts that are easy to make and cute to keep.
To start, you will need:

• 1 glass jar
• 3 paper plates
• 2 bottles of acrylic paint 
• 1 spool of ribbon
• 12×12 scrapbook paper
• Valentine’s Day-themed candy
• 1 paint brush
• 1 fake battery-powered candle
• Painter’s tape
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• 1 glue stick
• Clipboard
• Collage materials
• Pens and pencils
• Bobby pins
• 1 piece of printing paper

The first project is a Mod Podge clipboard. Fist, get a clipboard and brush Mod Podge on it. Then, randomly place the various Valentine’s Day-themed collage paper. After completely placing these collage designs around the clipboard, you will brush Mod Podge on top of everything. Let it dry completely and you’ve got yourself a cute clipboard!
The next homemade gifts are paper fortune cookies. These gifts are made from sheets of pattern paper folded it like a fortune cookie, then glue it together. Next, insert a tiny note with loving words on it into the paper fortune cookie, giving your Valentine a fortune they’ll never forget.
The last gift is a painted jar to give your loved one. Cut out strips of painter’s tape and stick them all around the jar. Next, paint the jar with two of your acrylic paints. Wait until the paint on the jar is halfway dry and remove the tape strips you painted over. For the lid, cut the appropriate size of the ribbon and tie it around the lid just to make it look cuter! From there, it will be up to you whether you want a fake candle illuminating the inside of the jar or have the jar filled with Valentine’s-themed candy.
Valentine’s Day is not a holiday that requires you to go out of your way and spend a ridiculous amount of money in order to demonstrate to your significant other how much they are loved – it is about putting in the same dedication and love you give to your loved one into a Valentine’s gift.
California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), student Gloria Guerrero (junior, Liberal Studies) agrees that the effort that is put into the homemade gift reflects the love one has for the significant other.
“If the person takes the time to make the gift, then that shows that they actually took the time to plan the gift out,” Guerrero said. “In contrast, you can go inside a store and simply find whatever pops up in your mind and easily buy it. There, I think, is where the sentiment in the gift is lost.”
So, why not put your creativity to use and craft cute Valentine’s day gifts for your significant other? Just make sure to plan ahead of your schedule in order to have time to create a well thought-out gift for whom you love. For detailed instructions for these DIY gifts, check out the video below.