5 Gift Go-To’s: A Valentine’s Craftacular!

Posted Thursday, February 13th, 2014 by Robyn Warner.

‘Tis that time of year again when our minds invariably turn to love and to showing the select individuals in our lives just how much they mean to us. Instead of whipping out your credit card to impress with diamonds and a dozen roses, why not show you care with something beautifully crafted by your own two hands?

Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us, so Ink Technologies has put together a list of five special gift options that require little more than a dash of creativity and a pinch of craftiness. (Side note: you might also need access to a printer, and you might have to procure a few necessary items from your local craft store to successfully complete these projects.)

1. Felt Fortune Cookies

Image via Martha Stewart

We squealed with delight when we discovered these charming felt fortune cookies from the brains at Martha Stewart. In addition to filling the cookies with small sweet treats, print (or hand write) inspiring messages to place inside as well.

2. Photo Montage for Your Child

Image via Martha Stewart

Stack family photos into playful wall art in the shape of a giant heart by arranging same-size vertical snapshots in a grid using removable double-sided tape.

3. 3-D Valentine’s Day Cards

Image via Martha Stewart

Who needs 3-D printing when you can still produce the three-dimensional effect the old-fashioned way? The various clip art illustrations available at this link require a few simple cuts and a couple of pieces of tape, et voila, you have a home-made Valentine’s Day card all set and ready to go for that certain someone.

Image via Martha Stewart

4. Romantic Wrappings

Sometimes, it’s not just about the gift itself. Presentation can really help to enhance the whole experience. Here are three suggestions for pretty packaging for all your candies, trinkets and baubles:

Stenciled Valentine Gift Bags

Image via Martha Stewart

These decorated muslin bags are just right for wrapping treats for friends, loved ones or your kid’s classmates. Hand-printing on cotton fabric has never been easier when you create custom-made stencils out of freezer paper.

Romantic Wrapping Paper

Image via Martha Stewart

Utilize a standard black-and-white photocopier to fashion your own artful wrapping paper. Wrap your presents with the paper, and finish them with a flourish of sheer satin ribbon.

Chocolate Wrapper

Image via Martha Stewart

Store-bought chocolate repackaged in a homemade wrapper – the underside of which reveals a handwritten love note – tastes doubly delicious. Download the design, color-print and cut out. Embellish with sprinkles of glue and glitter, wrap around a foil-covered bar and seal with tape. Simple!

5. Quick & Easy Printables

Finally, if you need some quick and easy alternatives that require little more than printing and cutting, look no further than the following ideas:

A Valentine’s Day Candy Box

Image via Spoonful

Printable Notes and Mini Cards

Image via Parents

Pop these notes and mini cards into your child’s lunch bag or stick under pillows, in sock drawers or in favorite books on Valentine’s Day – or on any other day – for an unexpected surprise to remind your kiddos just how much you love them.

Printable Stickers

Image via Parents

Print these stickers on full-sheet labels and then cut out to decorate cards, candy and presents.

For more Valentine’s Day craft fun, visit our blog’s A Valentine’s Day to Remember: Paper Flowers post.

Robyn Warner

Robyn Warner has been writing since she learned how to hold a pen. She wrote her first book of poems before the age of 10. Though creative writing is her preference, she is enjoying life in the technical blog world. Robyn’s goal in her 30s is to use her writing to inspire fellow cancer survivors and have a job that gives her the flexibility to live anywhere and never wear shoes.