Every special someone deserves a unique and personal present for Valentine’s Day. Even for those who are not artistically gifted, there are inexpensive, crafty ways to create gifts a sweetheart will treasure forever.
Craft stores such as Ben Franklin and Michael’s in Eugene have low-cost basic materials to begin with. Sara Snellings, an employee at Ben Franklin, suggested decorating heart-shaped papier-mâché boxes with fabric, paper or paint and fastening the items with Mod Podge, a multi-purpose adhesive that can be used on the boxes.
“Boxes are really easy to do,” Snellings said. Ben Franklin sells medium-sized heart boxes for about $3. Photos, magazine clippings, beads and other decorations can be added to the box for embellishment.
Papier-mâché boxes are not only easy to make, but can become treasured keepsakes. Allie O’Grady’s sister made her a “heart in a box” one Valentine’s Day. The round papier-mâché box had a picture of O’Grady, a freshman, and her boyfriend on the outside and was stamped with little pink and red hearts. On the inside was a small, red heart-shaped box with the name “Ryan” painted on it. The box was filled with colorful, love-themed confetti.
“This gift would work for anyone,” O’Grady said.
Snellings also recommended using rose decals on handmade glycerin soaps. The soap comes in various colors and is sold in both pre-cut pieces and large bars. Dried flowers can also be put in the soap to add a romantic and pretty touch.
Kathy Hall, of Crafter’s Alley in Springfield, said tying three different-sized, painted wooden hearts together in a row with pretty ribbon can be a sweet gift for a Valentine to hang on his or her wall. Decorating the hearts or writing names and phrases on them makes the present personal.
Another simple but creative idea is to make a “love garden” for a Valentine. Start with a small- or medium-sized clay pot and a few shades of acrylic paint. Paint the outside of the pot any color and allow it to dry. Then paint little hearts or dots in another color. To add variety, stencil a border of flowers, hearts or individual designs.
Next, get some florist’s foam, a package of jumbo craft sticks, a few wooden heart shapes and some colored confetti grass. Place the foam in the pot after the paint has dried and cover it with grass. Then paint two or three of the craft sticks and paint a few hearts as well. After they have dried, glue the hearts to the top of the sticks. Write personal messages on the hearts or even glue on photographs. Once the hearts are decorated, place the sticks into the foam.
Now add a few silk flowers to the “garden,” or tie pieces of ribbon around each craft stick for the finishing touches. All of the materials can be found at Ben Franklin Crafts and should cost less than $15.
For extra instruction on craft ideas, there are some Valentine’s Day workshops available. Barb Simmons of Treasures from the Heart in Eugene teaches woodworking classes and will help her students create almost anything they want. These classes can cost from about $6 to $10, she said.
Michael’s is also offering a “Valentine Candy Wrapper” course for $2 on Feb. 11, and a “Coordinate Valentine Gift Tags, Cards and Envelopes” class on Feb. 12 and 13. The cost is $10, plus supplies.