11 Great Ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts

Each year that Valentine’s Day comes around you are inundated with emails, posts, articles and everything in between encouraging you to do and buy things for loved ones, office mates, people you care about, people in your lives. This article isn’t necessarily any different! Then why read it (you may be asking yourself)?

Simple, because you may see and do something every day, every month or every year and not realize that if you tilted your head just slightly the other way, you may see it in a whole new way!

Perusing Pinterest late at night a few nights ago, feeling a bit defeated by yet another themed holiday coming around with so much “pressure to perform”, I had a renewed sense of purpose with this holiday. Is it about love? It can be. Do I think it’s the best holiday ever? Not necessarily. Do I need a reason or an excuse to show people I care about that? Definitely not but it is kind of nice to occasionally have a reminder: Hey, show the people in your life you think of them!

No need to spend a lot of time, to be the most creative person on the planet or even to spend a lot of money! Check out this list of 11 great ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts.  That’s right, a top 11 list of customizable and personalized gifts, not 9 and not 10, 11.  From my very exuberant heart to yours!

Top 11 Personalized Gift Ideas In No Particular Order

Hearts on doors each day of February

Starting on 2/1, hang a heart on a door, desk, even the inside of car each day leading up to the 14th. On the 14th, write something longer! This can be something you love about the other person, positive motivational quotes or even silly jokes! Cost is little to nothing and you can even use cardboard boxes to cut out hearts and write kind words.  Write all your hearts out ahead of time or consider this the one of the best valentine’s day gift ideas you’ve seen.  

Custom mugs

Nothing says I love you like your face on a mug! Your dog or cat’s face on a mug! Even your family’s chicken on a mug can be quite adorable: Have an EGGSelent day! Custom gift mugs are such a beautiful way to show someone you care and go the extra mile with a personalized gift as well.  If you’re not sure what to say, custom gift printers are usually pretty handy at helping you brainstorm ideas for both designs AND text so don’t worry too much about it. You supply the theme and they’ll help fill in the details.

Homemade countdown calendar

You already know I have an affinity for Valentine’s Day gift ideas that use cardboard! Make this simple gift with a square of cardboard, a box cutter, some markers and extra post it notes, copy paper or construction paper. You’ve seen an advent calendar, right? Well this is a countdown to the ways I think of/love/like you calendar. Cut little doors out using the box cutter in your card board. Behind each little door will be your message.  A great low cost valentine’s day gift with a lot of care put into it!

Custom tote

Have a sweetie who likes doing their part to cut down on plastic bags?  A kiddo with lots of stuff to “tote” around (see what I did there)?  Custom Valentine’s gift totes can be as simple as adding their name to a tote and as fun as adding a saying.  Want them to think of you all day everyday? Why not add a photo to the tote and make this custom gift tote extra special.

Sweets for your sweets

This gift is a great last minute Valentine’s day gift idea. Short on time? Get yourself to the nearest convenience store, grab a handful of sweet items you know they’ll love. Put it in an extra paper bag or old gift bag you’ve got at home or yoinked from a co-worker and slap a big note on it: Sweets for my sweets!  It’s punny (adorable), it’s thoughtful (favorite yummys are always a hit) and it’s easy to put together at the last minute.  If anyone out there is reading this, just a reminder, hard candy coated shells filled with peanut butter are “someone’s” favorite…

Personalized t-shirts

You thought about saying it on a mug and they don’t drink hot beverages. You considered saying it on a tote but how often do they forget to pack the basics. Now you’re switching focus and honing in on: The custom t-shirt.  Brilliant!  Anything you can say on a mug or a tote you can say it louder on a t-shirt!  T-shirts come in such a variety of colors, sizes and materials that the possibilities feel almost endless.  Even better, around holidays, shops are usually running specials on gifts that make it an even more accessible choice!

Story of us

If you want a super custom Valentine’s Day gift, “the story of us” is one that requires a little more time and effort but so much love, fun and kindness is put into a gift like this. Feel overwhelmed? Don’t be! You can make your big as simple as some copy pages folded over and stapled at the fold.  Not great at drawing? No worries there either! Do what you can and write what you feel. Maybe it’s the story of you and your co-worker and the daily adventures you have. Maybe it’s a story of a memory with one of your kids.  Write what you know and that’s all the guidance you need!

Custom hoodie

You saw the t-shirt suggestion above and blew past it right? Winter temperatures have you feeling like you don’t even want to look at the t-shirts in your closet, am I right? Lucky for you, hoodies make excellent custom Valentine’s gifts as well!  I’m sure there’s something great your significant other says that they’d love to see immortalized on a hoodie. There’s probably something inspiring your friend would love to see and wear as often as possible. If you can think of it, it can be personalized!  

Breakfast in bed

Assuming you’ve got some items on hand, this one takes the cake for best last minute Valentine’s Day gift. Don’t have any breakfast items on hand? Make this a jokey Valentine’s day gift: who said broccoli in bed isn’t romantic? While I’d only suggest using this gift for people you live with/are intimately connected to, it’s a wonderful, easy and loving way to show someone you care.  Have a little time to plan?  Run by the grocery store and pick up any of the adorable confections often displayed just inside the front door and near the cash register. Give your honey a little something lovely to wake up to.

Beer lovers’ pack

Have someone in your life who loves nothing more than settling down with a good cold brew?  Put together a little gift pack of Valentine’s Day treats. Run over to your nearby dollar focused store and pickup some basic goodies like tinsel, a faux wooden basket and some foam (to fill and help things stay put). While you’re at it, head to the grocery store or your local bottle shop and grab a sampler of their favorites or items you know they’d like to try. While you’re at it, get some custom beer coolies created with the name of their basement hangout, a funny joke they love or even just something simple with their name. Add that personal coolie gift to the basket along with your foam, covered by tinsel and in a wooden basket and you’ve got a gift your beer lover is guaranteed to love!

Wine lovers’ pack

Now last, and certainly not at all least, the wine lover’s pack. How does one even choose with so many great options? Do you go the way of food pairings and cheese boards? Or wine accessories like custom wine totes, personalized wine coolies and even custom wine bottle covers? Either way if you know their taste in this grapeful beverage, it’s hard to miss and is a gift they’ll be thankful for!  Put together a little package with a bottle of wine, some nice glasses and a few wine coolies and this gift receiver will be feeling the love.

I’m sure I missed some last minute Valentine’s Day gift options and there are surely more custom gifts out there but for now, hope this helped and best wishes in what you choose!