20 Homemade Valentine Gifts, Projects & Decor Ideas

{Updated for 2010} Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be commercialized, making homemade treats for loved ones is fun to do and they’re also appreciated . Here are twenty different projects and ideas perfect for Valentine’s Day gift giving and entertaining…plus more bonus ideas listed at the bottom!

20 Homemade Valentine Gifts, Projects & Decor Ideas

Valentine Pennie Pockets Tutorial By modabakeshop.com

1. Valentine Pennie Pockets: Four little nosegay Pennie Pockets of Valentine happiness. Fill with treats and love… hang on a front door handle… ring the doorbell… and RUN! Hello! Adorable! Found at Moda Bakeshop.
2. How To Make Woven Fabric Hearts: Learn how to make Danish woven hearts out of fabric. Tutorial is in video format. Found at Curbly.
3. Valentine’s Teacher Gift: Super easy project, just decorate a bottle of liquid hand soap or sanitizer and be amazed at the transformation! Found at Just a Girl.
4. Fabric Love Letters: Lavender-filled, heart-shaped sachet in each envelope. Tutorial available via pdf at Tamdoll’s Workspace.
5. DIY Valentine’s Day Goodie Bags: Fill with cookies, muffins, a handmade card, or whatever it is that your special someone will enjoy. Also see DIY Valentine’s Day Brownie Bags. Free printables from Twig And Thistle.
6. Tasty Posies for Valentine’s Day: Sweet little tissue paper/lollipop posies from Full Circle.
7. Valentine Wristlets: Perfect for your favorite little girl, tutorial by Plum Pudding.
8. Love You Bookmark: Perfect last minute Valentine’s gift. Tutorial from mmmcrafts.
9. Heart-Shaped Pot Holders: Creating heart-shaped pot holders is a charming way to add whimsy and color to your kitchen’s decor. They also make sweet Valentine’s Day gifts. From Martha Stewart.
10. Foldable Paper Heart Flower Book Card: It can be used as an invitation, a handmade card, for journaling on a scrapbook page or for a foldable booklet in a lapbook! From Pink Paper Peppermints.
11. Valentines Treasures: Free downloads and instructions for candy wrappers and labels to make your very own gift box of sweet treats (plus a free font download). Found at Schlosser Designs.
12. Valentine’s Day Can: Repurpose a soup can into a lovely decorated treat to hold flowers, candies, pens, whatever you like. Found at The Long Thread.
13. Vintage Valentine Frame Tray: Take a filigree metal picture frame and some vintage valentines and turn it into a kitchsy serving tray perfect for serving Valentine’s treats. Tutorial found at Vintage Indie.
14. Valentine’s Votives Tutorial: All you need are a few votive holders, some tissue in pretty Valentines-y shades, Mod Podge, a paint brush (or sponge brush), and scissors. Project found at The Shabby Nest.
15. No-Sew Valentine Garland: Take some cardboard scraps from cereal boxes, cut them into heart shapes and cover with batting and fabric. Add some ribbons and bows and you have a lovely holiday garland. Found at Scraps In Progress.
16. Clip Art Craft: Valentine Card: Print out a free Valentine’s Day card with a snail, poke a lollipop through the card and the lollipop looks like the snail’s shell. Found at Zakka Life.
17. Free Candy Bar Labels: Download available in two different sizes, pretty labels! Found at Creature Comforts.
18. Valentine Sparkle: Take a bead covered styrofoam ball, add some ribbons with tags and you have a lovely “You Are Loved” keepsake. Found at Inspiring Ideas.
19. Lollipop Holder Valentines: Simple valentines with dots and cute little animals each holds the gift of a single lollipop…sometimes candy is sweeter than words! Free printable found at Tricia Rennea.
20. “Just to Say” Brooch Tutorial: They are lovely pinned to a card for that special occasion, then can be attached to cushions, aprons, hats, scarves … whatever you wish … and treasured forever. They’re great for using up all those scraps from your fabric stash too. Project available via free pdf download, found at Bustle And Sew.

Bonus Goodies

• How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries, or how about Chocolate Dipped Spoons and Chocolate Leaves and Chocolate Covered Pretzels (Tipnut)
• How To Make Heart Shaped Paper Clips (How About Orange)
• Paper Flowers: 35 How-To Instructions & Templates (Tipnut)
• How to Have a Frugal & Happy Valentine’s Day (Dumb Little Man)
• Valentine Treats-Chocolate-Laced Waffle Cones (Ingredients, Inc.)
• Pre-School Valentines Game (Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman)
• How To Make Rose Ice Cubes (Jonathan Fong Style) and Fancy & Garnished Ice Cubes: How To (Tipnut)

Also, don’t miss these Vintage Valentine Freebie Downloads and this list of Recipes for Valentines Sweet Treats.

Updated: Originally Published February 7, 2009

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