It’s more than halfway through January, but I’m thinking about a cute and inexpensive DIY Valentine’s gift project. The great thing about Valentine’s Day is that you can give gifts to everyone you know, from your sweetheart, to your kids or your favorite girlfriends.
We all love receiving gifts, but I love making gifts for friends and family.
Making gifts is always an extra special touch that recipients appreciate. I know anyone would appreciate this cute and inexpensive DIY Valentine’s gift.
this Idea.
For my Valentine-inspired project, I knew I wanted to make a gift that I could give to girlfriends.
It had to be cute, of course, inexpensive to make, and something they could use.
I think my cute and inexpensive Valentine’s gift DIY project checks off all the boxes.
The Idea for my DIY Valentine’s Day Project
The inspiration for my cute and inexpensive DIY Valentine’s gift actually started before Christmas. I saw a great mug at my local Dollar Tree that I knew would be perfect for gifts.
So last weekend, I headed over there, crossing my fingers that the white ceramic mugs would still be in stock. And they were. I bought four.
I also wanted to decorate the mug with writing and a heart.
Using stencils and Ceramic Paint from A Maker’s Studio was the easiest and best solution.
I used Always a Bridesmaid – a pink color and 2 stencils – Alphabet 4 for the letters and the small heart design from the Alphabet 3stencil. I already had all these supplies and had used them before.
The first stencil I applied was the heart design. It’s so easy since the tri~mesh stencils have a heavy adhesive backing.
Next, I attached the letters for my “writing”. Since the Alphabet 4 stencil is a small “typewriter” font, there is not much border around each letter.
I used painter’s tape to create a larger border. This one little step made the application so easy.
I applied both words in a left-to-right manner. Since I’m left-handed, I usually do right to left.
After I completed my letters, I added a second heart design on the other side of the mug.
Now that my design was complete. It was time to gift wrap it.
Options for Wrapping this Cute and Inexpensive Valentine’s Gift
Before wrapping my Valentine’s gift mug, I filled it with Valentine M & M’s I bought 3 varieties at Target but needed only one.
Wrapping gifts can be just as much fun and creative as the gift itself. I had 3 different ideas.
Option 1 ~ the Red Theme
Last year I made napkins for a Valentine’s tablescape. I thought they would make a cute “wrap” and serve a purpose after the gift was unwrapped.
The red napkin had checks on one side and polka dots on the other. And little pom-poms at each corner.
I used a red check ribbon to tie the napkin around the mug.
Option 2 ~ the Pink Theme
If you’ve been visiting Bluesky at Home for a while, you know I love pink. And pink is perfect for Valentine’s gifts too. I had also made pink napkins last year and used a pink theme for gift wrap.
First, I tied a jumble of pink curly ribbon from a gift I received around the napkin. Pretty cute? And free!
TIP: always keep curly ribbon to reuse!
If you don’t have curly ribbon like that, you can make your own curly ribbon tie.
Option 3 ~ the Clear See-Through Theme
Since my mug was so darn cute, I wanted the design to show. Using clear plastic wrap allowed the design to be seen. Set the mug on the clear plastic film (buy at any craft store), making sure you have plenty of material to cover the mug plus extra for “fluff”.
I intended to use this darling red-check French ribbon that I bought on sale last week, but it turned out to be too wide and bulky.
After cutting the plastic film, bring the four corners together.
I used a twist tie to hold the plastic film together.
As ribbon, I used leftover fabric that I had used to decorate our Christmas tablescape and it worked perfectly.
So there you have it: one DIY, hand-made, cute, and inexpensive Valentine’s gift and 3 ways to wrap it.
Cost:
Ceramic mug – Dollar Tree $1.00 each
M & M’s ( I used about 3/4 of a bag – Target $3.19
Total = $4.19 + tax
Everything else I used I already had. The more mugs you make, the less the cost per mug.
Guess where I’m going today? Going to Dollar Tree to buy a few more mugs.
You can make and wrap this cute and inexpensive Valentine’s gift in less than an hour. I know you can. You could also use a different container:
- You could wrap it with fabric that you have edged with pinking shears.
- Wrap it in a dishtowel.
Instead of M & M’s, you could fill the mug with:
- Red hots
- Gummy bears
- Tart hearts
- Wrapped chocolate hearts
- Hershey kisses
I hope that this project has given you ideas and inspiration. It has fired me up to create some more cute and inexpensive Valentine’s gifts. Be sure to PIN it so you can make this mug for your friends.
