7 Ways to Show Your Valentine You Care Without Buying a Thing

7 Ways to Show Your Valentine You Care Without Buying a Thing
iStock/ollinka

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to to be a corporate holiday. Give your Valentine the gift of homemade this year and leave the mass-consumerism out of it.

While advertisers might have you believe that Valentine’s Day is all about commercialism, showing your love on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to cost a thing. With a little creativity and planning, you can wow your Valentine with one (or all of these) low-cost or free ideas.

7 Wallet and Planet-Friendly Valentine Ideas

1. Handmade Caramels

Making homemade caramel is easier than you might think, but it’s super impressive. And if your love is vegan, here is a recipe–extra points if you dip them in vegan, free-trade dark chocolate.

2. Homemade Dinner

What’s better than having someone make you dinner? Show your loved one just how much you care by making a tasty dinner and serve it by candlelight. If you don’t have confidence in your cooking skills, consider signing up for one of those meal services that can help make cooking a snap.

3. Breakfast in Bed

By the same token, serving up breakfast in bed is a fantastic way to show just how much your partner means to you. Score bonus points for making homemade scones and brewing up some tasty fair-trade pour over coffee.

4. Heart Garland

Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” than an arts and crafts project. With a little glue, yarn, paint, and junk mail you can make a festive heart garland for your special valentine.

5. Valentine Playlist

Back in the day, the kids would make mixtapes to send a love message to their main squeeze. Nowadays, streaming music makes that process a lot simpler, but the sentiment is just the same. Of course, if you still have a cassette tape around, knock yourself out.

6. Love Note Scavenger Note

Want to impress your Valentine? Plan a scavenger hunt complete with love note clues and the prize being a nice bottle of wine, a hot bath with flower petals, and/or some “Netflix and Chill.”

7. Homemade Bath & Body

And if you are planning on making a hot bath for your love, why not try your hand at making homemade bath bombs, shave gel, or body oil spray?

Related on EcoSalon

3 Ways to Show Your Valentine You Care (Without Cheating the Planet)
9 Last-Minute Personalized Valentine’s Gifts Perfect for V-Day
20 of the Quirkiest Offbeat Quotes About Love for Your Valentine’s Day

 

Jen Wallace

Jen Wallace shares her indie life by writing about making, creating, cooking, learning, playing, decorating, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy from indie biz tips to the modern history of the American hemline.