Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to tell the loved ones in our lives how special they are to us, and there’s no better way to do that than with a unique, handmade gift. We’ve put together our favourite tips on how to show your love for someone special this Valentine’s Day.
1. Love rocks
Please find a few round, decent-sized pebbles, wash them well, then paint them with hearts and Valentine’s Day messages using acrylic paints or oil-based paint marker pens. Once the paint is dry, brush them over with PVA glue or varnish to seal them and make them weatherproof. Finally, place the finished pebbles around the house or garden for your Valentine to find.
2. String heart
Make a ‘string art’ heart wall hanging. Find a piece of lightweight wood and paint it in a colour of your choice. Outline a heart in pencil on the wood, then tap nails in all along this outline, spacing them about 1cm apart. Finally, use a thin string or yarn and loop it between the nails to fill in the heart, from side to side and top to bottom across the heart to achieve a beautifully random pattern.
3. Rope art
Create a rope wall hanging that spells out your romantic message or design. First, draw your design on a large piece of paper or card, and cut a length of rope long enough to form into the design. Mix 1.5 cups water, 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornflour, 1 cup craft glue and 1 teaspoon salt. Soak the rope in this mixture, then shape it to spell out your message or design, using the card as a template. Please leave it to dry for 24 hours, then hang it in place.
4. Heartstring-tugging vase.
Cut out heart-shapes in red felt and thread them onto red or white string, then wrap the string around a vase filled with roses for that extra touch of romance.
5. Personalised mug
Personalise a mug with a Valentine’s Day message for someone special in your life. Start with a plain mug – one with a matt surface will work better than a heavily glazed mug. Using oil-based marker pens, draw or write your message on the mug. Please leave it to dry for 48 hours, then bake in an oven to set the markings. To avoid the mug cracking, don’t pre-heat the oven, turn it on to 150°C (300°F) and put the mug in straight away. Bake for 1.5 hours, then switch off the oven and leave the mug inside while it cools down.
Create the perfect atmosphere of comfort and style in your home to make your Valentine’s Day celebrations even more special. Visit our centre to be inspired by our exciting homeware and garden ranges.
