Quick and Simple Valentine’s Day Gifts Can Mean a Lot!
If you have put off buying that Valentine’s Day gift, don’t fret; it’s not Valentine’s Day yet! There’s still time for us procrastinators to come up with a meaningful gift without having to spend a fortune or come up with something elaborate.
I have compiled some last minute Valentine’s Day ideas and quick Valentine’s gifts that won’t break the bank, but that your sweetheart will surely appreciate. After all, it’s really the thought that counts, and even simple Valentine’s Day gifts can mean the world to those you love!
20 Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Ideas & Simple Gifts They’ll Love
1. Surprise Love Notes
Grab a package of heart-shaped Post-it notes from the grocery store, write down things you love about him or her and scatter them throughout the house. They will love it! (Need some ideas? Check this post from Lana at With A Touch Of Luxe.)
2. Bake a Cake (or Brownies, or Cookies!)
If you like to bake, this is a fun, frugal Valentine’s Day gift idea. If Valentine’s Day falls on a week day, surprise him or her at work by dropping off a plate of their favorite goodies and a note. They’ll surely be the envy of co-workers! Bonus points for making them heart-shaped!
3. Giant Candy Bar Card
One of my favorite Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him is to put together a big card (made with poster board or foam core board) with candy bars attached and cute candy bar sayings. These are so much fun to do! The only hard part is resisting the urge to eat the candy!
4. Make a Pinterest Board
Looking for out of the box Valentine’s Day gift ideas? Look no further than a bespoke Pinterest board! Fill it with images, videos, and websites that speak to your significant other’s interests or that will make them smile.
5. Candy Bouquet
This is a quick Valentine’s Day gift bouquet I made for my husband last year. I was definitely in a “last minute” situation, but luckily I tend to thrive under pressure. :-) He loved it!
Related: Valentine’s Day Sour Cream Cookies
6. Make a Valentine With Household Items
Turn everyday items into a gift with a well-placed pun and a few simple supplies.
- “I donut know what I would do without you!” – donut
- “I love you a latte!” – Starbucks bottled drink
- “I get a charge out of you!” – AA batteries
- “You are the highlight of my life!” – highlighter pen
- “I am stuck on you!” – glue or stickers
- “You are the icing on my cake!” – cupcake
- “I’m bananas for you!” – banana or banana bread
7. Have a Netflix Night
Turn on Netflix, queue up When Harry Met Sally (or your rom-com of choice), and enjoy a night snuggled up together on the couch. My Rom-Com Checklist could come in handy here!
8. Valentine’s Day Crossword Puzzle
Go to Education.com and create a free customized crossword that incorporates words and clues from your relationship. For example: 3 Down: What you hate to take out. Answer: Garbage.
9. Make a Romantic Playlist (or Borrow Mine!)
Make a romantic playlist of your favorite love songs as a thoughtful throwback to the mixtapes we used to make “back in the day.” It’s a gift that will last well beyond Valentine’s Day and doesn’t cost a cent to make. (Feel free to use my Valentine’s Day Playlist instead — your secret is safe with me!)
10. Opening Day Tickets
Baseball season is just around the corner, so why not surprise the sports fan in your life with tickets to opening day? Put the tickets in a Valentine’s Day card, or pair it with a t-shirt or hat.
11. Frame It Up!
Here’s one of my favorite quick Valentine’s gifts: download a free printable (there are lots and lots to be found on Pinterest) and put it in a frame. I love this particular quote! :-)
More Ideas You'll Love
12. Take the Day Off From Parenting
Plan ahead to have the kids stay with Grandma or another relative overnight on Valentine’s Day (or around then — it doesn’t hurt to be flexible!) This will give you both some “alone time” to focus on each other, and to sleep in!
13. Heartfelt Romantic Breakfast
Wake up extra early and start Valentine’s Day off special with a batch of heart-shaped pancakes! Just pour the batter in the frying pan in a free-form heart shape and serve with strawberries and whipped cream. This would definitely show your loved one how much you care. You could also make heart on his smoothie with strawberry juice or even bake some heart-shaped donuts and go crazy with sprinkles!
14. Play Tourist in Your Home Town
Plan some touristy activities that you and your honey have never gotten around to doing, and don’t be embarrassed to take a zillion corny couples pictures.
15. A Winter Picnic
Take a picnic blanket (or even a sheet) and set up a romantic picnic in your living room. Feature food from your favorite deli or gourmet shop, and maybe a fancy beverage. You could also make your picnic an outing, like parking your car at a scenic overlook.
16. Spread the Love
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, so consider branching out from romance into charity and friendship. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, send flowers to nursing home residents, or contact a local women’s shelters to ask how you can best show love to those who live and work there. Little things can make all the difference for people who are in need of a little extra love.
17. Do the Chores They Dislike
Is there a chore that your partner typically does? Is there something he/she has been meaning to do, but hasn’t found the time to do it? For Valentine’s Day, do something that will make your significant other’s life easier. Organize the garage. Take over laundry duties for a week/month. You get the idea.
18. A Dozen Roses + a Dozen Dates
Turn the traditional “a dozen roses” into something extra special. Think of 12 date ideas that suit the both of you, write those down in a card, and gift the card along with a dozen roses. Good Housekeeping has 130 Creative Date Night Ideas that can help you brainstorm.
Want to score extra Valentine points? Have them delivered at work. It will make your beloved’s co-workers sigh at your thoughtfulness and leave your sweetheart smiling.
19. The Gift of Pure Relaxation
If you’ve waited until the very last minute for a gift, a gift card for a massage is a fast option that doesn’t require you to wait for delivery! If you really want to kick up the romance factor, make it a gift certificate for a couple’s massage. Most spas these days offer gift cards or gift certificates!
20. Go Beyond the Chocolates
Chocolate-covered strawberries are my absolute favorite! If you have never tried these, you are missing out. My husband always buys me a dozen for Valentine’s Day. They are divine!
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More Sweet Ideas For Valentine’s Day
- In the mood for romance, or a sweet treat you can share with the fam? Here are some other Valentine’s Day ideas to consider:
- 6 Romantic Valentine’s Day Mocktails Your Sweetheart Will Love
- Valentine’s Day Dinner For The Whole Family
- A Romantic Valentine’s Dessert For Two
What’s the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
Every day is “Valentine’s Day” when my children call and say “Love You Mom”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best gift received was a dozen red roses.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A couple years ago, my fiancé surprised me in bed with a small teddy bear holding paper roses. Every time I see it I remember that morning. Last year we agreed to start a Valinentines Day Dinner tradition, and worked together to make a pasta dish for dinner, dreesd up, and ate it with ginger ale and by candle light, then did dishes together and cuddled during a movie.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best Valentine’s Day gift I every received was two years ago from my boyfriend (now my fiancé). After all the years of dating, I received my first love poem at the age of 40. The poem made me cry, love him more and appreciate Valentine’s Day again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Aside from the cards my kids gave me when they were little (which I still have), my boyfriend gave me red tulips and coupons for awesome things like carwashes, back rubs, date nights, movie nights, upcoming concerts – they were thoughtful, romantic and awesome!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best was actually the first for my hubby and me. We had only been dating for a few months, but we knew this was it. He chose Valentine’s Day to propose, but as it turned out, he couldn’t wait and did it the night before! Balloons and all! I was completely surprised, but giddy with excitement. He must have done something right because 20 years later, here we are. Another Valentine’s Day! I am truly blessed :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We had a newborn baby, there was no leaving the house yet. My husband asked my grandma to come over and rock with baby downstairs so I could rest. He made me a wonderful dinner. He was not a very good cook mostly from lack of experience. He had to call his cuz the chief every few mins. It was so cute to hear him in the kitchen trying so hard. I stayed in bed the whole time. He brought me dinner in bed, with chocolates, & a glass of Asti. We also watched a move, well almost a whole movie. You tend to get baby back when it’s milky time! Best day ever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My then boyfriend (now husband) had a bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries sent to my work at my time. I was the only person who received a Valentine’s gift at work, but I was able to share them with everyone. So, the whole office got to enjoy it and I felt like a princess.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband gave me a date jar one year. It had 52 dates on paper inside a pretty jar. Every week we were to draw from the jar and have a date. It was fun seeing all the ideas and we really looked forward to picking from the jar every week. Most of them were simple free dates like watching the sunset or taking a walk. We decided it would be nice to have money set aside in advance for some of the bigger items so that no matter what is going on in your life financially you can still have your special date! It was so special to focus on us every week.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I get to be with the ones I love all day long and I get to spoil them as much as I want!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It was actually the day before Valentines. I had ended a bad relationship a few months before, my car got repo’ed that morning and I was at work. I don’t think think I could have felt LESS special, lol. My now girlfriend (who I’d met online and been talking to for awhile, but not met in person yet) knew I was at work and bumming. She decided to surprise me and drove 2 hours to cheer me up. No ONE had EVER done something like that for me. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best gift I’ve ever gotten was from my youngest son.. a card he made that told me what a great mom I am and that I was his Valentine and it was all on his own ! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My most memorable Valentine’s Day for me was our first Valentine’s with my husband then fiance. He sent me on a scavenger hunt around our local mall it started at a jewelry store where I got a single pearl necklace then it had a note to go to the next store and I got a giant teddy bear then it took me to 2 more stores. the last note then took me home where he had made me dinner and we had an awesome night. I still have all the little love notes from that scavenger hunt from our first Valentines together. It was great just remembering that awesome suprise.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am actually feeling quote accomplished this Valentine’s Day. My hubby is getting 2 gifts that i am positive that he will love, on our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple. First, I was able to attend a Willie Nelson concert that we was not able to accompany me to, as he is a truck driver. I purchased his a really nice Willie Nelson concert tee, a little pricey, but nothing compared to the little things he always brings home to me. I also get very frustrated when I want to buy him movies, as he collects them, because they are all over the house in various areas, we don’t have sufficient storage for them. So, a friend of mine found some beautiful rough cut wood and I fabricated him one, specifically for DVDs, it turned out quite beautiful. He got home yesterday and got this gift early and LOVES it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One of my best gifts was a car. My husband had taken my car in to get fixed and when he took me to go get the fixed car, there sat brand new car. I was so surprised!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for all the things you share with us. Your blog is one of my favorite blogs I read.
The best gift was our first Valentines together. My sweetheart made us a lovely picnic to enjoy. Simple, yes. But it was perfect for us.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best Valentine’s Day I had was one year when we didn’t have a lot of money. My husband made me a homemade card with a poem about the story of us. Complete with illustrations! It made me laugh and cry. That night when he got home from work, we played cards and talked and laughed some more.
Even though we’ve had other years of some glamorous and expensive dates, I remember that year the best because of his poem and the simple, fun time we spent together.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A black teddy from my husband. Aawww the memories of the younger years!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The most memorable was the night I came home from a late night class and my then husband had wrapped my dressmaker’s dummy up in a bright red towel and given her a matching towel turban. She was standing at the door to greet me and dinner was ready!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am giving the gift of hunting on a game preserve….with our friends and family. That is his all time favorite, working the dog and letting others shoot. We also have a side by side so that anyone that doesn’t hunt, can go out and watch.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite Valentines Day gift was a heart necklace and a dinner out. Hubby never thinks that far ahead, so I was quite impressed!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This year I decided to do something each day in my husbands work truck. So every night I sneak out and place a fun valentines surprise in his truck.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best valentine I have gotten was a quite dinner with no kids to interrupt .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My best gifts are things i like that i deem too expensive to buy regularly. Splurgy stuff, which for me is usually a craft supply I put off buying, like organic bees wax for making lip balm, etc., or essential oils that I don’t get myself, or a new oil to try in a soap making recipe. And, a gift certificate to a thrift store makes me really happy. It’s a treasure hunt, a bargain, money goesa to a charity and upcycling all in one! Happy valentines day, all!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I sent my husband flowers at work with a card that said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, you are going to be a daddy again.”
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