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! :-)
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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?
My engagement ring…. A couple days “late” to throw me off, but I still count it as Valentine’s!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best gift was to ask me on a “date” after we were married and had kids. My husband made all the arrangements for dinner and a movie, and then asked just as he would have if we were dating.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One Valentine’s Day, my husband gave me a year of monthly flower deliveries from the local greenhouse. It was definitely my favorite gift ever! The flowers were absolutely beautiful and not the traditional bouquets. They were locally grown and picked within a day or two of arranging, so they lasted forever. And they were delivered to my office every month. Best gift ever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best gift I ever gave was to my bf this week. I gave him a jersey frame to preserve his most treasured possession. His signed Victor Cruz jersey. Why was it great? Because of his reaction. Making him so happy with a utility gift is rare. I got it on film. Haha
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband and I started out in a long distance relationship and the best gift I received was when he mailed me one of his h.s. baseball t-shirts and sprayed it with his cologne. I thought it was so cute. And I still have the shirt more then 10 years later ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t need flowers or chocolate or a gift. Just remember the day and let me know that you did. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One year when we were first married, my husband went to the crafts store gave me a beautiful necklace with matching earrings that he had made himself. I was awestruck :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I was in college my father bought me a dozen roses each year. So I would always know I was loved ❤️
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best gift I’ve given and received was spending an extra special night with hubby on our first Valentine’s Day together. I remember it like it was yesterday!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t specifically remember the gift, except that it was jewelry. What I remember is the way he gave it to me. I call it the “scavenger hunt post-it note delivery”. I was given a post-it note with a riddle that directed me to a kitchen cabinet. The cabinet contained another post-it note with another riddle directing me to the next location. In total there were about 10-12 post-it notes which took me all over the house. The final destination took me to my gift. It was sooo much fun for me, the kids, and my Hubby!! I don’t know how long it took him to write all those riddles but it was worth it. I still have those post-it notes hanging in my hobby room and I smile very time they catch my eye! It wasn’t an extremely expensive gift, but the gift of time and thoughtfulness was priceless!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The first year we were married, my husband bought me a dishwasher. Sounds horrible and sexist, but I have a thing about dirty dishes piling up or being left in the sink and it was causing so many little arguments and frustration. We were very broke grad students, so this was a HUGE thing and we joke 15 years later that it saved the marriage. It wasn’t about the dishwasher, it was about recognizing a recurrent conflict and finding a solution, investing in us. There have been more romantic gifts over the years, but I’m sure this will be my favorite.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best valentine I every received were the ones my children made for me when they were young. I still have them and treasure each one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.my favorite Valentine’s day gift was a small teddy bear set sold by Hallmark over 10 years ago. The bears had magnetic mouths, so they would “kiss” and a love song would start playing. It was super cute and I felt it to be a really romantic gift from my guy that is shy, has a hard time expressing his inner feelings, and terrible with displays of affection in public. The kissing bears embodied overcoming many of the insecurities he faced when he wanted to express his love to me. The symbolism behind the kissing bears and what they are “saying” on Joe’s behalf, make them the best Valentine’s gift I have ever received.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I gave myself the gift of life when I chose to become a vegetarian.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This Valentine Day I will share perfect red apples and elegant California strawberries.
I will write love notes to my family and friends on actual paper….no e-mails LOL.
there is something so powerful about the written word.
Enjoy!