Made From the Heart: The Top 6 Reasons to Give Homemade, DIY Gifts this Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is a celebration of love and affection, and is there anything more heartfelt than giving your friends and loved ones a handmade gift? (Especially if that gift is made of heart-shaped felt!)
Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day has become one of the most wasteful holidays in America. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans were projected to spend about $26 billion on Valentine’s gifts alone (link opens in new window), yet only 30% of recipients (link opens in new window) actually want those gifts. These gifts tend to be mass-produced cookie-cutter stuffed animals, cards, and chocolates. So many holiday-specific presents and decorations are made using unsustainable materials, put up for sale half a world away from where they’re made, and end up becoming trash when they inevitably fail to sell out. A mass-produced Valentine’s Day is a carbon-heavy one: this one holiday alone produces an extra 9 million extra kilograms of carbon dioxide.
By contrast, the charm of a handmade present can truly stand out. Since each gift has a relatively small carbon footprint, your choice to make a gift reduces waste. And, of course, a handcrafted present is completely unique, something the recipient will actually treasure forever. Here are some other compelling reasons to consider crafting a handmade gift for your family, friends, and other loved ones this Valentine's Day:
1. Craft a Personalized Expression of Love
What if you could get a mug for your loved one in their exact favorite color? Or if you found the perfect bracelet for them at the store? Why wait for someone else to make these things when you can do them yourself? Handmade gifts allow you to create a present specific to your beloved's preferences and interests. Whether it's a custom piece of artwork, a hand-knit scarf in their favorite color, or a carefully crafted piece of jewelry, the personal touch speaks volumes about the effort and thought you put into the gift.
2. Make One-of-a-Kind Treasures
Unlike store-bought items, handmade gifts are inherently unique. Each stroke of the pen, stitch of thread, or special dash of spice carries the creator’s distinct style and personality, making the gift a one-of-a-kind treasure. No one else can bake with the same love you put into your cookies, or the concentration you put into your embroidery. The unique qualities of your gift are a metaphor for yours and your partner’s unique love.
3. Time and Thoughtfulness Matter
We live in a society where we value gifts based on their price tag. Yet luxury items have that high price because they take time to make. When it comes to handmade gifts, the time you dedicated to creating something special is what makes the gift a luxury. Crafting a handmade gift requires time, effort, and careful concentration. By dedicating your time to creating something special, you demonstrate the depth of your commitment. The gift is a tangible representation of the value you place on your relationship.
4. Help the Environment
In a world increasingly concerned with sustainability, handmade gifts often have a smaller environmental footprint compared to mass-produced goods. As the artist, you have control over the materials you use and how sustainable they might be. For example, in my Valentine’s hoop pattern (link opens in separate window), I recommend using Cloud 9 Cirrus Solids fabric. This beautiful cotton (link opens in new window) is certified organic and certified free of the slave labor that plagues much of the non-organic cotton industry. By opting for a handmade present, you contribute to a more eco-friendly and ethical celebration of love.
5. Build Lasting Memories
Handmade gifts have the power to create lasting memories. The effort invested in crafting or selecting a unique item leaves a lasting impression, and the sentimental value attached to such gifts can make them cherished keepsakes for years to come.
For the first six or seven years of our relationship, my husband always made me handmade origami cards with original love poems for my birthday, our anniversary, and, of course, Valentine’s Day. Unbeknownst to me, he gathered all of these cards together, placed them in a scrapbook, and used the scrapbook to propose to me!
When we got married, we wrote our vows separately and flipped through the book to find our favorite poems to quote. At the ceremony, we finally read our vows to each other for the first time and it turned out we quoted the exact same poems. A lot of laughing and crying ensued. You can’t do that with a box of chocolates from the drugstore.
6. Nurture Creativity and Connection
Whether you choose to create the gift together or surprise your partner with a handcrafted token of your love, handmade gifts foster a sense of connection, showing how much you care about the recipient’s interests and hobbies. Create a handmade bookmark for your bookworm friend, hand paint a flower pot for your partner with a green thumb, or embroider a special hoop for your aunt in all of her favorite colors. Either way, a handmade present is a reflection of your bond with your loved one.
This Valentine's Day, consider stepping away from the conventional and the pre-made and embracing the handmade charm of a custom-made gift. Whether you're gifting an artisanal piece or creating something entirely new, the personal touch will undoubtedly make this celebration of love even more special.