Make your own Valentine's Day

As I said in a previous post, Valentine's Day doesn't necessesarily, and shouldn't have to be about expensive gifts like diamonds or iPods. At its most basic (though admittedly, some might say juvenile), Valentine's Day is about simple but pure expressions of like, which is why I have always been fond of the art of making Valentines. During the Victorian era, Valentine making was very popular, as friends and lovers would make ornate cards of paper, ribbon, and lace, to be given and received on this February holiday. To encourage the tradition of homemade Valentine's, here are some tips and ideas for this Wednesday.

-Courtesy of craft-guru Martha Stewart, here you can check out How to make a Valentine's Day heart garland.

-Create a very romantic evening by having an indoor picnic. Clear out the living room, and spread out a nice blanquet. Light some candles, or the fireplace if you have one, and make sure you have a vase of flowers nearby. The menu can be anything that is simple to eat , like fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and cole slaw. Other foods that you might have on your menu are assorted sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers, spring rolls, pasta salad, fruit salad, and cookies.

-Cheesy, but useful, and can be endearing if you word them right--make your own love coupons good for things like kisses and hugs, back rubs or massages, errands, chores, home-cooked dinners, or if you have any special talents, like playing a musical instrument.

-Even when I was in college, I enjoyed making Valentine's and exchanging them with friends, because I have always thought that Valentine's Day is about any kind of love, and friends should celebrate that regardless of whether or not they have boyfriends or girlfriends as well. While we didn't have desks to hang envelopes from for our Valentines like in elementary school, in the dorm, we made Valentine holders from brown paper lunch bags to hang on our doors. We would put our names clearly somewhere on the front, and then decorate them using whatever we had at our disposal--magazine clippings, markers, stickers, or even paint from my art courses.

-And of course, I highly suggest you try to make some of your own Valentines for the special people in your life. Use glitter, paper doilies, markers, stickers, and construction paper to make them. You can also cut pictures out of magazines or flyers, lace, beads, even wallpaper sample books, or, if you are very artistic, try your hand at some drawing or simple sketches or romantic images like cupids, roses, or other flowers, using colored pencils. Creativity is good for the soul, and is underused by many people which is a shame as it has been proven that you cannot achieve your greatest intellectual state unless both the analytical and the creative hemispheres of the brain are maximized. And you thought that Valentine's Day was all about your heart!