5 Alternative Valentines day gift ideas

5 Valentine’s day gift ideas that are unique & sentimental

 

Let’s talk about Valentine’s day gift ideas. So I’m not one for big commercialised holidays where you need to spend money on gifts to make people know you’re thinking of them… There are 364 other days of the year where you can do just that – or just use words, they’re free and mean a lot.  If however, you do want to treat your loved one to something, I’ve put together a list of things you could get them. If you’re planning to pop the question on Valentine’s day, these might be a sweet accompaniment alongside the big ask you’re about to do. So let’s get down to it.

Let’s first look at some typical Valentine’s day gift ideas:

 

Flowers

These may be a bit of a cliche, but if your other half owns a vase – chances are, they’ll love some flowers. Especially around this time of year where the weather’s a bit rubbish, flora and fauna tend to lift one’s mood – especially if they’re vibrant in colour. How about instead of buying an overpriced bunch from a big chain store, support a local florist? You can find a florist in your local Facebook group or an independent one in your local village. If you’re on a tight budget though, I found these from £9.99 plus postage.

Don’t forget that a great bouquet alternative would be a house plant, succulent, a garden plant that grows in British weather or a pressed flower paperweight works too!

Chocolates

Chocolates are a great idea albeit a bit of a cliche too. If you know your gift-receivers favourite, you’ll be on their right side. Hotel Chocolate is one of my go-to shops! Getting a mixture from a boutique chocolate shop is a good move if you aren’t too sure what their favourite chocolate is. A variety can also be a good option if you know for a fact they dislike, let’s say, Turkish Delight? (Eugh!) you can avoid the awkward “I ate the box but left these three really gross ones..” situation!

Teddy Bear

I don’t think you should gift a teddy bear to anyone over the age of 13, but that’s my opinion 😉 If they have a bear collection that you know about, then, of course, this is a great idea. If not? Stick with chocolates, flowers or jewellery.

Jewellery

Unless you know their taste well, know that they do in-fact wear jewellery, or have exceptional taste in jewellery yourself – the chances are that this has a high probability of being quite the “fail”. They could have an allergy to certain metals, just not like a particular type of metal or be quite specific on the styles available.

 

Now, let’s get on to the 5 Alternative Valentine’s day gift ideas that I’ve got up my sleeve!

Experiences

Experiences are a great gift. I encourage them in my life, treating Steve to a night out, a getaway or a day trip to do something fun. I feel that life is too short to be wrapping something up only to bin it a while later. The money spent on your average decent box of chocolates (£15?) plus the wrapping could get you:

Charity Gift in their name – (hear me out, this is a fab idea when you see the options!)

If you do have some spare money to burn and the person you want to treat has everything – including a big heart, then why not do something charity related, in their name? Oxfam has this heart-warming alternative gift giving set up going on where you can choose a gift that someone else in the world could do with right now. I came across this when researching gift ideas for this post. I’m about to buy an education for someone, in Steve’s name, because he’s passionate about Education. I think he’ll get a kick out of knowing that I took his passions on board and bought something that won’t add to the already problematic waste overflow like getting him something he’ll bin in a couple of months. (We’re also on a bit of a “getting rid of crap” streak!)

Alternatively, If your lover has a sense of humour (and a want to give back), you could just get them a pile of poo. If you want to use another charity other than Oxfam (you can tell I just read the news, can’t you?) or want to know more about how they use the money from the tangible gifts bought – you can check this out!

Personalised Classic Novel

How about a classic novel that they like, but personalised? A super personal gift as you’ve taken the time to learn what their favourite book is – and also spend the time getting it personalised with their name. Just be sure to spell their name right. Otherwise, that could be awkward. If you’ve been together for a while or you have a long list of reasons you love them, then this is also a quirky option: A love book.

Art

Have you been somewhere together that you remember fondly? Is there something that they’re passionate about which could be in the form of art. Do they have a favourite artist, or a friend whose art they love but haven’t bought from yet? Etsy is a great place to buy art from small independent businesses. Steve got me hand-painted watercolour portraits of our dogs as my wedding present. The pieces are so unique to me; they take pride of place in the living room. Another twist, why not book a couples session with an artistic couple’s portrait photographer where you can go somewhere special to the both of you, have relaxed and artistic portraits taken that you can print and hang in your home. This way you’re supporting a super local artist too, AND it’s an experience.

Alcohol

Do they have a favourite drink? Are they into kraft beer? Why not get them a subscription to a variety box type thing. Or an alcoholic gift set? You can go crazy on this topic like getting them a personalised bottle of their favourite beverage. It’s likely that everytime they drink from this bottle, they’ll think of you. If you want to tie alcohol and experiences in together, then go all out and get tickets to a gin-festival or a wine tasting.

 

I hope this list of Valentine’s day gift ideas was helpful and gave you some options. If you got any of these gifts and felt inspired by this list, do let me know! I’d love to know if this was useful to anyone.

With love,