Credit: Thoughts From Alice

Love it or hate it, everywhere you look this time of year you’ll see a Valentine’s gift idea neatly served up for you to buy.

How much nicer is it though, to give and receive something that’s handmade and taken a little more thought and effort to put together.

Here’s our six-strong DIY gift guide to show your true love how much you care. And rest assured, these gift ideas (for girls and guys) don’t take too much effort, they’re just the perfect personal touch for that special person in your life.

GIFTS FOR THE GIRLS

Mason jars

Definitely one for the ladies – these mason jars scream glam and if you fill them with flowers, you’re onto a winner. Once the flowers have gone, they’ll become stylish storage for makeup brushes and other bits and bobs.

MAKE IT YOURS: Gather together some mason jars and paint with Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint. To recreate these examples use Dusky Pink, China Rose and Chalk White. Once the paint is dry, use a wet cloth to rub and create a distressed look. Add flowers, and you’re done… xoxo
 

Credit: Mason Jar Crafts

Custom quote frame

Quote frames are a touching way to showcase your love as well as a beautiful way to show off your creative skills in the home.

MAKE IT YOURS: Choose your frame and carefully remove the glass, then print your stencil, grab a Rust-Oleum Metallic Leafing Pen and get tracing. If you’d like a bit more information, we’ve written a full ‘how to…’ here.

Credit: Junebug Weddings

Trinket bowls

They’re super easy to make and are just a lovely thing, being both pretty and practical. We’re sure these trinket bowls will go down as an amazing Valentine’s gift.

MAKE IT YOURS: Use Rust-Oleum Metallic Brush Paint in Gold and Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in small pots of just 20ml. To recreate this geometric style, use masking tape to create your lines and shapes and pain in Aqua, White and Baby Pink.

For those of you who’d like to try something a little more adventurous, we have a marble effect tutorial right here.

Credit: Thoughts From Alice

Keepsake box

This is a super thoughtful gift that’s only ever made more special when crafted for or by the person you love. It’s quirky and unique, and with the addition of a gig or cinema ticket it’s guaranteed to be treasured.

MAKE IT YOURS: Use masking tape for your geometric pattern and fill in the colours with Rust-Oleum Universal Brush Paint. Just be sure you’ve chosen their favourite colours!

Credit: Delineate Your Dwelling

GIFTS FOR THE GUYS

Bottle opener

Now that dry January’s out the way, you can feel a little less guilty about a bottle opener as a gift. Plus, when it’s personalised like this, he’ll think it’s awesome and it’s going to fit perfectly in his ‘man space’ if he has one.

MAKE IT YOURS: You need a wall-mounted bottle opener and to make a stencil. Use Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in 20ml pots and carefully apply your design. Cheers.

Credit: Etsy

Man lamp

We think this lamp rocks, especially for those of you with geekier BFs. It’s an ingenious upcycle that incorporates their favourite characters into the home in a sophisticated way. Just make sure they’re not the collectable ones before getting to work!

MAKE IT YOURS: Collect their favourite figures and choose a lamp. Glue the figures to the base/each other using a hot glue gun. Once fully dry, prime the lamp using Rust-Oleum Surface Primer. When primer is dry, choose a colour and get spraying. To recreate the look above, we recommend Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze.

Credit: Freshome

Let us know if you’ve been inspired to give your Valentine something a little more special this year by sharing share your creations with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.