for you, from me

Unlike my American friends who spent their elementary schools years exchanging Valentine's with everyone, here in England 14th February is mainly relegated to the realm of Happy Couples, and not with family and friends. In my opinion though, it's never too late to infuse your celebrations with the ideas of other cultures, and this Valentines Day, I'm embracing the idea of giving tokens of your affection all your loved ones--family, friends and more-than-friends too. Just sweet and small gifts that say, "I am thinking of you. I am glad you are in my life."

paper flowers
These are so light, pretty and colourful, as well as simple to make. There are lots of different tutorials around for you to experiment with, and all different weights of paper too. I've used three different ideas here, but these are so simple and intuitive to make.
 purple flowers 
Cut five circles of varying sizes. Using a small dab of glue, stack them on top of each other. Twist the base and glue.
yellow flowers
Cut a length of tissue paper, fold in half, and snip evenly along the fold. Spread glue along the bottom and twist.
pink flowers
Cut a length of tissue paper. Roll in a short way and then pinch the rest of the paper around, creating a ruffled petal look.

fill a film canister
The idea of creating a time capsule of sorts to remind you of your friendship is a lovely one. Big boxes filled with memories can feel overwhelming, so a few small things that can fit into a film canister, or any other small container, would be perfect.
Here, I've got a photo booth-style strip which I made using Photoboother. There's also some sparkly bits, various heart-shaped items and a unicorn charm.Put together things that remind you of a certain friendship.

a letter-writing kit
You might have already noticed that we like writing letters! It's nice to write to your friends that you see everyday or nearby family too. There's something about the time taken and the thought put into a letter that makes a bit more special. To make this gift even sweeter, send it through the post!
Gather a pen, stamps, stickers, envelopes, and maybe add  a handmade touch. Try a hand made card message, or make some paper bits to be stuck onto future correspondences. 

button brooch
I hoard buttons and ribbons and haberdashery goodness like no body's business, and sharing my favourite crafting goodies with my favourite people makes sense. For this DIY, you'll need to be careful not to let anything fly into your eyes. Supervision and/or goggles would be wise.
You'll need a button with a shank loop on the back. Use pliers to cut this off, sand down the rough area with sandpaper, and then use either hot glue or superglue to adhere the button to a flat-backed brooch pin.

Will you be giving your friends and family any Valentines this year? Do you have any good ideas to share?

xx
Libby