Valentine’s Day is all about expressing love, so why not indulge a bit? While a fancy takeout dinner or an expensive gift is nice, there’s something extra special about a surprise you’ve made yourself. Whether you’ll be spending Valentine’s Day with a lover or by yourself, these DIYs will have you feeling good and spoiled on the special day.
Homemade Massage Oil
Massage oil is sensuous and has great benefits for your skin, so its great to use on that special someone in your life on a romantic night in or even to just treat yourself with if you’re opting for some self-pampering on Valentine’s Day. To make the massage oil, you’ll need 8 oz of olive oil or sunflower oil, 60 to 80 drops of pure essential oil and 2 vitamin E tablets. Essential oil and vitamin E tablets are readily available online and at health and wellness stores. The essential oils will act as the aromatherapy element of your massage oil, so use a combination of your, or your lover’s favourite scents such as rose, vanilla, peppermint or orange. You will also need a small plastic or glass bottle to package your oil in. Firstly, use a small funnel to pour the olive oil into the bottle. Then, drip the essential oil into the bottle. How much drops you use is up to you, depending on how strong or mild you want the scent. Lastly, pierce a hole into each vitamin E tablet and squirt the contents into the bottle. Seal the bottle well and roll it between the palms of your hands to combine the oils. And that’s it! This oil can be used on the hands, feet and pretty much anywhere on your body that needs some extra TLC during the dry, cold season.
Floral Heart Wreaths
Wreaths are great because they are easy and affordable to make and can be packed away and then pulled out again for the holiday the following year. For Valentine’s Day, you can use artificial flowers to create cute and aesthetically-pleasing wreaths to hang on your wall. This makes for a great backdrop for a Valentine’s brunch with your friends or any Valentine’s Day selfies for Instagram. All you’ll need for this project is 5 bundles of artificial flowers, a heart-shaped grapevine wreath, wire cutters and a hot glue gun. The artificial flowers and wreath are available at most craft and dollar stores. If you can’t find a grapevine wreath, you can substitute it with a wire wreath. Firstly, trim the flower heads off the stems, leaving about an inch of stem so that the flowers can be attached to the wreath. Then, stick the flower heads into the wreath form, covering it completely. Use hot glue to secure any heads that feel loose or unstable. You are now ready to display your beautiful creation! To hang it from a wall, glue a piece of ribbon or twine on the back of the wreath and hang it from a nail or hook.
Valentine’s Day Cake Pops
If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, or looking for something to send your kid to school with to hand out to their classmates, these cake pops will do the trick! To make them you’ll need 1 box of your favourite cake mix, 1 1/3 cups of water, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 1 container of cake frosting, 1 bag of red candy melts, 1 bag of white candy melts, 1 teaspoon of shortening, assorted sprinkles, lollipop sticks, and a foam block for setting and displaying the cake pops. Firstly, pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Then, grease a 13×9 inch baking pan with some oil or cooking spray handset aside. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil and water, following the instructions on the package. Place in oven and bake for the instructed time and then let it cool completely. Next, line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Then, crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl. Crumble it until it is a small crumb consistency. Add the frosting to the bowl and mix it with the crumbs until a dough forms. Use tablespoon amounts of dough to form balls. Set the cake balls on the lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden. In the meantime, separate the white and red candy melts into two small bowls. Microwave each bowl in 20 second increment until candy is fully melted. Add 1/2 teaspoon of shortening to each bowl and mix well. Remove the cake balls from the freezer. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy and then stick it about 1/2 inch into one of the cake balls. Then, dip the cake ball into one of the bowls of melted candy and decorate it with sprinkles. Stick the cake pop into the foam block to set. Repeat this with all the balls and voila! A beautiful display of delicious cake pops for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
