A couple of days ago, I posted about Valentine’s Day with some ideas for gifts.
Most of them were extravagant. But, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to break the bank. We spend a lot of money just on cards. Sometimes I think that Hallmark Cards and other card companies created some of our holidays just so they could use guilt tactics to cause us to buy their products. It is possible to spend as much money on gift wrap, ribbon and a card as we do on the gift itself! Why? Most cards get thrown away after the holiday.
That wasn’t always the case. Many years ago, people designed and created their own Valentine’s cards to exchange instead of buying exorbitantly priced cards. They sent them unsigned, and part of the fun was the delicious speculation about who had sent them.
In the time that your significant other is watching The Simpson’s or Desperate Housewives, you can hide in the bedroom and create a Valentine’s card. Take a newspaper, a pair of scissors, gluestick and a sheet of paper to create a simple card like this one.
Dress it up, if you like. Put it on red, heart-shaped paper. Surround it with lace. Or, design your own. Make an inexpensive card with a favorite photo of you and your loved one. Cut out flowers to make a collage on the face of the card. Don’t be ashamed to “borrow” a sentiment from a card at the store, if you can’t think up mushy love stuff on your own. Get creative and save some bucks for a gift or a meal.
Whether you decide to splurge or pinch pennies, remember, it isn’t really about how much money you spend. Valentine’s Day is just about celebrating love.
It’s also, according to medieval folklore, the first day of mating season for the birds. Just thought you should know that.
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