Valentine’s Day is all about showing your loved ones how much you care. But between flowers, chocolate, stuffed animals, and other gifts, it can get expensive fast. If you’re looking for an affordable Valentine’s Day gift for your wife, girlfriend, or gal pal, consider putting together a cute gift basket on the cheap.
With a little effort and creativity, you can make inexpensive DIY Valentine’s baskets full of thoughtful gifts that will make her smile. Here are some tips and ideas for creating the cheapest Valentines Day gift baskets for her that she’ll still appreciate.
Focus on Small Sentimental Gifts
You don’t need to spend a lot on a gift basket to make it meaningful. Focus on small sentimental gifts that show you took the time to find things she will love. Some inexpensive but thoughtful valentines day baskets for her include:
- Handwritten love notes or poems – Use your best penmanship to write heartfelt notes about why you love her. Fold them up and tuck them in throughout the basket.
- Photos of you together – Print out a few of your favorite couple snapshots or a photo collage and add it to the basket. Write a romantic caption on the back of each photo.
- Homemade coupon book – Make her coupons for a free back massage, date night, home-cooked meal or other treats from you.
- Sentimental jewelry – Find inexpensive jewelry like a heart pendant or charm bracelet to symbolize your love.
- Inside joke gifts – Give a silly or nostalgic item that references an inside joke or special memory you share.
The point is to make it personal. Small, thoughtful, sentimental gifts mean more than expensive items.
Make Food Gifts From Scratch
Treats like chocolate, cookies, candy and other desserts make delightful edible gifts for her basket. But boutique sweets can get pricey. Opt for making tasty food gifts yourself to save money. Consider baking or preparing:
- Homemade chocolate bark – Melt chocolate, mix in nuts, caramel bits or other yummy add-ins, spread on a pan and break into pieces when cool.
- Heart-shaped sugar cookies – Bake and decorate sugar cookies in different heart designs with icing and sprinkles.
- DIY cupcake or donut bites – Bake cupcakes or donuts from a box mix, frost and decorate.
- Chocolate-dipped fruit – Melt chocolate and dip strawberries or other fruits for a sweet and healthy snack.
- Heart-shaped hard candy – Make hard candy in silicone molds or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut Jolly Ranchers or other hard candy.
- Lollipop bouquets – Make cute bouquets out of her favorite lollipop flavors and tie them up with ribbon.
Making food gifts shows extra thoughtfulness at a fraction of the cost of buying sweets.
Incorporate Inexpensive Self-Care Items
Pampering gifts are perfect for Valentine’s Day baskets, but spa gift sets can be expensive. Create your own affordable self-care package with low-cost items like:
- Body scrub – Mix sugar, coconut oil and essential oils like vanilla or lavender. Put in a decorative jar.
- Bath bombs – Make bath bombs with baking soda, citric acid, Epsom salts, and essential oils formed in a heart mold.
- Lip scrub – Mix sugar and coconut oil with vanilla for a nourishing lip exfoliator. Add in a cute lip balm.
- Candle – Pick up inexpensive votive candles, tea lights, or LED candles. Place in a decorative holder.
- Face mask – Make a simple hydrating face mask with Greek yogurt, honey, and lemon. Package in a small container.
- Body lotion – Whip up body butter with shea butter, coconut oil and essential oils.
Little self-care items show you want her to pamper herself. But you can make them for cheap.
Use Inexpensive Basket Containers: Valentine’s Day Gift
The basket or container you put the gifts in is an essential part of gift presentation. But there’s no need to splurge on a fancy basket. Some cheap basket ideas include:
- Picnic basket
- Wicker paper basket with handle
- Colored plastic or resin basket
- Decorative tin pail or bucket
- Clear glass vase or jar
- Mason jar or canning jar
- Fabric gift bag or wine tote
- Cardboard box wrapped in wrapping paper or fabric
- reused flower pot or planter
- Small laundry basket or storage bin
- Decorated cardboard box
Look for inexpensive baskets and containers at dollar stores, thrift shops, or discount stores. Or repurpose things you already have at home. Get creative turning common household items into cute gift baskets!
Make Homemade Decor Fillers
Rather than paying for filler items like shreds or packaging peanuts, make your own decorative fillers with supplies you have around the house:
- Tissue paper – Scrunch up various colors of tissue paper.
- Crepe streamers – Twist and tie crepe paper streamers.
- Fabric scraps – Cut up old fabric like t-shirts or socks into strips.
- Newspaper – Crinkle and lightly ball up strips of newspaper comics or ads.
- Packing paper – Crumple and stuff white packing paper.
- Nature finds – Add pinecones, acorns, leaves, bark, slices of wood logs or other nature pieces you collect.
- Pom poms or shredded paper – Make DIY pom poms out of yarn or shred your own colorful paper.
Filler adds volume and visual interest. Recycle household items to make custom fillers affordably.
Shop Discount Stores for Supplies
Dollar stores, craft stores and discount retailers can be treasure troves for cheap basket-making supplies. Shop stores like these to keep costs low:
- Dollar Tree – Excellent for baskets, vases, mugs, candles, candy, gift bags, tissue paper and more. Most items are $1-3.
- Dollar General – Find a wide range of gift bags, ribbon, mugs, boxes, cards and other supplies for $1-5.
- JoAnn Fabrics – Great for floral supplies, fabric scraps, ribbon, tissue paper and more. They often have 50-60% off sales.
- Walmart – Check out their floral section, craft supplies, mugs, ribbon and gift wrap. Prices start around $1.
- Target – Target has affordable gift bags, tissue paper, cards, ribbon, candle holders and more in cute designs for $1-$5.
- IKEA – IKEA is known for inexpensive home goods. Look for floral arrangements, candles, baskets and kitchen items for the basket.
Shopping discount stores allows you to make cute DIY gift baskets on a dime. Scope out the dollar bins and seasonal sales for the best deals.
Give a Spa Gift Card for Extra Treats: Valentine’s Day Gift
While you can create pampering gifts, another idea is to include a small gift card to a local spa or salon so she can pick her own treat. Some options:
- Massage gift card – Give a $20-30 gift card towards a massage at a local spa.
- Nail salon gift card – Get a $15-25 gift card to a nail salon for a mani-pedi.
- Hair salon gift card – Get a $10-20 gift card to a local hair salon for a wash and blowout.
- Facial gift card – Give a gift card for a mini facial, eyebrow waxing or other salon service.
- DIY beauty gift card – Make your own gift card offering to give her a facial, pedicure or hairstyling at home.
Even a small gift card shows you want to treat her to self-care. She’ll appreciate being able to pick her service.
Bundle Gifts in Recycled Containers
Creative packaging using recycled containers you have on hand helps cut costs. Some ideas:
- Place gifts in clean tin cans or jars and tie ribbon around them.
- Put gifts in paper lunch sacks and use heart stamps or stickers to decorate them.
- Set gifts inside wine or beer boxes wrapped in wrapping paper.
- Arrange gifts in cardboard food containers like cereal or cracker boxes. Cover the outside in wrapping paper or spray paint.
- Wrap presents using comics, sheet music, maps or book pages for unique designs.
- Set gifts in plastic take-out sauce cups or small plant pots wrapped with ribbon.
Repurposing containers creates eco-friendly packaging she can reuse later for storage. It also adds a homemade touch.
Make Decorations from Nature
Skip the pricey floral arrangements and make DIY decor from nature items you can source for free:
- Create flower bouquets using wildflowers or blooms from your garden.
- Attach greenery like ferns, ivy vines or evergreen clippings with floral wire or ribbon.
- Add interest with greenery, cedar, birch logs/slices, pinecones, acorns, and other nature elements.
- Use leaves, petals or flower heads pressed in a book as decorative accents.
- Wrap gifts in large leaves or fern fronds held on with jute string.
- Make crafty flowers from coffee filters, fabric, or crepe paper.
Natural materials make beautiful decorations at no cost. Take a nature walk or work with your garden to find decorative elements.
Shop Secondhand Stores for Supplies: Valentine’s Day Gift
Secondhand and thrift stores are affordable sources for gift basket supplies. Check out:
- Goodwill – Great for baskets, gift bags, ribbon, fabric, tins, photo frames and decor items for just a few dollars each.
- Salvation Army – Find ribbons, fabric, tins, boxes, decor and other craft supplies for cheap.
- Garage sales – Look for gift bags, boxes, tins, vases, baskets and seasonal decorations for 25 cents or a few dollars.
- Facebook Marketplace – Search for gift baskets and supplies being sold used in your neighborhood.
- Craigslist – Check the free section for people giving away gift baskets, tins, jars or decor items.
- eBay – eBay often has auctions for bulk craft supplies like ribbon, fabric and tissue paper for much less.
Secondhand supplies add a vintage touch for a fraction of standard retail pricing. Plus, reusing items is good for the environment!
Make It By Hand with Basic Materials
You don’t need special tools or skills to make a gift basket. All you need is:
- Basket or container – Any cleaned out basket, box, bag, or jar.
- Tissue paper – For filler and wrapping gifts. Streamers or fabric also work.
- Ribbon – To tie gifts and decorate the basket. Raffia, burlap or string can also work.
- Glue or tape – For securing any wrapping or accents.
- Scissors – To cut ribbon, tissue, fabric or other basket materials.
- Hole punch – If you want to thread ribbon through a gift tag or card.
- Pens/markers – For writing love notes or card messages.
- Decorations – Stickers, stamps, nature items or anything to embellish.
The simpler your materials, the more homemade and heartfelt the gift will appear. Focus on sentimental value over appearance.
Shop Sales After the Holiday
One of the best ways to save money on gift basket supplies for next year is to shop post-holiday clearance sales. Items like:
- Holiday-themed mugs, candles, and decor 75% off at stores like Target and Walmart.
- Super cheap wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, ribbon and bows for 75-90% off at craft stores like Michaels.
- Post-holiday floral arrangements, garlands, pine cones and foliage for up to 80% off at grocery stores.
- Bulk packaged candy, lollipops, chocolates, cookies and more for 70% off at stores like CVS or Walgreens
- Cheap vases, baskets, craft supplies and more at steep discounts from thrift shops.
Stocking up on reduced-price holiday items after Valentine’s Day ends will set you up for super affordable gift baskets next year!
Buy Supplies in Bulk: Valentine’s Day Gift
If there’s a particular item you want to use a lot of in gift baskets, like a certain ribbon, decorative tin, candle or other supply, consider buying in bulk online to get the lowest prices. Sites like Amazon, Oriental Trading or Michaels offer discounts when you purchase packs of 12, 24 or more. This strategy can make sense if:
- You’re making baskets for a lot of people.
- It’s an item you’ll reuse again and again.
- You have enough storage space.
Just be mindful about overbuying items you may not use. Don’t buy bulk just for the sake of a deal. Only buy multiples of versatile supplies you’ll definitely put to use in future gift baskets and projects.
Shop Local Craft Fairs and Markets
For unique, handmade goods to include in gift baskets, shop holiday arts and crafts fairs in your community. Local makers sell items like:
- Hand-poured soy candles, wax melts or room sprays for $5-10.
- Crocheted, knit or sewn scarves, hats, ornaments and decor for $5-$15.
- Handmade soaps, bath bombs, sugar scrubs and lip balms for $2-$5.
- Locally sourced honey, jam, maple syrup and other edible gifts jars for $5-$10.
- Upcycled crafts, signs, frames and decor made from recycled materials for $5-$20.
When you buy direct from the artist, creativity comes at a fraction of boutique prices. It also supports small businesses in your community.
FAQs About Inexpensive Valentine’s Day Gift Baskets
Still have questions about creating cheap but thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift baskets for her? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
What are some inexpensive wrapping ideas?
- White coffee filters folded into flowers
- Pages from old books
- Scrapbook paper
- Comic strips
- Sheet music
- Leaves
- Bandanas
- Newspaper
- Brown kraft paper
Where can I find cheap baskets and containers?
- Dollar stores
- Thrift stores
- Yard sales
- The recycling bin
- Around your home – shoeboxes, food cartons, jars, cans, etc.
What are some cheap ideas for gift basket filler?
- Scrunched up tissue paper
- Crepe streamers
- Packaging peanuts
- Crumpled newspaper
- Shredded paper
- Pom poms
- Popcorn
- Dried beans or rice
How do I decorate an inexpensive gift basket?
- Ribbons
- Raffia, jute or burlap
- Lace
- Fabric scraps
- Washi tape
- Stickers
- Glitter
- Stencils
- Paint pens
- Nature items like leaves or flowers
What inexpensive food items can I include?
- Homemade chocolate bark
- Sugar cookies
- Homemade candy or granola
- Hot cocoa mix
- Jarred jam, honey, lemon curd or spice mix
- Dried fruit
- Hot chocolate spoons
- Heart-shaped ice cube tray and mini alcohol bottles
What are cheap ideas for DIY spa gifts?
- Sugar scrub
- Bath bombs
- Body butter
- Soap
- Candle
- Face mask
- Lotion bars
- Bath salts
- Lip scrub
Gift-giving should come from the heart, not cost an arm and a leg. With clever planning and creativity, you can make a gift basket filled with love on any budget. The key is putting thought into sentimental, meaningful gifts to let her know how special she is.
Conclusion
Thoughtful valentines day baskets for her don’t have to drain your wallet. With effort and creativity, it’s easy to make affordable gift baskets full of customized, heartfelt gifts. Focus on including sentimental love notes, homemade treats, self-care products, and other gifts from the heart. Shop discount stores, reuse materials at home, and buy supplies in bulk to keep costs low. Crafting a love letter for Valentine: from heart to heart is a heartfelt gesture that transcends materialism; the love and effort you put into expressing your emotions on paper will undoubtedly mean more to her than what you spend on an inexpensive gift basket overflowing with personalized treasures, making this Valentine’s Day a cherished memory she’ll forever hold close.
