The internet is filled with so much information and it all gets so overwhelming very quickly. Especially when you only have 15 minutes during nap time or your lunch break to attempt to find, assess, and order a gift for an upcoming holiday. Plus, it doesn’t help that Etsy has become oversaturated with factory produced, unoriginal crap you have to wade through to find the gems.
So instead, I did some wading and found some handmade, shipped-from-the-USA gems that I recommend checking out if you are in need of some Valentine’s Day ideas! None of them have contacted me or paid me to advertise… I just genuinely like their work!
I organized them by price range (trying to include shipping estimates when possible) and labeled each with a potential recipient (most are not necessarily “couples gifts” so let’s let all the singles feel the love this year too!), though by no means are the labels exclusive. Be creative! And speaking of creative, remember it’s totally not necessary to buy things for Valentine’s Day! There are SO many other ways to show you care about someone than with a purchased gift. And so many other days of the year when we should also be reminding people of how much we love them. But for those of you who would like to purchase something, here are some of the things I recommend:
Under $50
For a Maker, Doer, or Dreamer – Subscription to Taproot Magazine
This is not on Etsy, but my sister got my a gift subscription to this magazine and I absolutely LOVE it. Their tagline is: the magazine for makers, doers, & dreamers, and every issue is filled with “recipes, knitting patterns, essays, art, and poetry, all celebrating food, farm, family, and craft. Taproot is ad-free and independent.”
For a Hot Beverage Lover – Ceramic Love Cup or Heart Mug by aveshamichael
For the Music Lover – Vinyl Record Clock by VinylShopUS
For the Artist in Your Life – Handmade Watercolor Paints by Hushwing Watercolors
These are the paints I now use for all of my illustrations and I think they are just incredible. They are made from natural earth pigments, mix nicely, and are lovely colors. This particular palette includes Prussian Blue, which is my favorite Hushwing paint. There are also sample cards available if you want to go cheaper (I’ve used these and they’re really helpful for figuring out if you want to invest in the whole palette) or full palettes with more colors if you want to go larger! Highly recommend checking them out.
$30 or under
For a Lover of Cuteness – Raggedy Ann Doll by oldragdollcupboard
This doll is just SO CUTE!! And the maker has a lot of other adorable things in her shop as well. Shipping says, “Ready to ship in 2-3 weeks” so be aware that you will be receiving this after Valentine’s Day.
For the Little Girl Fashionista – XOXO Kid’s Tee by CircleVandSki
For a Woman Who Rocks the Tees – Love Shirt by Scollon Studio
For the Child Artist – Crayon Wallet by SewDarnClose
Gift for Your Marriage (buy or make yourself) – Box of Date Nights by SweetBellaStationary
For the One with Dark Humor – Thinking of You Mug by mugababe
For the Democrat – Trump-scented Candle by JDandKateIndustries
For the Traveler – Scratch Off Map by KristinDouglasART
So I was curious whether these maps, which are listed as handmade, were actually handmade (they look so professional!!) and so I checked out the maker’s bio and I just want to share what Kristin said because I think it’s super cool: “I made my first watercolor scratch off map for myself in 2014 as a way to document our family travels. When I didn’t find anything I loved I came across a recipe for hand made scratch off paint and had the idea to put a watercolor map behind it. My first maps were messy and imperfect, but they were one of a kind. Now a few years later and working at this full time, it is so fun to look back at where everything started and to dream about where it’s going. I believe in brightening boring spaces. I believe in happy accidents. I believe in inspiration. I find passion in inspiring families to travel, to get out and experience something new and to not be afraid of adventuring out as a family.”
$15 or under
For the Man with a Beard – Organic Beard Balm by Meadowlark Botanical
For a Chocolate Lover Child – Crocheted Hershey Kiss by CarrabouCrafts
Thoughtful Gift for Him (buy or make yourself) – Reasons Why I Love You Notebook by TheGoldenType
For Someone with Cold Hands, but a Warm Heart – Handmade Mittens by NaturaleMusings
For the Reader – Fabric Button Bookmarks by SewDarnClose
$10 or under
For the Home – Bead Board Heart & Be Mine Sign by CreativeHavenDesign
Both from the same maker, these were just too cute to pass up putting on this list! Whether a gift for your own home or someone else’s these cute Valentine’s Day décor items could probably stay out all year long! Because they are handmade and made-to-order, be sure to check the shipping times.
For the Cook – Valentine’s Day Tea Towel by designbystephaniem
For Anyone You Love – Stoneware Heart Magnet by RabbitRunPottery
For the Other Kids at School – Lego Stickers + M&M’s by Chickabug
For the Kiddo – Felt Smores Set by corrina318
Well, that concludes my list!
Oh wait, I guess I should throw in there that the Mills of Abstraction pottery makes a great Valentine’s Day gift too! I also have cards up for sale if you’re interested!
I hope that whatever you do, say, buy, or give for Valentine’s day, you are able to show the one’s you love how much you care about them and appreciate them in your life!
As always, thanks for reading!
Megan
The Mills of Abstraction 