Alright, so it’s February 13th and Valentine’s Day has managed to escape your notice until tonight. Now you’ve got to piece together an unforgettable night and day on an expedited timeline. If you’re looking for something other than a diamond ring to get you through, I’ve got a handful of last minute Valentine’s Day ideas that will even make Cupid a little jealous.
Unfortunately, you don’t have the luxury of excessive planning. Therefore, getting a reservation for a candlelight dinner at a five star restaurant is not an option. However, the good news is that you don’t need to drop an excessive amount of cash, in order to make Valentine’s Day a success. I’m going to cover 9 ways to help you spice things up on February 14th without breaking the bank.
- Valentine’s Day Post It love notes
- Surprise her at work
- Mix tape of love songs
- Rose petals and tea candles
- Origami bouquet of roses
- Lover’s coupon book
- Build her a spa basket
- Recreate a memorable date
- Make dinner (or order in)
Table of Contents
1. Post It Love Notes
Alright, this is a very inexpensive romantic gesture that only requires 3 things. First, you’ll need a pad of sticky notes. I’m sure you can pilfer this from the office. Or, if you really did procrastinate until the night before, run out to Walmart and grab a pack. Ideally get the ones with multiple colors. Second, you’ll need a sharpie or a few for variety. Finally, you’ll need your brain to provide all the sweet nothing’s you’re going to jot down for your lover.
Valentine’s Messages To Your Lover
Once you’ve gathered all of the supplies, it’s time to get busy writing. Ideally, you’ll compliment and flatter her. Tell her all the things that make her that special someone. Keep them short and sweet. There’s no need to write a novel. Quantity is your friend when jotting down these sweet nothings. Here’s a list of a few starter phrases to get the juices flowing.
- I love it when…
- When I see you…
- Remember when…
- I’m so lucky to have…
Once you’ve put together 10-20 of these, you’ll need to strategically place them. Try placing one on the bathroom mirror for her to find Valentine’s Day morning. Another at the coffee pot for her to see when she brews her morning cup. Strategically place these for your lover to find throughout the morning. Ideally, you’ll put them in places for her to find through the day. Here’s some more ideas, but you’ll need to get creative to finish out this project.
- On the inside of the front door to see on the way out
- On her car horn
- Inside her laptop to find when she gets to work
- Inside her lunch box (if she’s got one)
- Stuck to her cell phone case
2. Surprise Her At Work
You’ll need to have some sick leave built up at the office for this one to work. Also, you’ll need to use a little misdirection to really sell this romantic stunt. First, you’ll need to drop hints the night before (tonight as the case may be) that you have to be in the office early for a meeting. If you’re not in the corporate world, say you screwed up and the boss wants to have a chat with you first thing.
Once you’ve planted the seed, make sure you get up extra early. Get dressed for work, and head out the door. She’ll believe you are on your way to the office. In reality, you’ll be heading to the local coffee shop to pick up your Valentine’s day surprise. Once you’ve waited for a sufficient time, start your journey to her office to surprise her with an impromptu coffee date.
Calling in to work will buy you time to complete your remaining Valentine’s Day plans. And all it cost you was one sick day. Plus, you’ll give her and her co-workers something to swoon about for the rest of day.
3. Mix Tape Of Love Songs
Some people may think this is a throw back to high school puppy love. Those people would be absolutely correct. Take your lover back to a simpler time, and make them a mix tape of your favorite love songs. Nowadays, you can even tap into Youtube to make a playlist that you only share with her.
Use this as your theme music for the Valentine’s dinner you’ll have lined up. Make this list personal, don’t just look up romantic songs and jumble them together. Try to pick out songs that have meaning. After all, you will be having a candlelight dinner with this as your theme music.
4. Rose Petals and Tea Candles
Chances are that many floral shops will be sold out of bouquets of roses. Any stock they have remaining will probably not be the best looking. Don’t worry about that, since you won’t be presenting her a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. Grab whatever you can find, individuals or bouquets, because you’ll be using them to decorate.
Also, while you’re out, grab some tea candles from Walmart. You can get a bag of these for relatively cheap. Make sure you beat your lover home with time to prep. If you took a “sick” day then you’ll have plenty of time for the setup. Just flood the house with candlelight. Spread those rose petals on the floor, the dinner table, or wherever. You’ve seen the movies, and hopefully you know how this goes.
5. Origami Bouquet of Roses
If you’ve waited until the last minute to grab your beau a bouquet of roses, chances are most places will be sold out. Any roses that are left at your local floral shop may be damaged, or not very attractive. Depending on when you’re reading this, even the grocery stores may be slim pickings.
Instead, origami your way into your lovers heart. It will take some time, but the cost is next to nothing. Honestly, you’ll probably have a few failures before you get the hang of things.
On the plus side, these flowers won’t die after a week, and they are always in full bloom. No need to water or put in fresh cut flower food. If you really want to make your DIY Valentine’s gift special, get some green pipe cleaners to make the stems of your everlasting flowers.
6. Lovers Coupon Book
Need a Valentine’s gift idea, but don’t have time for shipping? Try making your own gift of useful coupons. While not the most creative, your girlfriend will be happy to have these after a hard day at work, or generally when she’s feeling lazy. If you need some ideas for coupons, give some of these a shot. Your commitment to the gift will dictate how many of each coupon you provide.
- Foot or back massage
- Take care of the laundry
- Romantic dinner at home, including cleaning the dishes.
- Designated driver for a night. Great if she goes out with her girlfriends.
- Do her laundry, including the folding.
7. Build Her A Spa Basket
This one is super easy, but will cost you a bit more than the other items on our list. However, just pop over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and get all the pieces necessary to give her a spa night in. Get something for a bubble bath. Pick up some scented candles for her to relax with.
While you’re at it, grab a bottle of wine. Ideally, you’ll know her preferred type (Merlot, Cabernet, etc.). If you know her brand, that’s even better. However, if you don’t, try getting her one of the more expensive bottles that she wouldn’t normally buy for herself.
8. Recreate A Memorable Date
If you have a memorable date night, try re-creating it this Valentine’s Day. Maybe there’s a special event from early in your relationship, like perhaps your first date that would really make her feel the romance. Ideally, this will not be a dinner date at a restaurant, since getting last minute Valentine’s reservations will be difficult.
However, if you went ice skating or another unique date idea you’re particularly proud now’s the time to cash in those romance bucks. Also, since this is an encore things should run smoothly.
9. Make Her Dinner
If you’re giving your girlfriend a coupon book, give her a sneak peek into your kitchen skills with a homemade Valentine’s dinner. However, if you’re not an extraordinary chef, you may need to call in a reliever. Instead, try giving a local shop some business, and order delivery or carry out. Just don’t opt for chain restaurants.
Once you have the food, dress it up using actual plates and kitchen ware. Trust me, setting out dinner in Styrofoam containers doesn’t scream romance. At least put in the effort on the presentation. Your lover will appreciate it. Just make sure to clean up her kitchen afterwards.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a comprehensive list of last minute Valentine’s Day ideas. While this should get you through this year, I highly recommend reading (and bookmarking) my article on creating a memorable Valentine’s day in the future. While buying a thoughtful gift helps, this holiday is really about the effort you are willing to put forth. Take some time, and try to think of what the protagonist in her favorite chick flick would do. Good luck with your Valentine’s Day plans gentlemen.
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