5 DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts You Can Make Using Stuff From Your Storage Unit

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us again! Now’s a great time to create something unique for someone you love, and you may find some great materials waiting for you in your storage unit. So, here are five items we think would make great personalized gifts.

First, we’ll start with items you may find in storage that you can use as supplies.

Old Clothes

There are a dozen or more reasons why you may have clothes in storage that you’ll never wear again. Perhaps they belonged to your kids who have outgrown them, or perhaps they no longer suit your taste.

You can use the cloth, buttons, and even zippers in Valentine’s Day projects.

You can also recycle the remaining clothes that you no longer want at clothing recycling stations.

Old Art

Here’s one your kids may enjoy. Do you have any of their old art in storage? Children tend to draw a lot of pictures at school in their formative years. If you’ve saved many, they may want to pick out a few to use for Valentine’s gifts.

Old Photographs

Do you have old photos in storage, perhaps unsorted in boxes? Now’s a great time to take them out, scan them for posterity, and to use some of the old prints as part of Valentine’s Day projects. This is also a great time to sort those pictures.

Craft Supplies

Sometimes, when we have hobbies that we have to set aside, we put the items in storage. That can include art and craft supplies, like paints, colored pens and pencils, cardstock, and the like. What sort of craft supplies do you have in your storage unit?

Cardboard

As you sort through various items you may no longer need, you might wind up with some empty cardboard boxes. If the cardboard is in decent condition, you can cut pieces out for some of the ideas presented below.

Next, we come to the project ideas themselves. Here are some fun gifts you can make for loved ones.

Cards

If you want something inexpensive, fun to make, and that others will appreciate, personalized greeting cards are a great way to go.

One way to do this is to purchase blank folded cards, but it’s easier to cut craft paper into an acceptable size. A ratio of about 5.5/4.25 works well. Write on it, glue on buttons, cut out shapes in cloth, like hearts and stars, and use craft glue to attach those. Use your imagination!

Scrapbooks

Scrapbooking is a big business and a major hobby for millions, and a well-made scrapbook makes an amazing gift. If you’re new to scrapbooking, you may want to get a blank scrapbook as the base for a Valentine’s gift. Advanced practitioners know how to create and bind their own.

Here’s where those old photographs, art, cloth, buttons, and more can all come together to make something beautiful. Create pockets for some pictures. Have a picture of your daughter in her favorite dress at a young age, and include a swatch of that dress beside it. Use letter stickers, or write with various pens, to get attractive writing effects. Scrapbooks can commemorate a certain event, year, or season, or can you can create one that says, “This is what I love about you.”

Flower Vases, Photo Frames, and Lamp Bases

This counts as three ideas, although the basic technique is the same. With a little imagination, you’ll think of even more items you can create the same way.

Get some Mod Podge and some brushes with which to apply it, and 400-grit sandpaper. Mod Podge is a clear gloss that acts as glue and sealant, and you can use it to create one-of-a-kind treasures. With it, you can apply cloth, drawings, and photographs to base items, then seal those items in with a clear finish.

Have your item in front of you, and make sure it’s clean, dry, and free of dust. You may also want to paint it first. If you do, wait until the paint is fully dry before continuing.

Put your photograph, paper, or cloth on the table in front of the item, face down. Paper needs to be clean and flat. So does cloth. Make sure cloth items have gone through the washer and dryer, and have been ironed.

With a thick paintbrush, apply a layer of Mod Podge to the back. Then, carefully apply the sticky side to the vase or other item. Use your fingers or a dry cloth, and gently smooth it against the surface.

Do this with all the items you want to add to the base item, then let everything dry for 20 minutes or longer. You can arrange them how you like, overlapping or not.

Here’s where it gets a little tricker. Remember that Mod Podge is both a glue and a finish. So, after you have your items in place and have waited for them to dry, paint a layer of Mod Podge over all of it. Brush with even strokes, then wait about an hour for the sealant to dry. Next, use the sandpaper to buff out any brush strokes. With a clean cloth, wipe the surface clean.

Then, apply a second layer of Mod Podge, and allow it to dry fully as well. Repeat the sanding and cleaning. You can apply a third layer, let dry, sand, and clean if you like.

Allow a full 24 hours before you use or wrap the item for gifting, to allow the Mod Podge to dry fully.

Before you gift it, you can also seal it a final time with acrylic sealer appropriate for the Mod Podge. For example, Matte Mod Podge requires a matte sealer. If you perform this step, follow the instructions on the acrylic sealer. You will want to apply it in a well-ventilated area, outside, if possible. Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry.

No doubt, you’ll come up with other ideas based on these. Have fun crafting your gifts, and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day.