Valentines Day Creative Ideas

by Sue Smith
(Albion Park Rail, NSW, Australia)

If you're looking for Valentines Day creative ideas, here's a chocolate Valentine frame with a difference.

As I am currently single and have no-one to make a Valentine gift for, I decided to make a gift that my daughter could give to her long-time boyfriend (and soon to be fiance).


I found an old wooden frame from a cheaply purchased print, and painted it with silver acrylic paint, then applied a crackle medium, and finally sponged over an antique stain to emphasise the cracks in the crackle medium.


I picked out a lovely photo of my daughter and her boyfriend and mounted it on some chocolate coloured cardstock, added the diecut 'XOXO' and assembled the photo within the frame.


I then decorated the frame with little rolls of scrapbooking paper which I stained slightly with some distress ink and the chipboard diecut word 'forever' also stained with distress ink.


Next, I bought a HUGE pack of Maltesers (malt-centred chocolate-coverd balls of yumminess) and covered each one with purple coloured foil (yes, you can buy coloured foil in the supermarket) and a few of them with the reverse side silver foil.


I then arranged all these balls to sit on the glass within the frame and secured them with a gum that leaves no residue on the glass.


I arranged the balls to make a silver heart in the middle which can be seen in the attached photos.


I then finished off with a simple white organza ribbon finished with a big bow.


As my daughter's boyfriend eats the Maltesers, the picture of them both becomes visible. How cool is that?


I thought this was a perfect Valentines day creative ideas as this gift combines beautiful chocolate that can be eaten straight away with a gorgeous framed photo that can be a keepsake to be treasured forever.


By the way, he absolutely ADORED it, and thought it was the best Valentine's gift he had ever gotten.....mission accomplished!