source: Erika g. ; CC license
Valentine’s Day is a most romantic time of year. Pink and white decorations abound, stuffed bears stare down from the market shelves, and chocolates of every shape and size come in heart shaped boxes. Love is magic, but let’s face it, love is expensive, and to be honest, love seems to come with an awful lot of packaging waste. This St. Valentine’s Day, why not try a new approach? Love your special someone, love your wallet, and love your planet; recycle Valentines Day.
We’re not calling for a boycott, your loved ones would never forgive you, but here are a few ways to take things around the house and transform them into affordable, green, and heartfelt gifts.
Heart of Stone: Yup, that’s pretty much it, get some rocks and paint messages on them. You’ll want to invest a little effort into getting some smooth, flat rocks from the shore or river bed, but other than that, let your imagination run wild. Perhaps a saying or nickname or something as simple as a big red heart, just so long as it is clear they’re your rock.
source: homeandgarden.craftgossip.com
Picture This: Find an old picture frame laying around the house, find some unused tools or bits of wood or silverware, anything going unused and spell a simple message in the frame. Maybe more geared toward shabby chic decor, with a little creative acumen you can say, ‘LOVE’ like never before.
All Wrapped Up: If you have old metal hangers sitting about doing nothing, which is everyone, fashion the wire into a heart shape. Once you’re finished, grab some yarn or string and wrap it around the shape from every direction. Don’t cover it completely, use an artist’s touch, but a few wrapped hearts of various sizes and colors make for a charming decoration.
Light Up Your Life: Get an old bottle, take off the label (you’ll want to really scrub it properly), and drop a candle in the bottom. Next, find some interesting paper. Perhaps its a design or written words, let your heart decide. Trim the paper until it’s about the size of the label you removed, but long enough to wrap around the bottle. Cut some matching romantic designs into the paper. Make sure they line up so you can see through the designs almost like portholes and affix the paper to the glass. Tie some twine around the bottle’s neck and you have a perfect votive candle.
These are only a few options, but this February 14th, give the gents down at Rubbish Please a day off and recycle Valentine’s Day. It’ll be a gift from the heart, and that’s where all your love comes from anyway.
