4 Romantic Valentine’s Day Gifts to Woo Your Literary Love
Struggling with what to get your writer this Valentine’s Day? These heartfelt gifts are sure to win their heart!
Poem
Many “classic” love stories include poetry written for a special someone - and for a good reason! A good love poem can make someone smile both inside and out. Whether you choose to write about her smile, his sense of humor, or anything in between, a brand new poem created in honor of your love is sure to win them over!
Presentation Options:
Handwritten on any available paper
Handwritten on decorated paper or cardstock
Typed & printed on regular paper
Typed & printed on decorated paper or cardstock
Preparation:
If YOU Write the Poem: Craft your poem. Take a day or two afterward to think about it, but don’t read it. Before you give it to your special someone, read it again to make sure there aren’t any spelling or other really obvious errors. When the poem is complete, prepare the final copy and gift it to your love.
Not everyone likes poetry, but there’s something extraordinary about such an artistic use of words.
If You COMMISSION the Poem: Reach out to a couple of your poetically gifted friends (or stop by a poetry booth when you’re out and about - there seem to be pop-ups the week before Valentine’s Day) and ask for them to write a poem. Make sure you tell the poet the special things you would like to highlight before they write the poem. When you receive the poem, read it through to make sure you are satisfied before you give it to your special someone.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Not everyone likes poetry, but there’s something extraordinary about such an artistic use of words. Whether your goal is a laugh or a smile, or even a happy tear, if you take the time to write a poem or have one written about your partner, it shows that you are thinking of them and all the things you love. It also shows that you’re engaging with one of their favorite things in the world - words - even if you don’t generally enjoy that on a regular basis.
Short Story
If your special someone prefers longer writing, crafting a short story with him/her as the main character might be perfect! Short stories are still short enough for a brief read, but long enough to have a plot. You could write a story about the day you met, a day in the future you are looking forward to, your favorite memory together, or, if you want to go really big, write the story of your proposal (and follow through)!
Presentation Options:
Handwritten on any available paper
Handwritten in a journal or notebook
Typed & printed on regular paper
Typed on regular paper, specially bound to look like a booklet
Preparation:
Decide which story you want to tell before you try writing anything down. It should be something meaningful that you have shared or hope to share together. While your special someone is the “main” character, you can be a main character, too - get creative!
Once you have decided what story to tell, write it down. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “writer,” do your best to tell the story as if you were telling someone who doesn’t know the story.
Love keeps things exciting, like a good story!
You can also try writing in third person, where you describe the plot from an outside point of view (rather than an “I” point of view). You don’t have to share it, but thinking about yourself and your partner as characters might help you get your point across more easily.
Take a day or two away from the story, then do a final read-through.
Prepare the final presentation. If you want to get it bound or looking a little more “finished,” go to a local office supply store (like Office Depot) and they can look at all the options.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A lot of people think of their daily lives as boring, so if you choose a specific moment or memory that was meaningful for both of you and write a story about it, it shows that daily life isn’t quite so boring, after all.
Writers also spend a lot of time in their heads planning characters and plots, and it’s a nice thought that you, as a loving partner, are showing interest in that world while also remembering that your daily lives together are not boring when you look up close. Love keeps things exciting, like a good story!
Love Story Notebook & Pen
All the literary people I know love a good notebook - and when you give a notebook and a pen together, you are giving a passport to the great depths of imagination. While this may seem dramatic, many writers feel this way! For this gift, not only will you be gifting your partner two things they absolutely love, you will also be giving them your version of your love story.
On the first pages of the notebook, write your love story from beginning to end. This doesn’t have to be exhaustive (especially if you’ve been together for a long time), but a reminder of the major milestones, hardships, successes, and things you love about your special someone.
If you don’t want to write down your love story, you could also write a good old-fashioned love note, in your best handwriting, of course.
Presentation Options:
Handwritten in a standard spiral bound notebook
Handwritten in a fancier bound journal or diary
Preparation:
First you will need to purchase the notebook, journal, or diary. Choose something your partner will love. Whether that means it’s their favorite color, has a nice image or quote on the front, or is made out of fancier material like leather, keep in mind what they are likely to use.
When you write your love story or a love note, it breaks them out of the story mindset and allows them to be more in the moment.
Once you have the notebook, plan your love story or love letter outside of the notebook. Take the time you need to include the important parts and aspects. The reason you are waiting to write in the notebook until the final presentation is because drafting is often messy. We forget things, cross them out, or draw arrows all over the margins. You don’t want to include these in the nice version you give your special someone.
Carefully write the final version in the notebook and gift to your love! Wrapping is optional.
Why It’s Meaningful:
If your partner spends a lot of time reading or writing books (especially love stories), chances are they think about their own story in similar terms. They think about the actions, reasoning, timing, and other surrounding events. Things you may or may not see or notice become important simply by virtue of the fact that it’s a huge part of your partner’s work.
When you write your love story or a love note, it breaks them out of the story mindset and allows them to be more in the moment. Not only that, but the fact that you have put so much thought into presenting your love story in connection with what they love to do is incredibly heart-warming and shows you care.
Book Flowers
Want to do a more “traditional” gift but don’t want to brave the flower shops near Valentine’s Day (or pay the extra pricing that’s been added for the occasion)? Have no fear! Book flowers are here.
You can make as few or as many as you like, and all you’ll need is your special someone’s favorite book or love story (or yours), a pair of scissors, glue, and patience! This great tutorial walks you through the process step-by-step!
Presentation Options:
As a single flower
As a bouquet without any type of covering
In a decorative plastic sleeve
In a vase or other creative floral display
Preparation:
First, select & acquire the book. The good news is that one book can make many many flowers if you want to gift them a large bouquet. If you already have the book, you saved yourself a step!
A paper flower gifted to me in grad school. It's now a lovely decoration in my guest bedroom.
These are flowers that won’t wilt, so your partner can keep them as long as they like!
Once you have the book, make the flowers. Be sure to leave enough time to do a nice job, especially if you are not used to crafting. These things, while not difficult, do take time and patience (and don’t always turn out great on the first try).
Decide how you’re going to present it to your special someone & gift it!
Why It’s Meaningful:
The biggest investment in this gift is time! Between the time it takes you to figure out what book to use, go get the book, flip through the pages to make sure you have solid text on both sides, cut out the pages & petals, and assemble the flowers, you’ve gone to quite an effort to do something nice for your partner!
Not only will they appreciate that you know what their favorite book is (or that you have chosen your favorite to share with them), but also the fact that you made the flowers specially for them. They are also flowers that won’t wilt, so your partner can keep them as long as they like!
BONUS: Every Day Love Notes
If you’re a planner & want to win your literary love’s heart this Valentine’s Day, consider this gift. Out of all the gifts above, this is the one with the most preparation - not to mention you should gift it on Feb 1st, NOT the 14th!
The idea is that you will write one miniature love letter to your partner for each day up to and including Valentine’s Day. This could be a short note about something you love, something you’d like to do for them, or even something you’d like to do with them. Each day they will open one letter, with the biggest and/or most meaningful being opened on Valentine’s Day.
Presentation Options:
Almost any way you want! The most popular are:
Cardstock with small envelopes for each day attached
Standard sized separate decorative envelopes for each day
Preparation:
First, decide how you’d like to gift the notes. Do you want to get creative and do some crafting with paper and small envelopes? Or are you really busy and just want to decorate average envelopes and make them prettier (since they’re already practical)? Either way, you’ll want to think about this before you write the notes, that way you know how long each needs to be.
Write the notes for each of the 14 days. They should be separate pieces of paper or cardstock because your special someone will only get one per day!
It’s all about effort, and this gift shows how much you’re thinking about your special someone!
Once you have the notes, put the final presentation together and gift on Feb. 1st!
This is also a great gift for long distance couples because you can send them through the mail without much extra preparation.
The bottom, numbered cards are from a previous Valentine's Day. The other notes on the top are another format of everyday love notes I used when my husband and I were apart one summer.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Love notes are always thoughtful, but 14 loves notes?! The fact that you put that much thought and preparation into being ready for Valentine’s Day a whole 2 weeks ahead is heart-warming. Not to mention the fact that you took time to think about 14 separate things you love about them (or that you love about your love) and carefully write them down by hand. It’s all about effort, and this gift shows how much you’re thinking about your special someone!
These are ideas that I’ve gifted or been gifted, but certainly not the only romantic ones out there! Are you a literary lover? What have you gifted or been gifted? I’d love to hear! Drop a comment below or send me an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com and let me know!