FIGURE C


This small box is a labor intensive but the finished product is well worth the effort. Roll over picture for a larger image.

A photo of your loved one on the top makes this truly personalized. And after the gift is removed the box can be used to store jewelry or coins or other small items.

Idea #4: Make a custom candy box
Sticking with the traditional candy theme for Valentine's Day, how about a box with dividers for the candy pieces and a cut out on the box top that includes a message printed on a transparency sheet? You can place chocolate Kisses in each if the sections inside the box or, for the design we used for the box shown in Figure D, how about filling the box with message heart candy?

FIGURE D


Print a pattern on cardstock to turn it into a personalized candy box complete with dividers inside to separate your treats. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Idea #5: Make your own candy bar wrapper
A really simple project with truly sweet results is a personalized candy bar wrapper. Using either plain inkjet paper or any of the myriad wonderful papers out there for inkjet printers, you can make a really "sweet gesture" for your Valentine, as shown in Figure E.

FIGURE E


Just by adding some clipart and photos to plain paper you can design a personalized candy bar wrapper. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Since many of the wrappers on candy bars these days are no longer paper wrapped over a layer of foil, you have a couple of options. You can make a traditional wrapper and wrap it around the full paper wrapper on the candy, or you can wrap the bar in foil and add you personalized wrapper over the foil for a more traditional look.

Idea #6: Create a custom photo box
Pick up a heart-shaped paper mache box at your local craft store and paint it the color of your choice. Use adhesive-backed photo paper to add photos. Punch a few holes in the top of the box using an awl or a Philips head screw driver. Fill the box with potpourri, put the top back on and you have a personalized sachet.

Idea #7: Make a personalized card
If you prefer to give your honey a store-bought gift but still want to add something personal, just design the card to be something special. If your sweetie is like my husband, he loves "action cards" -- the type of greeting card that performs some sort of action when you open it. There are plenty of instructions available online for making pop-up cards, like the one shown in Figure F.

FIGURE F


Making a pop-up card is not as difficult as you might think. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Idea #8: Make a scented photo candle
Purchase a scented candle in a clear glass jar. Remove any labels that might be on the jar, find a nice photo of the two of you and use waterslip decals to add those photos to the jar permanently. You can also print the photos on clear window cling and apply the cling to the candle jar. Using the cling gives you the added benefit of allowing you to easily remove the photo for future use once the candle is finished.

As you can see there are so many ways to incorporate your personal photos into wonderful personalized Valentine's Day gifts. Just let your imagination run free!

Joe is a ZATZ associate editor. Prior to this job, he was customer support manager for the FileFlex database engine.