If you're thinking about creative Valentines Day gifts to make and don't have a lot of good ideas yet, don't worry. You're not alone.

Many people wait too long to make their own Valentines Day gifts, or to come up with the best choice in projects. So the best piece of advice I can probably give you is... Don't Wait! After the Holiday season is over, start thinking seriously about what you can make for loved ones that will be meaningful and practical.

And fun to make, as well!

What kind of Valentines Day gift to make is, of course, the biggest question you'll have to answer. Whatever you make will have to fit into your ability level, your budget, and your available supplies. Past that? Do whatever you want! Here, you'll find a useful list of ideas for Valentines Day gifts to make for different members of your family.

The type of Valentines Day gift to make for someone you love differs dramatically depending on who you're giving it to. Whether it's Mom, a sibling, a lover, a new love interest, or a co-worker, careful gauging of personalities, likes, dislikes, and the overall demographic of your relationship is essential to success here.

If you ever feel unsure whether a gift you're considering making is "too much," the best option is probably to avoid giving that item at all... or to tone it down a bit. Because Valentines Day can be relatively intimate, it's better to be understated than to project something you never intended.

Gifts for Mom

When thinking of Valentines Day gifts to make for Mom, remember... most mothers appreciate things they can use. Here are some fun ideas for gifts you can make that your mom may love:

• Find coupons for all her favorite chocolates or treats and make them into scrolls on sticks (i.e. a bouquet of savings)
• Younger children can put together hug or chore coupon books and bring a huge smile to Mom's face (a good one for Dads to help with)
• Give mom the whole day off from doing anything other than being pampered by the whole family-- be her slaves! And make sure part of it is cleaning the house!

Gifts for Dad

If your family is anything like mine, coming up with Valentines Day gifts to make for Dad is hard! Most men aren't all that easy to shop for. But you can actually put that to use when coming up with a gift idea for Dad. He probably doesn't want anything but to know that you care... and that's easy to show him! Some ideas are:

• Homemade coupon books that focus on things that he really cares about. If your dad is the mechanic, for example, give him "clean garage" coupons. If he's the gardener, provide "mow the lawn" certificates instead.
• Younger children could serve dad his favorite breakfast in bed. Or give him a foot rub. Or both.
• A homemade photo frame (or a painted, decoupaged, or crafted purchased frame) with a photo of the whole family.

Gifts for Friends and Relatives

For siblings and friends, I like to make homemade Valentines cards and perhaps skewer a few kisses on wooden sticks with leaves ("sweet flowers for sweet friends"). Homemade sweets and cookies always go over well, too! A batch of cookies or chocolate covered strawberries is always my go-to gift for friends and co-workers.

If you have a lot of people to make gifts for, I love the idea of a Valentine cookie on a stick, like the ones pictured here. Bake 'em up, wrap them in plastic, tie closed with a ribbon, and watch the recipients' eyes light up.

1. A Picture Collection. Picture collections are playful but intimate Valentine's Day gifts to make. You can create one in several different ways. First, you could fashion your own frames with various themes (like seashells on the edge of beach photos). Or you could buy pre-made frames and make collages of your photos together. There's also always scrap booking, which has become wildly popular because it marries these two ideas into a keepsake.

2. Candy Heart Message. Another fun Valentines Day gift to make is the Candy Heart Message. It's fun and really silly! Get several bags of Valentine's candy message hearts and assemble the hearts into groupings that have a special message for your sweetie. Gather the candies into a mesh with ribbon then have them try to unscramble your messages.

3. A Month of Love. Consider making the entire month of February an occasion! Come up with a different small project or gift every day to present to your partner. One day you can have a poem, another day a special goodie you pack in his or her lunch, day three might be a photograph of the two of you tucked into a brief case, and so forth. This is also a good Valentines Day gift to "make" for any other occasion.

These are just a few little hints. Check out my page on Romantic Gestures to Make and Ideas for Homemade Valentines Gifts for more homemade gifts and projects.

In looking over many ideas for Valentines day gifts to make, there are some key ideas you'll want to remember:

• Give yourself enough time for your project
• Keep the project appropriate for the recipient (i.e. give it the right message)
• Make the item meaningful to the person receiving the gift
• Don't be afraid to be funny or playful if it suits the moment (romance isn't always serious)
• Avoid over-reaching. If you can't make the whole gift yourself it's ok. Buy any components that seem beyond your talents-- it still counts as homemade!.

Overall remember to enjoy what you're doing. If you don't like the project it's likely the recipient won't, either.