Even when we aren’t procrastinating, we still prefer dinner at home instead of going out on Valentine’s Day. Prices are too crazy and places are too crowded for us to like going out that day. The great thing with this idea, is that it takes take a bit of work, but you don’t really need advance planning to put it together. Your sweetie will be so romanced by your gesture that they will never know this was a last minute Valentine’s gift idea.

Here are some cute romantic dinner at home ideas: • Valentine’s Day Explosion: go to your local store and buy every single decoration you can get your hands on. Put up the decorations all over your dining room or wherever you’re serving dinner so it looks like Valentine’s Day exploded all over the room. Make your sweetie’s favorite foods.

Extra points if they are heart shaped or red! (PS. if you’re running SUPER late and doing this after Valentine’s Day, you can benefit from all the day after sales!) • Picnic: pack up a picnic basket with cute little foods like a cheese board, sandwiches shaped into hearts, and strawberries cut into hearts. You can keep your picnic indoors by setting up a blanket on the floor and decorating with tons of flowers and candles, 

or take it to your favorite outdoor location. We are partial to picnics at the beach. For bonus points, choose a spot that is meaningful to your relationship. • Pizza making: Get ready made pizza dough and all your favorite toppings. Play sexy chefs in the kitchen and make pizzas together!

• Ice cream bar (or any favorite dessert): create a make-your-own ice cream bar {or any favorite dessert like cupcakes, candy, etc}. The key to making this one exciting is to go overboard with every single kind of topping you think they might like. Spread it all out on a table and serve everything in serveware of varying heights and sizes. The contrast is visually appealing.

Add some heart balloons and confetti and you’re set! You don’t even need to follow any of these ideas for a lovely dinner at home. Make or order something yummy, play some music, light some candles, pop a bottle of wine, and set the table with nice dishes. That’s all you really need + your Valentine.

I hate to break it to you, but unless you’re prepared to spend some major dough, it’s probably too late to plan a weekend trip. Flights are super pricey when you’re trying to book last-minute of Valentine’s weekend. Google romantic day trips from your city and head over there! You can also sometimes find great last minute hotel deals using websites like Hotels Tonight or Hotels.com

Voila! A perfect last minute valentine’s gift for him or her. If there isn’t anything close enough to drive to, be a tourist in your own hometown and see and do every cheesy thing there is to do. This can be a fun adventure! 

Create a scavenger hunt around your house that leads to a big surprise! {Don’t worry if you don’t have time to shop, the surprise can always just be you!} Try to make the clues sweet and use inside jokes to help them find the next location. If you do have some time to shop, buy small little gifts that you can hide at each location. You can also leave fun and romantic little missions they need to complete at each 

location before they get the next clue. No time to create your own scavenger hunt? There are lots of free printable options online.

Usually DIY is not very last minute gift friendly, but depending how fast you can work, all of these ideas can be made to work for a last minute valentine’s gift for him or her. Here are some of the fastest DIY ideas in case you don’t even have an hour: •Coupon book •Reasons Why I Love You book •Jar of future date ideas

With Valentine’s Day, it really is the thought that counts. Why not make your Valentine his or her favorite dessert? Package it up in something cute and Valentine’s Day like {think hearts, pink, red, kisses} and you’ve got yourself a sweet {literally} gift! Even if your edible doesn’t come out well, it will be sweet that you tried.

Here are some sweet Valentine edible ideas: •Strawberries dipped in red, white, or pink chocolate {just use food coloring} •Cake pops tied with a bow to look like a bouquet •Cupcakes frosted with pink frosting and sprinkled with red sprinkles or heart sprinkles If you seriously don’t have any time at all, go and pick up their favorite sweet treat. Put it in cute Valentine’s packaging with a sweet note and you’re good to go!

When all else fails, just write your Valentine a sweet and romantic letter. There’s a reason the art of letter writing has been popular for centuries. It’s so sweet to read how someone feels about you. Add cute quotes, spray it with your perfume or cologne, and put some rose petals in the envelope.