Unique DIY Valentine's Day Gifts for Men

Finding the perfect gift for Valentine's Day is especially hard when shopping for a boyfriend or husband. Instead of spending a ton of money on a new toolkit they don't need, or a bunch of chocolate that will likely go stale, why don't you make something yourself?

These are the top ten DIY Valentine's Day gifts for men that they will actually appreciate. From simple memory keepsakes to personalized crafts, he will appreciate the amount of time you spent on these gifts, as well as the thoughtfulness and originality that comes with a DIY present.

Date Night Tickets

To begin our list of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men, we discovered Lauren from thinkingcloset and her adorable, and very easy to make, project. The idea is to pre-plan date nights, and have them organized in one spot for your partner. You'll need two sheets of white cardstock, assorted divider pages, a pen, scissors, hole punch, and a binder ring.

Her website takes you through each step to create a pocket-sized mini book. This way, whenever you two are in need of a fun night out, or an all-day activity, the book will be your go-to. A simple way to show him how much he means to you, Lauren went as far to create 12 months worth of date ideas.

"I love you because..." Dry Erase Board

This next gift idea comes from lifesweetlifeblog and it's completely adorable. Though a bit cheesy, Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to shower your partner with love. As one of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men, this project is a simple dry erase board with a printable background that says "I love you because..."

A perfect addition to your home together, or simply something to write on anytime you come over, this dry erase board will be the source of many smiles. For example, lifesweetlifeblog wrote on her board, "You put your dirty clothes in the hamper today!"

"Best Day Ever" Key Chain

Definitely more of a hands-on project, but one that is a simple and unique gift, morelikehome has created instructions on how to create a DIY keychain. On theirs, they wrote "Best Day Ever" and underneath, the couple's anniversary, or if you aren't married, the day you two met. A very meaningful keepsake that will be kept with him at all times, this keychain is made with love, and is easier to create than you think.

You'll need a metal pendant, a jump ring, a keyring, metal letter stamps, a hammer, and a fine point sharpie. Once completed, the gift is something that looks rustic, unique, and one of a kind. A constant reminder of how much they mean to you, your man will love this keychain.

Candle Carved with Initials

A simple, but romantic gift for this coming Valentine's Day, helloglow has created a DIY candle carved with you and your partner's initials. As one of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men, this candle only requires a linoleum cutter, a ballpoint pen, a gold leaf pen, tape, and a pre-printed design. First, you will tape on your design, the heart and the initials, to the candle in your desired position. Or you could always freehand it.

Trace the design through the paper with the pen, go over the tracing with the cutter, and fill it in with the gold leaf pen. You'll have a completely original and handmade gift, ready for you and your partner to display and burn.

Distressed Photo Block

This gift is one of my personal favorites, as it comes from viewfromthefridge. A very romantic keepsake that your partner will treasure forever, this distressed photo block can be home to some of your best memories, and is completely handmade by you. This one will require a few more supplies and a bit more labor, but the final result is well worth the trouble.

To start, you will need a scrap block of wood. Sand the edges and corners and apply Vaseline to the areas that will not be painted in a darker color. Paint the corners, choose your photos, add Mod Podge to the front of the block, place the letters and photos on, and let it dry! The final result is a romantic statement piece for your living area or bedside table.

Balloon and Photo Chandelier

If you're looking for a Valentine's Day project that is fun and will make your man's day special from the start, this balloon and photo chandelier by weddingchicks is the one for you. As one of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men, this project is simple but personal. All you'll need is a bunch of balloons, 4x6 photos, 5x7 cardstock, curling ribbon, scissors, a hole punch, and some tape.

The instructions are simple: tape the photos to a white cardstock, hole punch the card stock, pull the ribbon through the hole, and tie the ribbon to the balloons. A special way to surprise your man, he won't forget this Valentine's Day. Boyfriends and husbands deserve to feel special on this day, too, and this is the perfect way to do so.

Personalized Photo Frame

Photo frames are always a great way to show your significant other how much they mean to you, but this project takes that concept one step further. Found on Pinterest, this photo frame requires a blank signature picture frame, this can be found on Amazon, plus, some creativity.

We suggest writing a rough draft first and then copying your letter to your partner onto the frame. Add your favorite photo of the two of you and you're already done! A simple but very personal gift, he will read your writing over and over. This gift is unique to every couple, and will be held dearly by your man.

Photo Bookmark Tie

If you're looking to handmake a present for your significant other, but don't have much time, this is the option for you. Created by Martha Stewart, she lays out step by step instructions to create one of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men, a photo bookmark tie. You'll need a grosgrain ribbon, scissors, a needle, thread, photo, and a book.

Simply cut the ribbon three inches longer than twice the height of the desired book. Sew the photography into the ribbon by hand, and it's ready to be gifted. A simple but adorable gift, the man in your life will treasure a personalized item like this forever. Plus, it's a great bookmark.

Heart-Shaped Eggs and Toast

This DIY project does not require any glue, scissors, or sewing. To start off your Valentine's Day the right way, Martha Stewart has created a simple recipe to personalize your Valentine's breakfast. Serve your love on a plate with this heart-shaped eggs and toast. An adorable way to start your day, and a way to show your man that he is special to you, this breakfast is something to be proud of.

Use a three-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to remove the center of a slice of bread. Toast the bread, and melt butter on the stove. Once the bread is browned on the skillet, place the cookie cutter back onto the toast, and crack an egg into it. Cook the egg, and use tongs to remove the cookie cutter.

Our final DIY gift for Valentine's day comes from storiesbymeblog. This letter block is one of the best Valentine's Day gifts for men for many reasons. It's personalized, adorable, and works great as a home decor item. You'll need blocks, as many that the word you will be spelling requires, scrapbook papers, glue, printer, scissors, foam brush, sandpaper, distresses ink, and photos.

You can either spell out "Love," "I love you," "Family," or maybe your last name, it's all up to you. Pick out the scrapbook paper depending on your theme, and trim it before sending it through the printer. The same goes for your photos, they must be trimmed to fit the ends of the blocks. Storiesbyme suggests using Photo Wizard, as seen above. The rest of the project is mostly just gluing, sanding the edges, and adding that distress look.