17 Valentine's Day Gift Wrapping Ideas That Will Make Any Present Sweeter

Envelope Valentine Box

Nothing says "I'm sweet on you" quite like a box of chocolates. When you want to say it with an extra measure of heart and style, consider the package (as well as what's inside), like this envelope valentine box. It's the perfect size for treats or other small gifts.

Fabric Wrapping

Who says the best gift-wrapping ideas have anything to do with paper? These sweet boxes were tied off with a mix of vintage and deadstock fabrics, but you could use functional pieces, like tea towels, to add another present-worthy component.

Cupid's Care Packages

A truffle sampler is sweet, but gone in a few bites. Spoil a friend (or sister, or sitter) with equally tempting ideas that will last longer: handmade note cards and an elegant felt-tip pen, fragrant tea and organic honey, or fancy French soap. To pretty up plain cardboard boxes, gather cupcake liners in a few different sizes, fold them into halves and quarters, and arrange them on the lids however your heart desires, securing them with double-sided tape. Fill the boxes with crinkle shreds and nestle gifts inside.

Tapeless Gift Wrap

Whip out this tapeless gift-wrapping technique come Valentine's Day for a sumptuous presentation. The method calls for paper-folding techniques similar to that of origami but using fabric or wrapping paper—and you can achieve smooth lines and sharp creases just like you would if you were using tape. For Valentine's gifts, just stick to fabrics or papers in upbeat colorways, like magenta and crimson.

Kraft Heart Box

Delight your valentine on February 14 by surprising them with a handmade box filled with their favorite sweet treats, which is what Martha does. Customize the contents of each one—she did these for Truman and Jude, her grandchildren, her daughter, Alexis, and her dear friend Kevin Sharkey—and top it off with a big, bold ribbon.

Wine Bottle Gift Wrap

If you've ever gifted a bottle of wine, you've probably used a gift bag to package it. Instead of going the ho-hum route, opt for this creative gift-wrapping accompaniment: fabric in two complementary colors. From there, all you need are fabric scissors and hot glue or glue sticks to piece this DIY together.

A Healthy Sampler

This gift box bearing treats has all the delights of a Valentine's Day package, but its nutrient-rich contents are a treat for the heart as much as for the taste buds. Put a box together by arranging cupcake liners—in various scales and colors—inside and filling them with dark chocolate, dried or dehydrated red-colored fruit (strawberries, cranberries, red plums, and goji berries), and vegetable chips (beet and red potato). Finish it off with a simple pink bow.

Cookie Envelopes

If you're thinking of hand-delivering a homemade confection this year, consider slipping an oversized cookie into one of these hand-folded envelopes. The freezer-paper lining keeps the package free from grease marks and smudges.

1. Start by cutting a 7-x-7-inch square of freezer paper and another of patterned medium-weight paper.
2. Place freezer paper square on top of the other square. Fold each corner of the combined square in so all four points meet in the center.
3. Tape along two bottom seams; insert your treat.
4. Tape down last flap and attach a label. Optional: Tie a bow with bakers' twine.

Wood Veneer Heart Box

Skip the doilies and ruffles this year—instead, give a homemade wood-grain chocolate box that's chic and sweet. You can make the whole gift from scratch, fashioning the package from poster board, topping it with stick-on veneer, and filling it with bonbons tucked into mini baking cups. Or cover a store-bought box with the veneer.

Here's how to make the top and bottom:

1. Use a craft knife to cut poster board into four 8 1/2-by-11-inch pieces. Print templates onto two pieces.
2. Use spray adhesive to back each printed template with another sheet of poster board, then join a veneer sheet to each pair (so you have two three-layer pieces with templates showing on one side of each).
3. Cut out according to templates, making one top and one bottom.

Here's how to make the sides:

1. Join two more pieces of poster board with spray adhesive.
2. Adhere four 17-inch-long strips of veneer tape to poster board; cut out.
3. Dab hot glue along the edge of one strip. Position onto the top piece of the box according to the template, starting at the top V of the heart; work carefully and add more glue as needed to align strip. (We glued veneer facing in.) Repeat, adding second strip to box top.
4. Trim ends at the bottom of the heart for a neat point. If desired, use a marker matching in color to the poster board to fill in any cut-paper edges for a seamless look. Repeat for the bottom of the box.

Stenciled Truffle Boxes

Adorned with graphic designs in neon pink and orange, these boxes can be used and displayed well after the holiday. Stencil the patterns onto veneer and use it to top shallow cardboard boxes (the kind usually used for gifts of jewelry).

Foil Chocolate Bars

Play Willy Wonka and make the most of the shiny foil on a bar of chocolate—it will show through punched patterns on a paper band. All of these designs were created with a half-heart punch, so you can fold the flap back for a three-dimensional, bicolored effect; you can also overlap cutouts for intricate looks and make toppers for boxes (top left and bottom right). Look for chocolate bars with a foil wrap beneath their printed labels. These bars are often in the grocery store's baking section.

Candy Crush Boxes

Use colorful treats to make your feelings known—or even spell them right out—in Pop Art-style arrangements. Start with a transparent plastic candy box, then create letter or heart shapes from paper. Fill the shapes and the area around them with candies in contrasting hues. Smaller candies work best in these boxes—they fit snugly inside the shapes. Try hot cinnamon candies, candy-coated chocolates, mini jelly beans, and tiny hearts.

The Biggest Bow

This sweet dreams-themed gift includes pillowcases, a sleep mask, and a CD of grown-up lullabies—but we're taking cues from the giant satin bow, which can inform any number of wrapping ideas. Head to your local craft or fabric store for the prettiest satin you can find—either wide ribbon or fabric you can cut—and fashion a dramatic bow that does all the heavy lifting. For a touch of glam, add a rhinestone heart patch.

Heart-Adorned Gift Bags

For a simple presentation that goes beyond the obvious, use gift bags in a variety of love-themed hues. The icing on the cake? Sweet hearts cut out from pretty patterned paper and glued on at a jaunty angle.

Custom Chocolate Bars

Make chocolate taste doubly delicious by packaging it in a homemade, heart-filled wrapper that reveals a handwritten note. Use your prettiest pink paper cut to the size of your treats. Write a secret love letter on the inside; to embellish the paper, dot with glue and sprinkle with glitter. Remove the original wrapper and wrap the foil-covered bar; affix with tape and add a delicate ribbon.

Valentine's Day Candy Packaging

Wrap up your valentine's favorite sweets in a cellophane bag. Cut a 4-x-4-inch square of valentine's paper, and score it in the center with a bone folder before folding it in half. Then, punch one edge of the paper with an edge punch. Place folded, punched paper on top of the bag and staple it in the center of the paper to secure it to the bag. Then, cover the staple with a valentine's sticker.

Bejeweled Box

Dressed in apricot moiré fabric and trimmed with satiny cord, a luxurious pink bow, and an array of faux gemstones, this box is no mere vessel. It's a treasure on its own. With a note, a photo, or some sweets tucked inside, it would make the perfect keepsake for Mom or anyone who appreciates a touch of luxury.

Here's how to make the box:

1. Using a ruler and craft knife, cut four strips of mat board: two 1 1/8-inch strips (for base) and two 1-inch strips (for lid), all the width of board (32 inches).
2. Print templates for the box base and lid; cut out. Trace two of each template onto mat board; cut out.
   
3. You have two bases and two lids; set one base and one lid aside. Place the remaining base on a flat surface. Working in sections and starting at the heart's inner point, affix one end of one strip to base with hot glue. Hold until the section dries, about 20 seconds.
   
4. Continue gluing until you reach the bottom point. Rest base on its side; trim excess strip carefully so strip ends match up neatly. Repeat to attach a strip to the other side. Repeat to add strips to one lid piece.

Here's how to cover the sides of base and lid:

1. Cut a long strip of moiré fabric that is 1/8 inch wider than the base's side and long enough to wrap around side of box.
2. Working in sections and using découpage glue and a brush, align the edge of fabric with the side's top edge; pat in place, and trim any overhang.
3. Repeat to cover the side of lid in fabric.

Here's how to add the decorative base and lid:

1. Cut two large squares of moiré fabric, a few inches larger than heart.
2. Brush the top of second base piece with découpage glue, and press it onto the center of 1 fabric square.
   
3. Trim fabric to about 1 1/2 inches around the heart. Make a series of snips in the excess fabric; glue the flaps to back of base, overlapping as needed. Repeat with remaining lid piece and fabric square.
   
4. Using découpage glue, attach cording tape to the back of both pieces, so the cord runs along edge; let dry. Hot-glue the covered base and lid to the bottom and top of box, respectively.

Here's how to embellish the box front:

1. Using wire cutters, snip gemstones from a costume bracelet or necklace.
   
2. Using a hot glue gun, attach gems to the lid in a pattern.
   
3. Tie ribbon into a bow; secure with hot glue to the center of the lid.