DIY Life

Well, today is Valentine's Day, and let's just say that we want to show how much we appreciate our readers by offering a brand new column just for you. Welcome to the first ever Dear DIY! Yes, you heard right, the DIY doctor is in!

Basicially, us bloggers here at DIY Life want to put our heads together and answer any question or address any problem you might have while out there DIY'ing your way to fame -- albeit obscure -- and glory. The essence of DIY is to do-it-yourself, without help you might add, but sometimes you do need a little advice to get you over a hump.

Here's what you do, leave a comment just below this post, nope, a little further down the page, and...there you go. Leave us a comment below or click here to send us an email tip. One of our bloggers may write a response to your question, either in an email or in a blog post, depending on the subject matter.

So there you go, Happy Valentine's Day to you and we look forward to answering your questions, helping with your problem, or maybe even make things worse, you never know. Here's to you!

Inspire passion in your beloved gardener! Give him/her a living plant this Valentine's Day. When planted and tended with care, it's a gift that keeps on giving, beautifying the landscape for years to come. Here are two Valentine's Day-appropriate suggestions: the willow tree and the rose bush.

The Willow tree: an unexpected Valentine's Day surprise
For a dramatic gesture, how about a willow tree? Willows were traditionally associated with fertility and reproduction. The ancient Greeks, for example, believed willows increased a woman's chances of becoming pregnant and would lay branches from those trees in the beds of infertile women. (Sounds really uncomfortable!) Some Native American tribes also associated willow trees with fertility, laying willow branches in the beds of newly married couples. (Ditto!) Read more here about the willow tree's symbolic value.

Oh, sure, we've had a bewildering array of amazingly helpful home improvement articles here on DIY Life recently, particularly in the last few days. But whose head can be turned by sheet rock and plumbing when so much love is in the air?

That's right: Valentine's Day is coming up, so this past week, we spent a lot of time thinking about handmade gifts for all of our sweethearts -- and yours. If you're looking for ideas, you will enjoy the following posts:

• DIY Valentine's gifts -- homemade romance by Francesca Clarke: Thoughtfulness goes a long way, but there's more to it than that.
• Lovebird votive holders: perfect DIY Valentine's gift by Diane Rixon: Cut pretty bird silhouettes out of metal to instantly increase your romance quotient by an extra 79%.
• Homopolar motor for your Valentine by Alan Parekh: Use simple electrical principles to show your Valentine how they make your heart spin.

More ways to express your love this week (or any other time) await you after the break, along with several other recommendations which have absolutely nothing to do with either hearts or flowers. We'll also reveal this week's top three posts.

Score points this Valentine's day with something truly romantic, original and best of all, homemade. Handmade gifts aren't always received with the excitement that we imagine. Sometimes they are a total flop. So, what differentiates the gift that she calls all her friends to brag about from the one that gets tucked away in the junk drawer?

I think that all romantic DIY gifts should pass a three-point check:

1. Is the gift personal?
   Even if beautiful, something that could have easily made it into a Secret Santa exchange probably isn't going to blow her away. It should be obvious that this gift was made just for your special someone. Personalizing it with a name or picture is the obvious choice. More subtle: try incorporating an inside joke, or choosing a theme using project elements that have significance for the two of you.
   
   
2. Did the gift take time to make?
   She said she'd like something homemade. You raided the kids craft cupboard and made a card. She's not impressed. Are you surprised? The more time and planning that goes into the gift the more you'll get out of it. People love knowing that they were thought of, and taking the time and energy to plan ahead for a handmade gift shows that you truly wanted it to be something special.
   
   
3. Is it really any good?
   We only make a big deal out of poorly painted, ceramic ashtrays when they come from our children. While some failed projects can still be appreciated for the romantic intention, there really isn't room for the ugly, the tasteless, and the poorly crafted ones. Don't knit him a toque out of leftover yarn in colors you know he'd find hideous and then expect him to wear it proudly because it was made with love. Think seriously about what your significant other would like. If you want it to go on display, consider how it would work with their current decorating scheme.

With these three guidelines, I've put together a list of romantic DIY Valentine's day gifts. Some are old favorites-- tried, tested, and true for generations of lovers. Others are new and inventive, but they are all incredibly romantic and sure to make him or her putty in your hands. Follow me through the break and I'll share them with you.

Valentine's Day is the day when you show your special someone just how important they are to you by giving them a unique gift they wouldn't get on any other ho-hum day. Chocolate and flowers reign as the top gifts given on Valentine's Day. You didn't forget the card, did you?

Scrapbook Scrapbook has free printable cards to make in a hurry if you have forgotten to purchase the special mushy love card that you will be giving the one you have given your heart to. The site recommends using card, cover, or index weight paper to make your cards, and using a metal ruler to score the cards for easier folding.

With all the lovely cards to choose from, you should have no trouble at all finding the perfect card for your special loved one. Bookmark the site so that you can go back and print their cards for all your holiday and special occasions.

The stores are fully stocked with all kinds of Valentine's Day goodies and have been for quite some time. I am a chocoholic and have to make a wide berth around the boxes of chocolate, otherwise I would be going home with way more than I need, kind of like I did when the Christmas candy went on sale after the holiday was over. I also make a wide berth around all the cheesy Valentine's Day cards.

Really, gag me! I much prefer to make my own cards, and am delighted with the step by step pop up Valentine's Day card instructions and pictures on wikiHow. Using cardstock, the two print outs available to you, a ruler, glue, scissors, stickers, markers, and a paper clip, you can make your sweetie a card they will be happy to receive. Use your own words to express how you feel, and decorate with symbols they would love.

I think this would be a great scrapbook project too. Add the card to the pages and document the reaction of the one you love. It will be a hit when you show others, and they will want to make a special card for the one they love too.

Last semester I sat in a painful economics class wishing I was home with my family. I thought it would be fun to write my husband a note. Here's is that note, in it's entirety:

Dear Jay,

I feel like chatting with you - but I don't have email or IM in this class. I guess I'll have to resort to a good old note. Funny - I don't think I've written a note in class in a very long time!

So... howz it going - damn! This is different than IM.

I so obviously failed at my attempt in writing him a note. I've decided to take it one step further and write a love letter (no, I won't post that in its entirety!). While there aren't really any rules, it's hard to know where to start. Follow me through the break and I'll share 5 important elements of a love letter.

Romance is about stepping beyond the cold hard world for a while and making time to put special focus upon that bond you share with another person. A romantic dinner at a favorite restaurant, a walk on a favorite nature path, soft music with dim lights and a bottle of fine wine, these are all excellent directions to take for a romantic interlude, but what about when money is in short supply and you're stuck at home together looking for romance? Baby, let me wash your hair.

Yes, it may seem like a mundane chore any other time but the opportunity to wash the hair of the one you love can be the basis for a very deep expression of love and caring that many people miss out on. When you wash the hair of your partner with love and care, you are serving them in a very special fashion and you are telling them that you are willing to focus yourself on their needs. For most people, their hair is an extension of their personality. When you care for their hair, you are sending a very potent message about how you feel towards them.