Valentine’s Day is coming up, and regardless of whether you think the occasion is a time to celebrate loved ones or believe it’s merely a greeting card manufacturer conspiracy, if you have a significant other you better have a gift or romantic date idea at the ready. And here’s another tip: skip the Hallmark card and bouquet from the florist.

Not only are these gift ideas terribly boring, they’re not that great for the environment. The average greeting card isn’t made from recycled paper, and most florists stock flowers that were sprayed with nasty fertilizers and pesticides. Although it is possible to purchase recycled cards and enviro-friendly flowers, why not throw in some creativity this Valentine’s Day?

Chocolate is the way to anybody’s heart

Chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Stopping by Meijer and buying the biggest Hershey bar you can find, however, is not. Instead, add a personal touch to a chocolate-y present by spending some time in the kitchen. Try making chocolate-covered coffee beans with the following recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee beans (try Equal Exchange’s Organic Love Buzz)

1 ¼ cup chocolate chips (try Sunspire’s Organic Chocolate Chips)

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan on low heat. Keep stirring until there are no more lumps and it’s nice and saucy.
2. Let the chocolate cool slightly, but make sure it doesn’t harden.
3. Dip coffee beans in chocolate sauce and place them on wax paper to dry.
4. Store them in the refrigerator overnight.

You can also use this recipe to dip strawberries, pretzels, or anything else that strikes your fancy! If you’re up for the challenge, try the following “Very Easy Vegan Truffles” recipe adapted from VeganChef.com.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups vegan chocolate chips (try Sunspire)
8 oz. tofu cream cheese (try Tofutti brand)
3 cups vegan powdered sugar (try Florida Crystals brand)
1 ½ t. vanilla
Garnishes: finely ground nuts, cocoa powder, toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Place the chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat, and leave to melt.
2. In a food processor, blend the vegan cream cheese for one minute or until smooth and creamy. Add half of the powdered sugar and blend for 30 seconds.
3. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to process the mixture until well blended.
4. Add the melted chocolate chips and vanilla, and process the mixture to evenly distribute the melted chocolate.
5. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. Using your hands, shape the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the garnishes of choice to thoroughly coat them on all sides. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Homemade cards from recycled paper beat purchased cards any day

Newspaper-Blackout Love Letter

But printing off a design from Microsoft Word 2007 is still pretty lame, and it wastes ink and paper. Instead, get a hold of a pair of scissors and some glue to reinvent old birthday cards into cute, kitschy Valentines.

What you’ll need:

The aforementioned scissors and glue

Old greeting cards or cardstock

Pages from books, newspapers and magazines that you’re not going to read anymore

Permanent markers

Directions:

1. Cover your greeting card with black and white text-heavy pages from a newspaper/magazine/book. This will be the basis of your design.
2. Look through your unwanted reading material for any interesting designs. Maybe there’s a poem in the New Yorker that strikes your fancy or a couple of pictures from Cosmo that’d make a nice collage – you get the idea.
3. Glue the design to the front of the card
4. Write some cute lovey-dovey nonsense on the inside with permanent markers. Or you can make it meaningful.
5. If you want to get really creative you can glue old buttons and other odds and ends to the card. But please stay away from glitter.

Hopefully these ideas have sparked your creativity. If not, check out some other Valentine’s Day ideas from blogs like Crafting A Green World and Inhabitat.