7 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas to Fall in Love With From Hampshire & Dorset Small Businesses
Valentine’s Day 2023 is fast approaching and with the launch of our new playing card collection this week, we’re feeling the love in the Create Gift Love workshop. Seeing as it’s the season of love we wanted to take this opportunity to talk all things Valentine’s Day gifts and chat about two other things that top our list of crushes: supporting small businesses and exploring our local area of Hampshire and Dorset’s south coast. So with that in mind, read on for 7 brilliant Valentine’s Day gift ideas from local Hampshire and Dorset small businesses to solve your present-buying problems.
1. Personalised playing card keyrings from Create Gift Love
Starting with a shout-out to the newest addition to the Create Gift Love Valentine’s Day collection, our Personalised Ace of Hearts Couples Keyring Set. This two piece leather keyring set is inspired by the iconic playing card design and is perfect for the King or Queen of your heart! Each white leather keyring is handmade from sustainable veg-tanned leather in our workshop in Ringwood, Hampshire, with half a red heart and a personalised initial printed on each piece, forming a whole card when placed together. We think your partner will love this personalised Valentine’s gift and the best part is, you get to keep half of it for yourself too.
2. A bouquet of dried flowers from The Happy Blossoms
Instead of red roses, opt for blooms that will last a little longer than Valentine’s Day this year. We love the dried Baked Blossom Bunches from small business The Happy Blossoms in Wimborne, Dorset: they’re cute and colourful and can last a year or longer when cared for correctly. Each dried flower bouquet is made bespoke by hand in the Happy Blossoms studio and arrives in completely recyclable packaging. They have a whole selection of bunches available, from small posies to full bouquets, in fun bright colour palettes and softer neutral tones. Nothing quite says “I love you” on Valentine’s Day like flowers, does it?
3. A roasted coffee subscription from Bad Hand Coffee
We love a coffee date, and if you’re in the Bournemouth area and see the Bad Hand sign in the café window, you know you’re going to be in for a good time. Bad Hand Coffee are an independent coffee roaster in central Bournemouth, they supply some amazing local coffee shops and you can buy their delicious beans online to enjoy at home. Bad Hand source their beans from green importers, use plastic-free compostable packaging, they deliver local orders by Cargo bike, and they’re a climate-positive business. All the more reason to love their coffee. If your Valentine is a coffee lover, we think a Bad Hand bean subscription would make a brilliant gift.
4. A personalised leather coin purse from Sbri
Our sister company, Sbri, is all about creating beautiful personalised leather accessories to add a little extra joy to the everyday. Our bestselling coin purses are perfect for Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day – they can be personalised with initials and a secret message inside, and we have over 30 designs available so you’re sure to find something to suit whoever you’re buying for. All Sbri accessories are handcrafted in the same workshop as our Create Gift Love keepsakes, here in Ringwood, Hampshire, from luxury quality sustainable veg-tanned leather. Our brand new “Cariad” Coin Purse (named after the Welsh word for love) combines gorgeous fuchsia pink with bold red love hearts, perfect for Valentine’s Day.
5. Luxury engraved cufflinks from Man & Bear
Keeping it in the CGL workshop, the third branch of our family tree is Man & Bear, our personalised men’s accessories brand. Man & Bear specialise in quality accessories for all of life’s adventures – from leather travel gear for weekend exploring to customised suit accessories for the big milestone days. All proudly made in the New Forest, our engraved cufflinks make the perfect luxury gift for him for Valentine’s Day. They are precision engineered here in Ringwood using solid stainless steel, brass and aluminium bronze. The Man & Bear team engrave your cufflinks with your own personalised messages and each pair is supplied in a handcrafted leather storage pouch, stamped with initials. Engrave with your names, coordinates or the date your adventure together started.
6. Unforgettable experience days from Fore Adventure
Speaking of adventures in a more literal sense, experience gifts are perfect for the partner who loves to get outdoors and try something new. Fore Adventure, based in Studland, Dorset, organise experiences and adventure days that get you close to nature, surrounded by heath, woodland and coastline. Fore Adventure offers experience vouchers which make perfect Valentine’s Day gifts: choose from activities such as sea kayaking, paddle boarding, foraging, beachcraft and wild camping. You can send your partner off on a solo adventure you know they’ll love or book a joint activity for the two of you to look forward to – a totally new take on date night.
7. A natural skincare gift set from Love to b
Finally, one of our favourite local independent shops, Love to b. Also based here in Ringwood, Love to b make 100% natural skincare products from ethically sourced ingredients, and their beautifully packaged gift sets are perfect for treating your partner this Valentine’s Day. From indulgent pamper sets and natural soy wax candles for her to handcrafted shaving soap and sustainable accessories for him, Love to b have something for everyone. You can order online for home delivery but if you’re in the area we’d really recommend popping into their gorgeous little shop in Ringwood’s Furlong Centre to have a chat with the team and check out their incredible scents for yourself. Smelling is believing.