Finding the way to say "I Love You"

This Valentine's Day, resist the temptation of red and pink picture frames, heart-shaped jewelry boxes, chocolates and a dozen roses -- items that clutter the mall throughout February. Instead, make your own present for loved ones and give them something they can't find anywhere else.\n"Although store-bought presents can be meaningful, nothing is as personal as a homemade gift," said The Latest Glaze co-owner Mary Jo Benedict. After 25 years of marriage, Benedict said she has made and received countless presents.\n"It really shows that you put some time and effort into it," she said. "You can make a one-of-a-kind thing that no one else could possibly give them."\nBenedict said there are no boundaries to making your own gifts. Anything can be made more personal or creative with a bit of imagination, she said.\n"The main thing we want people to know is that they don't have to be that creative," she said. "You can be a great artist or have no skill whatsoever and (your gift) will turn out gorgeous ... homemade presents are the best, and it will look great."\nTom Zeta, manager of Pygmalion's art store, 108 N. Grant St., said making projects such as cards or books filled with poems, pictures and drawings are simple and personal. \n"These days, you're being bombarded with ads for diamonds and roses, (but) sometimes something really simple and heartfelt makes all the difference," he said. "It doesn't have to be anything to fancy."\nZeta said some of the most unique Valentine's gifts are common presents made special with thought and care. He said one of his customers bought 20 feet of paper and made it into a gigantic valentine.\nPygmalion's held a workshop Feb. 1 to teach people how to be creative with their Valentine's Day ideas. The workshop focused on how to make accordion books, folding long strips of paper like the instrument and decorating both sides to create a book that unfolds to tell a story on two sides.\nLaura Bales, Bloomington resident and workshop attendee, said she believes in making her own presents.\n"My husband and I always create our own Valentine's gifts," she said. "It's just more personal." \nBales recommended Kinko's, 2650 E. Third St., as a resource to creative gift-giving, where she said you can do anything with binding, such as books, calendars or picture albums.\nZeta said homemade books can be made with a modest or elegant design.\n"It can be as simple or ornate as you want it," he said. "That's one of the nice things about making your own book -- you can bend the rules a little bit."\nBenedict said she has seen numerous people "bend the rules" at The Latest Glaze. The most memorable, out-of-the-ordinary present she said she has seen was a painted, heart-shaped plate with a marriage proposal written on the bottom. She said there are many ways to recreate the originality of this gift.\n"I'd ask who they were making it for, and then I'd ask what kind of thing that person enjoyed," she said. "Whether they like music or sports, and try to get a theme going that they could put on any piece that they thought the person would use."\nShe suggested looking through books and the Internet to get ideas for projects.\nChris Breedlove, manager of Michael's, 120 N. Gates Drive, said the store has books to help spark ideas.\n"These include instructional books as well as valentine books," he said. "We also have instructional classes for adults and children."\nSue Blanks, a floral department sales representative at Michael's, said she remembers her favorite gift because of its creative nature.\n"My most favorite thing would be a clay pot centerpiece using fake water, 'Everlasting Elegance,' which looks like water but it turns hard. It's stacked to look like a waterfall," she said.\nMelissa Bohall, owner of Cakes, Candies and Things, 729 S. Walnut St., said within the confines of her store, an infinite number of possibilities can be found for a personal, delicious present.\n"It's something different," she said. "Flowers and candies are traditional, but cakes, brownies and pies are different."\nTo make gifts more personal, Bohall said he makes gifts to meet the customer's desire. \n"We do a lot of different things and we can design pretty close to what they want," she said of the designs on their cakes, cookies, brownies and pies, all of which can be made in heart-shaped molds. Bohall recommended making cookies and chocolates at home because "they're pretty simple."\nBlanks also encourages making a simple gift this Valentine's Day. She said although it takes a little extra thought, the outcome is worth it.\n"Rather than being picked up, it's picked out," she said. "What makes it special is just being well thought out and from the heart." \nBlanks suggests inexperienced gift givers return to their childhood roots, making cards with doilies, glitter and sequins. \nFrancie Agostino, art teacher at Binford Elementary, 2300 E. Second St., said that she thinks adults are getting back into crafts. She said creating a gift is not just about the end product; the creative process is a reward in itself.\n"I think (adults) are finding it's a recreational activity." she said. "(Art) is not just to make something, but is entertaining and rewarding."\nShe said she has seen the artwork of many of her students framed by their parents because of the thoughtfulness that goes into making each project.\n"It's a more personal gift, it shows the fact that the person is willing to take their time to make something," she said. "It will express meaning in a more personal way than something that was just purchased. Even though the quality may not be as good, the effort that goes into it says 'I cared enough to try my very best."