10 things to buy your girlfriend for Valentine's Day

Buying for your girlfriend goes the same way most years: you get to the week before, panic, and buy the safe thing she already has three of.

These ten are here because they either get used weekly or they mark something. UK prices, one pick from our own range, and the card sorted at the end.

10 Valentine's Day gifts for your girlfriend

• 1. A print of a lyric or line that means something to the pair of you.
• 2. A night planned entirely by you, including the booking and the taxi.
• 3. The nice version of something she buys herself weekly.
• 4. Tickets to the thing she's mentioned three times and not booked.
• 5. A photo from the year, printed and framed rather than left on a phone.
• 6. Something for the home you share, or the one she's making.
• 7. A book by an author she's already read twice.
• 8. A weekend away, even a cheap one, with the dates already agreed.
• 9. A night in you actually plan, rather than a restaurant doing a fixed menu on 14 February.
• 10. Our pick: the 'All You Need Is Love' print, A5 up to A3 - designed in house and printed in the UK, and a lot less naff on the wall than it sounds.

How much to spend

• £30 to £80 is typical, and the thought put into it matters far more than the number.
• Pooling with siblings or friends on one bigger present beats three separate medium ones.
• A £15 thing used weekly beats a £60 thing kept in a cupboard.
• If money is tight, give time with a date attached instead - it isn't a lesser gift.

What to avoid

• Anything that comments on her appearance or habits.
• Last-minute petrol station flowers.
• Anything that's really a hint.
• Gift sets you'd be embarrassed to receive.

Getting the timing right

• Order by around 10 February - Valentine's post is the busiest week of the winter.
• Restaurants book out weeks ahead; a planned night in beats a rushed table for two.
• Write the card first, then buy the gift to match it.

Don't forget the perfect card

• The gift gets opened in a minute. The card sits on the shelf for weeks and in a drawer for years.
• Write something only you could write about your girlfriend - one specific thing from this year.
• Sign it properly. A name and a real sentence beats 'love from all of us'.
• Every card we make is designed in house and printed in the UK, and it posts in the same parcel as the gift.

Shop Valentine's Day cards

How to write it so it lands

• Specific beats expensive - the best gift is the one only you would think of.
• Order the card with the gift so they arrive together.
• Write the card before you wrap, while you still have something to say.

Where to shop next

• Our pick: 'All You Need Is Love' print (A5 - A3)
• Shop Valentine's Day cards
• Shop all cards
• Posters and prints
• 10 things to buy your girlfriend for her birthday
• 10 things to buy your girlfriend for Christmas
• 10 things to buy your girlfriend for your anniversary
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What should I buy your girlfriend for Valentine's Day?

Something she uses weekly or something with a date attached - a print for a wall, the good version of an everyday item, or an outing already booked. All three beat a gift set bought in a hurry.

How much should I spend on your girlfriend?

£30 to £80 is typical, and the thought put into it matters far more than the number.

What should I write in the card?

One specific thing from the last year, then how you actually feel about it. That single line is remembered long after the present has been put away.