No matter how much we anticipate Valentine’s Day it often seems to sneak up on us. For all of the forgetful boyfriends and sons out there, here are three simple gift ideas that can be made the night before that will be sure to impress your loved ones. Homemade Flower Bouquet Flowers are only beautiful for a short period of time before they begin to wilt. Instead, opt for a paper bouquet that your girlfriend can admire for more than a few days. You will need a variety of construction paper and pens. Wrap the pens in green construction paper to use as stems. Follow these illustrations for a cute and thoughtful gift. 
Homemade Oreo Truffles What you will need: One 8 oz. package of cream cheese One 15 oz. package of regular Oreos One 10 oz. package of dark chocolate chips 1 rolling pin 1 large Ziploc bag 1 large lined with aluminum foil 2 forks 1 tablespoon Time: 3-4 hours First, take the Oreos and place them inside of a Ziploc bag, making sure to seal the top securely. Get a rolling pin and smash the Oreos into crumbs, enough so that it becomes similar to the texture of sand. Scoop out about two tablespoons of Oreo crumbs and set it aside. In a large bowl, mix the Oreos with room temperature cream cheese. Let this mixture set in the fridge for one to two hours so that they will be easier to handle. Right before you take the mixture out of the fridge, take the dark chocolate and melt it in the microwave. Do this in 20 second intervals for a minute, stirring each time to keep it from burning. Then, take the Oreo mixture and spoon out 1-inch balls with the tablespoon. Roll them out, and use two forks to dip the balls in the chocolate. Place them on an aluminum-lined plate, sprinkle the remaining Oreo crumbs on top and let the truffles cool in the fridge for about 2 hours. Once they’re done wrap them up nicely, and you now have yourself some delicious homemade truffles. Tie Blankets This simple and easy tie blanket requires no sewing, and is made of only one material, fleece, which can be bought at any Joann store. You will need about two sheets of fleece, about 2 yards length and width wise. Purchase your girlfriend or mom’s favorite color and pattern—you can even choose two different pieces for a splash of creative variety. Lay the first sheet right side facing the floor, so that the back is facing up, and the second sheet right side up on top, so that the front sides are facing out when you lift up the blanket. Take a few pins or needles, and pin the edges so that they don’t move. With a colored pencil, measure and cut out 4×4 squares at each corner. Then use a ruler to mark 1½- 2 inch strips wide and 4 inches tall along the border of the blankets. Take the scissors and carefully cut while follow the markings, cutting through both sheets of fabric. Then, take one strip from each fabric and tie a simple knot with the top and bottom layer. Do this all around the blanket until there are no loose ties left. You can even take the scraps of fabric, and cut out letters and shapes to glue onto the blanket for a special, added touch. For those who want to go over the top and make all three, take the wrapped flowers, truffles, blanket and her favorite movie and have a movie night. These gifts are thoughtful and will show how much you appreciate your loved ones.
TCHS School Newspaper