John Babich/Contributing Photographer
Close

Maybe the biggest problem with Valentine’s Day blues is the rhetoric we attach to it. Words like “alone” and “single” and phrases like “dying by yourself, unloved” can sometimes make people feel sad around this time of year. But this can be changed! You aren’t by yourself — you’re just so cool and confident that you don’t want anybody else to drag you down. It’s all about how we talk about our situations — and how we spend our time handling them — that make for a good or bad Valentine’s Day. This 14th, don’t mope around singing “One Is The Loneliest Number.” Even as a joke. Nobody thinks you’re joking. Instead, pick up a fun new hobby to distract you and help you realize that you don’t need a beautiful Valentine’s Day card made for you, because crafting can be done all on your own.

Make a model plane

Making model planes is time consuming and requires a lot of precision, so they’re a great way to focus your concentration elsewhere. Choose a good plane, not some dollar store piece of trash. You’ve not only started an activity, you’ve started a hobby. There are plenty of online demos if you ever run into a problem, and the instructions are usually pretty easy to follow anyway. In addition, there is a really vibrant model plane enthusiast community that you can get to know. When you are done assembling it, you can paint it and make it totally personal!

Sew a swatch afghan

Nothing will keep you warm this February like a nice blanket. Take all of your old T-shirts and cut out the main design in the shape of a square. Then use these swatches to sew your very own memory blanket. Not only will it be warm, but it will also be something really nice to show off to all of your friends. Sewing is also pretty easy and useful. You never know when you’ll need to fix an old shirt!

Begin practicing real magic

There’s no craft like witchcraft. Start learning how to brew your own potions, ride a broom, or even transform your toad into a cat! But hey, no reason to jump right to the big things. Start out small and work your way up the coven ladder. Maybe begin with the basics by collecting eye of newt and go from there.

Start a Ponzi scheme

As The Beatles once famously sang, “Money CAN buy you love, I have a lot of money, now I’d like to buy some.” So if you have no prior Valentine’s Day plans, try to rake in some cash! The best way to do this would probably be a Ponzi scheme. The basic schematics aren’t too difficult: Just ask all of your friends to lend you around $50 and promise them a greater return. Show them you have that credit by returning them other people’s money. The secret is that you aren’t actually letting their money mature in an investment plan. They, however, think they are getting rich. Keep this charade up as long as you can!

Bake a nice cake

Sure you’ve baked a simple Betty Crocker chocolate cake, but try taking it up a notch. Use fondant to make cool decorations. Make your favorite Disney character, like Winnie the Pooh or Nemo. It might be tricky at first, but after a few tries you’ll be DOUGHing it just right!