Thing of the Week: Tokens of Love

Everyone’s favorite holiday is coming up, and by everyone I mean 16 year old girls. Valentine’s Day is perhaps the most insulting holiday to true romantics (feminists) like myself; it’s a time when monetizing love becomes entirely acceptable — nay, expected — and the entirety of a year’s worth of affection is somehow condensed into a dinky little box of department store chocolates and exactly one dozen dying flowers. Genuine expressions of romance have been replaced with a status quo, one that favors a normalcy of exchanging goods over ensuring that your significant other actually knows that s/he is significant to you on any given day. That being said, handmade gifts make anyone feel thought about. But with the exception of Etsy, people don’t make things with their hands anymore. So the next best thing is allotting some of your 3D printer’s time to fabricating something just for her/him. Here are some ideas from the Thingiverse community.

Twisted Heart Vase by Gyrobot

twisted heart vase

You’ll need a vase for those cut flowers, and a twisted heart is most appropriate.

LOVE Cookie Cutter by RomelR816

love cookie cutter

If you’re not into chocolates, you can still express your love with cookies. If you’d like to be a bit more subtle than the L-word, this Heart Cookie Cutter by jcduplessis100 may be more your style.

Heart shaped box by nophead

heart shaped box

If your companion is into chocolates (or Nirvana), this heart shaped box is a great way to deliver some sweet treats.

Anatomical heart by DrewTM

anatomical heart

For those of you that are in a relationship with a biologist, this anatomical heart is sure to get the blood pumping.

8-Bit Heart Pendant by theron

8-bit heart pendant

If you’re with an old school gamer though, an 8-bit heart pendant is probably more fitting.

A gift box for valentine by WayCool

gift box for valentine

Supposing you’d like to get fancy, this gift box is as good as it gets. It’s a great way to surprise someone with a non-plastic pendant too, if you happen to have one.

Some will think these tokens are cheap, but others will know the value of the time of a 3D printer. Whatever you do for Valentine’s Day, spend time together and tell your significant other why s/he is dear to you, and say so often.