Hello my creative and fellow diy'ers I hope you are all feeling the love as we get closer to Valentine’s Day. I have been so busy here in my small home store, tucked away in my usual corner of the house. If you have seen my recent updates, you know that I have been practically swimming in fuzzy wires and satin ribbons. The Valentine’s rush is real, and I’ve been working hard to make sure I have enough bouquets for everyone who wants to show some love to their Mamas, titas, and partners. But as I was sitting at my messy desk today, looking at all the beautiful silk roses and pipe cleaner petals, I had a thought.
I really wanted to bring something different to my creations this time. While flowers are classic and everyone loves a bit of flower and pinks I know that not every customer is looking for something floral. I started thinking about those people who might want to give a gift that is a bit more... practical? Or maybe just something that fits a different kind of personality that could also be fun. I was thinking specifically about that customer who loves a good, cold beer in a can and a night of relaxing watching tv.
That’s when the idea hit me: why not make a Snack Bouquet? But not just any snack bouquet—a Pinoy "Pulutan" on the cheap kind
I know a lot of my neighbors and friends are looking for gifts on a budget, and flowers can get so expensive this time of year. So, I decided to gather some of our absolute favorite Pinoy snacks the kind you always see at a barkada gathering or a simple weekend "inuman" session. I am talking about the classics that you can buy at a sari sari store or local grocery and palengke. In this new bouquet, I have included Chippy, Happy Peanuts (I grabbed both the Sweet Chili and the BBQ flavors), and of course, some Dragon Sid squash seeds.
It was so much fun putting this together and experimenting trying to figure what people may like. I wanted the snacks to be the star, but I still wanted it to look like a proper gift. So, I used a cold can of beer as the sturdy centerpiece and built the snacks around it using skewers. To make sure it still had my personal touch I did not leave it completely food focused. I topped the whole arrangement with one of my large, handmade deep-red flowers. It has that lovely, soft velvet like texture that makes it feel special, even if the blooms around it are actually bags of peanuts
I wrapped everything in a mix of dark maroon and bright red paper to give it a bold, masculine, yet festive look you know who my target is. And of course, I had to finish it off with a big, pretty red ribbon printed with gold "love you" text. It is about time to give someone a Valentine's gift that is not pink and flower focused. It says "I care about you" and "let’s have a snack and a drink" don't you think?
Now, I have to be honest with you all my workspace is a total disaster zone because of this new project and If you look closely at my table, you can see the evidence of the hustle. There are glue guns plugged in, rolls of tape, scissors, and bits of ribbon everywhere. I’ve got my bins of beads and stacks of different colored ribbons all fighting for space while I try to organize the snacks and the wires. I also bought some boxes of chocolates to add to my merch. That is just the reality of running a small business from a busy home you get creative you think of all the ways to make it good and interesting and some chaos on the side;
Even with all the small tasks like the cleaning, the organizing of the "Captain Sid" bags, and making sure the beer can is glued securely so it doesn't tip over I am just so happy to be doing this. It’s all about the happy hustle and finding creative ways to make my customers smile without breaking their bank accounts. This pulutan bouquet is definitely a budget-friendly option that still feels thoughtful and unique. It is perfect for the guys, for a best friend, or even just for yourself.
I’m still tidying up and getting the rest of my Valentine’s inventory ready, but this snack bouquet is officially top of mind for me today. I am so excited to see if people like this "different" kind of bloom as much as I do. I am happy I found a side gig like this. It is not much about the money but finding an outlet for my creativity.
What do you think of this idea? Would you rather have a bouquet of roses or a bouquet of your favorite snacks and a beer? I think I know what my answer would be! 😋
lovelotz
Ally
