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Talk about multi-tasking! The economy is now in recovery, but people learned how to be more frugal on dates in the past five years, and that’s a healthy habit worth sticking with. At the same time, DIY projects became more appealing and many Americans discovered they were a great way to challenge themselves, save money on a project, and even serve as a means of socialization. From painting parties to a revival of pumpkin-carving parties at Halloween, DIY is a great excuse for a date.
If you’re interested in learning more about someone, what better way to do it than tackling a project together? Maybe he or she has a skill set you’re lacking and you can learn a thing or two. It’s also a great excuse to get a little closer, chat without worrying about what you’re doing with your hands, and end up with an excellent “reward” to show for your efforts.
Here are some great DIY projects for your next date and how to pull it off:
- Bathroom vanity
Are bathrooms and dates really a good combination? They can be if you’re working on a DIY bathroom vanity project. Everyone wants an excuse to snoop through their date’s bathroom, and with this one you don’t even need to fake “freshening up” to make it happen. A person’s bathroom can reveal a lot about them, like whether they prefer showers or bubble baths, their favorite body washes, and quirks like whether they keep an iPod dock on the counter.
- Gardening
What’s more romantic than tilling in the earth together? Nothing, except maybe using the fruits of your labor to create a romantic meal afterwards. Get the latest winter gardening tips and discover which veggies will be thriving this time of year. Plus, this gives you an excuse to show off your nurturing skills as well as your cooking skills. Both are highly prized in potential paramours.
- Painting
Obviously you don’t want to use your date as free labor, but there’s something sensual about painting. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re not wearing a lot of clothes, the specks of paint that will inevitably get on bare skin, or the floor picnic that can cap off the day. The DIY Village has tips on hosting a painting party, but it won’t take much to turn a “party” into a party of two. Up the romance factor with wine, strawberries, chocolates or the right playlist during and after the main event.
- Putting together furniture
Can putting together a bookshelf really be a romantic date? Definitely, since it requires working together, a little sweat, and an end result you’ll both be proud of. Just make sure the work isn’t too confusing, won’t take too long, and doesn’t have too many heavy parts. A simpler piece of furniture is better, and you’ll get bonus points if you can use the furniture in phase two of the date (like putting together a TV stand, then popping in a romantic movie).
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