How to say 'I love you' for Valentine's Day

Here's a thing - it may come as no surprise that hearts will be in fashion this Spring being such a universally appealing image and concept. Elle magazine has depicted this upcoming trend with hearts displayed in every which way by big shot designers' clothes collections. Here at TShirt Studio we have special categories of layouts to use to personalise your garments and gifts and the 'Love' selection is especially sought after for Valentine's Day.

And the heart you choose doesn't have to be red - how about a tshirt layout which allows you to adapt the colour of three different little hearts above the words you select ? Or uploading a photo is always a great idea. One option is to have this heart shaped photo of you both or one of you cushioned with the words of your choice or set within the 'Love' word where the heart photo takes the place of the 'o'. A simple idea on any of our garments or gifts but poignant.

Selfies are all the rage these days so it's easy to pop in a photo of you both taken by yourselves say on holiday or of course taken by others. Smartphones have excellent cameras so it's a matter of switching the setting so the camera reverses on to you both. Uploading it from your device or Instagram or into our system is straight forward and our easy to navigate technology then allows you to crop the photo according to the exact portrayal you desire. Some people like using selfie sticks so you can attach and point the camera from further away but there are lots of tips and tricks to taking the optimal image.

The better quality a photo the better print it will make on to a garment or gift. And then there's the deciding what to give. If you want a small spend there's always the option of giving your other half a beautifully designed mug with our heart filled layout. Otherwise if they enjoy cooking why not select an apron? The good thing about layouts is you can be so flexible. So maybe your partner's not up to wearing a heart, lip or love design in the kitchen - and if they enjoy cooking why not pick an apron. A barbecue design may be their thing and by using an appropriately scrolly 'diner' font and some heart felt words like "you are my king or queen in the kitchen" then you suddenly change the tone of the gift from schmaltzy to a giving a hint of the romantic.

And here's why custom designs really work - because it's personal. You can sing to that person by selecting a layout with your favourite tune tshirt. Also there could be humour involved - we know that everyone has their own nuances in a relationship as to what is funny. Connecting your individual sense of humour to a Valentine's gift is a cool idea. This especially works with nicknames. Interestingly "Sweetie" comes up first in a US compiled list of boyfriend romantic nicknames and "Babe" in the girlfriend category. Further down this table, there are some distinctive additions like "Cupcake" at 7th on the boyfriend list and "Buttercup" as 4th on the girlfriend. So using the "x loves x" layout "Cupcake" loves "Buttercup" could be a choice on a cosy hoodie... the scope is endless !

Of course not everyone has a Valentine, and it can be a pretty lonely place out there being single. So maybe Valentine's day is a reminder that online dating or booking a singles holiday could be the way to go. But if you have a pet, there is also plenty of scope for a Valentines' design - it could be as simple as a photo of Fi-Fi the cat in a heart shape on your tshirt. Coupled with the fact that hearts are set to be on trend in the Spring - you have a win-win situation - your cute cat exclusive garment design which is the height of fashion!