Last-Minute-Without-Seeming-Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

A Valentine card that comes with a cotton candy bath fizz packs a little extra treat. Funny magnets like this “princess of feral cats” one fit perfectly inside Valentine cards. Rainbow cake, but make it socks! Celebrity keychains make great gifts for men, women and teenagers. Uncork the Valentine’s Day wine in style with a gold beetle corkscrew. Custom stamped jewelry like this “love nest” keychain are Bang-Up Betty’s specialty. A feather quill pen adds a touch of fancy to your life. Sea salt is one of the many flavors of chocolate and candy at Bang-Up Betty.

From gorgeous locally made jewelry to Arkansas-made candles to cards that are laugh-out-loud hilarious, the Bang-Up Betty gift shop and jewelry store in Argenta has something special for your Valentine and extended holiday hours to take the panic out if you’re shopping at the last minute. Our unusual, quirky and colorful shop is absolutely filled with handmade jewelry, funny and sweet cards, kid-friendly knick-knacks, donut bath bombs, thoughtful home decor and clever gifts, including lots of local pottery, art, candles, tea and more. Here are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day gift ideas that’ll make your sweetheart never suspect they were last minute.

Handmade jewelry, like this “strong as hell” necklace, is Bang-Up Betty’s specialty. Our store is filled with hundreds of pieces of Arkansas made jewelry, so you’re sure to find something perfect for your sweetheart whether they’re into strong, motivational mantras or sweet honey bees and golden unicorns.

Once you pick out the perfect piece of jewelry (may we suggest this dolphin necklace from Bang-Up Betty’s ocean-themed Seven Seas Collection), make sure you have a jewelry box that’s as special as what it contains. A gorgeous incense holder on the table next to it doesn’t hurt either.

Our shop is known for its hilarious and unique greeting cards, and these lovey-dovey cards come with a bath bomb built into them. They’re fun for kids and grown ups.

Light up your loved one’s heart and their home with a fun, colorful decorative pillow. Bang-Up Betty has lots of unique and well-curated home decor to make any space special. We love the heart hands pillow for Valentine’s Day.

This gift shop has a smorgasbord of fun socks, like these snack-themed ice pop, rainbow cake, sandwich and lollipop socks.

Don’t forget the kids this Valentine’ Day! Our gift shop is filled with kid-friendly knick-knacks and cards, like these super fun donut bath bombs. Looking for more kid gift ideas? Check out this list of 18 fun and affordable Valentine’s Day gifts for kids and kids-at-heart.

Don’t forget your Galentine, too! We’ve got 18 funny and heartfelt gift ideas for Galentine’s Day here, and it includes tons of affordable, fun things like this women authors pencil set.

You can never go wrong with a really good candle, and we pride ourselves on our selection of completely excellent candles, including these non-toxic soy candles that smell incredible and come with precious phrases on them.

Bang-Up Betty is located at 429 Main Street in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock. Extended holiday hours through Valentine’s Day are weekdays (including Valentine’s Day) 11-5:30, Saturday 11-5 and Sunday 12-4. Shop online at www.bangupbetty.com and follow them at instagram.com/bangupbetty and facebook.com/bangupbettyjewelry. Email stacey@bangupbetty.com for custom jewelry and other inquiries.

Make Valentine’s Day Fun and Meaningful With These 20 Gifts from Bang-Up Betty

From sweet and sentimental to hilarious and snarky, Bang-Up Betty’s gift shop and handmade jewelry store in Argenta has something to make your Valentine’s Day extra special. Our unusual, quirky and colorful shop is filled with locally made jewelry, funny cards, thoughtful home decor and clever gifts, including lots of Arkansas-made pottery, art, candles, tea and more. Here are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day picks that will make your sweetie swoon:

Heat things up with delicious hot sauces. Or maybe heat up the conversation with this fun card game geared toward couples. Make them laugh with a pair of “trophy husband” socks, or maybe a keychain of their favorite musician will make their heart sing.

Bang-Up Betty is known for their jewelry, pins, stickers and shirts designed in-house: The bronze infinity symbol necklace is the perfect way to say “forever” and the Art Deco Arkansas earrings are timeless. The “Ask Me What I’m Reading” lapel pin and “Bibliophile" sticker are perfect for book lovers. We’re smitten with these celebrity keychains, including stars and characters like Betty White, Ted Lasso and Dolly Parton. These mandala-patterned heart dishes are made in Arkansas by Carla Churchwell. “Romantic comedy” takes on new meaning with this retro Blockbuster-themed card. Chocolates don’t have to be traditional with these key lime pie and pride-themed chocolate bars.

Bang-Up Betty’s greeting card selection is out of this world hilarious, but it’s also filled with gorgeous and sweet cards, like these locally-made cards by Arkansas artist Sherry J. Williamson. We especially love this Johnny Cash card.

Do you have a sentimental something that you say to your sweetheart? Maybe a pet name or a quote? Get it stamped onto one of Bang-Up Betty’s custom mantra cuffs for a super-special personalized gift. Or pick from their list of inspirational mantras to give your Valentine a little loving motivation.

Light up Valentine’s Day with a candle that looks as lovely as it smells. These non-toxic soy phrase candles come in sweet and snarky phrases. Phrases include “You Got This,” “This Must Be The Place,” and many more.

Give the person who has the key to your heart a keychain with the keys to your love shack or your love nest with a custom stamped keychain. If you’ve got a lovey-dovey phrase or an inside joke, we can also stamp those.

Add a sprinkle of love to your home with a colorful throw pillow that will brighten up your decor. We think our new ice cream cone and heart hands pillows make extra sweet Valentine’s Day gifts, but rainbows are always perfect for everything.

Tell them you only want yo be with them using one of the funniest, cutest greeting cards on earth. We’re huge greeting card fans at Bang-Up Betty and we always have a huge supply of cards that will make you laugh, like this Hootie and the Blowfish-inspired card.

If your significant other has a green thumb, get them a beautiful new flower pot for spring. We’ve also got colorful locally-made macrame plant hangers that brighten up any space.

Get the goddess in your life a beautiful, meaningful piece of handmade jewelry from our Greek mythology jewelry collection. The Aphrodite necklace represents the goddess of love and beauty, the Orpheus and Eurydice necklace tells a dark and beautiful love story, and snakes (like the gorgeous ones in our Medusa serpent earrings) have been love symbols for centuries.

Bang-Up Betty is located at 429 Main Street in Argenta. Hours are Thursdays and Fridays 11-5:30 and Saturdays 11-5 with extended Valentine’s Day hours coming soon. Shop online at www.bangupbetty.com and follow them at instagram.com/bangupbetty and facebook.com/bangupbettyjewelry. Email stacey@bangupbetty.com for custom jewelry and other inquiries.

Made in Arkansas Jewelry That's Perfect for Valentine's Day (Even If You're Not That Into Valentine's Day)

Whether your Valentine is sweet, salty or a little of both, there’s probably most definitely a piece of handmade jewelry at Bang-Up Betty that will make their heart throb.

Whether your Valentine is sweet, salty or a little of both, there’s probably most definitely a piece of handmade jewelry at Bang-Up Betty that will make their heart throb. Since the big VD is just one month away (or less if you’re reading this after January 14), I’ve added a handful of new, lovey-dovey handmade designs and rounded up a few of my (and your!) favorite picks for lovers this holiday. From simple, dainty earrings to bold, beautiful necklaces, here’s a list of jewels that’ll give you heart eyes. And the icing on the heart-shaped lil Debbie is that all of this jewelry is made in Arkansas.

This clever heart necklace is a throwback to the romantic symbolism of Celtic knots, made with just one rope, and the playful macramé knot work made popular in the 1970s (inspired by 13th Century Arabian weaving and passed down over centuries until it blew up massively in the ‘70s). The rope heart pendant was made using a single piece of rope, then cast in bronze. It’s a substantial, meaningful piece of handmade jewelry that would make a perfect Valentine’s Day, anniversary or wedding gift for a love bird. Find the bronze Macramé Heart knot Necklace here.

Sometimes “love” (and the perfect pair of earrings) is all you need…

These sweet, simple, hand-crafted matching half heart earrings are hand-cast in bronze and pressed with the word “love” onto each heart half. They’re dainty, lightweight, and go with absolutely everything. The ear wires are 14K gold-filled, so they’re hypoallergenic. Get the Love Matching Heart Bronze Earrings here.

It's almost Valentine's Day, and I've got a tragic love story for the holiday. One of the most beautiful stories of Greek Mythology is that of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tale of true love and devotion willing to face fear and death. The greatest mortal musician, Orpheus, fell deeply in love with the maiden Eurydice and married her. Soon after the wedding, Eurydice and her bridesmaids were walking in a field and she was bitten by a viper. So much for “happily ever after.”

Beyond distraught in his mourning, Orpheus took his lyre to the underworld, braving the terrible three-headed dog Cerberus and lulling it and the many terrifying characters in Hades with his beautiful music. He pleaded for the life of his bride with his song, and so moved the goddess Persephone and even Hades himself to give him back his new wife, but with one condition: Orpheus couldn’t look at Eurydice until they both emerged from the underworld.

Grabbing Eurydice’s hand, Orpheus led her joyously back to the realm of the living, but in his excitement as he exited the underworld, he glanced back at her, only to have looked just too soon, seeing her disappear into the mouth of the cave, stolen back to Hades for Orpheus’s eagerness. He rushed to follow her, but was not allowed to enter the underworld a second time. Doomed to life without his true love, he wandered the earth mournfully and alone until a band of Maenads discovered him and tore him limb from limb. We can only hope he was delivered from the living world into the arms of his lover at last.

Depicted in solid bronze on the medallion of the Orpheus and Eurydice necklace is a pair of lovers, one holding a lyre, the other leaning over a column to swoon at the musician. In this piece of handmade jewelry, I imagine the couple in the happy hours of their union, before the viper struck, and how I hope their eternity looked in the underworld together. The obsidian bead above the lovers and on the matching 14K gold-filled hoop earrings has a marbled effect, echoing ancient Greek sculpture.

Get the Orpheus and Eurydice Necklace here.

A simple, beautiful bronze necklace that says “forever” without speaking a word…

This handmade necklace features an oval charm pressed with the infinity symbol. The solid bronze charm measures about an inch across and hangs from a 16- or 18-inch 14K gold-filled chain; you can select the length at checkout. Mega hint: This necklace is great for an 8th anniversary — It’s the bronze wedding anniversary! Get the Bronze Infinity Symbol Necklace here.

Didn’t expect it to get this dirty, did you??? With custom keychains it can get as nasty as you want. Or as funny. Or as sweet. Custom keychains are also great go-to unisex gifts! Check out my collection of key tag phrases or let me stamp a custom phrase onto a keychain for you here.

A little something for you, a little something for your person…

These hand-cast broken heart charms are hand-stamped with the words MY PERSON on each charm. Handmade bronze charms measure approximately 5/8 inch from top to bottom and are hung from 18-inch gold-filled chains. Each heart charm will vary slightly from the rest, as is the nature of handmade jewelry. This listing is for a set of TWO matching friendship (or loveship!) necklaces. Get the My Person Bronze Heart Necklace Set here.

By far the most beautiful of all the gods was Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. She was completely irresistible and fun-loving. Her power over men is often considered destructive. 

Aphrodite is famously portrayed rising from the waves on a clam shell (as in Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”), for she was born from sea foam. 

The Aphrodite Necklace tells the story of Aphrodite’s birth. It features a handmade bronze seashell pendant, cast using an actual shell that I plucked from a beach in Indonesia on my honeymoon. Atop the bronze shell is a single cultured pearl. Pearls have been incredibly symbolic throughout history, associated with love, perfection, purity and the moon. In Aja Raden’s Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World, she says that “In parts of the ancient Near East, the belief that pearls were a product of tears shed by a goddess under the moonlight persisted for millennia.” There is just so much goddess energy in this necklace. 

Get the Aphrodite Pearl and Shell Necklace here.

Birthstone jewelry is a beautiful gift for any occasion, and being able to personalize it even more with a monogram makes it even more special. My Birthstone Cluster Collection allows you to do just that and comes in these gorgeous handmade pendants or in simple, streamlined strands of birthstones that are great for layering with another favorite necklace. Check out my birthstone jewelry here.

Keep those you love close to your heart, figuratively and literally with this sweet, classic custom name necklace stamped by hand. I had to personalize mine with the names of my cats since I’m a loving cat mom, but of course these custom stamped necklaces are great for kids’ names, significant others and anyone else you hold close to your heart. Find my Personalized Name Necklaces here.

What do you get the person who hung the moon to you? Moon jewelry! The bronze full moon necklace in this handful of handmade jewelry is my Artemis Moon Necklace with Crossed Arrows, representing the goddess Artemis in my Greek mythology jewelry collection. Find the Hammered Crescent Moon Earrings with iridescent beads of moonstone here. The Witchy Woman stamped crescent moon necklace in silver is here, and I’ve got a larger version in brass here.

Think of these hand-stamped custom Mantra Cuff Bracelets as your Wonder Woman cuffs. (Cuffs don't come with super powers, but you do!)

Keep yourself motivated to keep being the badass you are with these stamped mantra bracelets. Cuffs are solid brass or solid aluminum, polished so there are no sharp edges, durable and adjustable. Each cuff is hand stamped letter by letter with the mantra of your choice. Get your custom mantra cuffs here.

What? You thought I was going to get to the end of this jewelry blog without another dirty joke? WRONG. These custom cast bronze heart necklaces are great for short, sweet notes, but I prefer to make them say funny things. Funny things you might just heart… Get them here.

Speaking of big hearts and big boobs… We’ve got HUGE HEARTS for Dolly Parton over at Bang-Up Betty. I made this necklace in honor of the queen herself, because we could all stand to model our ways a little more after her and her big heart. Get the What Would Dolly Do heart necklace here.

Are you absolutely BATTY over your valentine? This tiny bat necklace will make your heart and their heart flutter…

Tiny handmade bronze bat charm dangles from an approximately 16-inch gold-filled chain that ends in a spring clasp. The bat itself measures approximately 3/4 inch across the wings.

Do yours and your Valentine’s stars align? Maybe your zodiac signs do, too? Wear your zodiac sign proudly and cleverly with a celestial astrology necklace that displays your sign’s name alongside the constellation of your zodiac sign. Each constellation and zodiac sign is stamped by hand, letter by letter and star by star. Get the Hand-Stamped Astrology Constellation Necklace here.

Want to add a card to your gift without even having to go into a store? Want to mail your gift directly to your Valentine with a sweet note? We’ve got you covered! Add one of these illustrated greeting cards by Lee Lee Arts and Design to your order, and we’ll hand write whatever you like inside of it to send to someone special. You can take your pick from the “Love You To Death” or the “Get Your Happy On” card, and you’ll be prompted at checkout to tell us what you’d like your note to say. Find the greeting cards here.