How to make a 12 months of dates gift
- Pick twelve dates. Mix free and splurge, in and out. Match each one to its season. Use the month-by-month list below as a start.
- Write a card for each. The plan, a hint ("wear sneakers") and a line about why you picked it.
- Add one or two small things. A recipe, snacks, a ticket, a game, seeds. Flat items fit in a normal envelope, bulky ones go in a small box.
- Label the envelopes. Month on the front, a short teaser line underneath. Number them if your gift starts in the middle of the year.
- Add a rules card. One envelope per month, open on the first day, no peeking ahead.
- Pack it up. A box, a binder, a ribbon around the stack or a little file box with month dividers.
Tip: Leave the exact day open. Writing "sometime in March" instead of "March 14" means the gift survives work trips, colds and family birthdays.
What to put inside the envelopes
| Type of date | Props that fit in an envelope |
|---|---|
| Cooking at home | Printed recipe, a spice packet, a shopping list |
| Movie night | Microwave popcorn, a handmade ticket, a list of three films |
| Outdoors | A trail map, hand warmers, a seed packet, sunscreen sample |
| Games | A deck of cards, a question list, a scorecard |
| Going out | Real tickets, a voucher you made, a dress code card |
| Cozy nights | Tea bags, hot chocolate, a candle, a face mask |
12 months of dates ideas: a date for every month
One idea per month, with what goes in the envelope and a teaser for the front. Seasons follow the Northern Hemisphere. For more options per season, see our winter, spring, summer and fall date ideas.
1. January: Plan our year breakfast
- Budgetlow
- Best fornew year, fresh starts
- Timea morning
A long breakfast with a big sheet of paper: places you want to go this year, one skill each of you wants to learn, three people you want to see more of. Pin the sheet to the fridge.
In the envelope: two pens, a blank list titled "Our year", a coffee voucher you made.
January: grab a pen. This year starts with pancakes and a plan.
2. February: Blind date with a book
- Budgetlow
- Best forcozy winter
- Timean afternoon
Go to a bookstore, pick a book for each other in secret and have it wrapped. Then a café, unwrap them together and read the first chapter with something warm.
In the envelope: two bookmarks, a sticky note for each of you to write "why I picked this".
February: you're going on a blind date. With a book. I'll be there too.
3. March: A class you'd never pick
- Budgetmedium
- Best forend-of-winter blues
- Time2 to 3 hours
Pottery, swing dance, bread baking, life drawing. March is a long month, and learning something you're both bad at is a great cure.
In the envelope: the booking confirmation or a voucher with three class options to choose from.
March: we're going to be terrible at something new. Together.
4. April: The first picnic of the year
- Budgetlow
- Best forspring
- Timean afternoon
The first warm-ish day of spring, a blanket and a basket of foods neither of you has tried. Rate each one on a napkin.
In the envelope: a shopping list of "new to us" foods, a napkin scorecard, a seed packet to plant afterward.
April: first warm day wins. Blanket, basket, mystery snacks.
5. May: Bike to breakfast
- Budgetlow
- Best foractive couples
- Timea morning
Map a route to a bakery or café you've never been to, at least half an hour away by bike. Ride there, eat everything, ride back slowly.
In the envelope: a printed route, a puncture patch kit or a bell sticker, a pastry voucher.
May: pump up the tires. Breakfast is somewhere out there.
6. June: Sunset to stars on the longest day
- Budgetfree
- Best forromantic
- Timean evening
On or near the summer solstice, find a spot with a view and stay from sunset until the first stars come out. It's the longest evening of the year. Use all of it.
In the envelope: a printed star map, a glow stick, two tea lights.
June: the longest day of the year. We're staying out until it's over.
7. July: A swim and an ice cream taste-off
- Budgetlow
- Best forhot weather
- Timean afternoon
A lake, a river spot, a public pool or the sea. Afterward, each of you picks two ice cream flavors you'd never usually order and you blind-taste each other's.
In the envelope: a waterproof pouch for your phone, a flavor scorecard.
July: bring a towel. Loser of the ice cream round buys the next cone.
8. August: A road trip to a town you've never seen
- Budgetlow to medium
- Best forroad trip fans
- Timea day
Pick a small town within two hours that neither of you has visited. Make a playlist where each song is a pick by one of you, and only stop for food that looks local.
In the envelope: a folded map with the town circled, a playlist written on a card, road trip snacks.
August: tank full, playlist ready. The town's name is on the map inside.
9. September: Cook a country you want to visit
- Budgetlow to medium
- Best forfoodies
- Timean evening
Pick a country on your wish list and cook a full dinner from there: one starter, one main, one dessert, music from that country in the background. Talk about the trip you'll take there one day.
In the envelope: three printed recipes, a small flag or postcard, a playlist suggestion.
September: passports not needed. Aprons are.
10. October: The thrift store costume challenge
- Budgetlow
- Best forplayful couples
- Time2 to 3 hours
A small budget each and 30 minutes to put together a couple costume at a thrift store, without telling the other. Reveal it, then wear it out for a drink or to a Halloween party.
In the envelope: a budget note, a costume theme drawn at random, safety pins.
October: we are going to look ridiculous. On purpose.
11. November: Your childhood comfort food
- Budgetlow
- Best forcozy fall
- Timean evening
Each of you cooks the dish you ate as a kid when you were sick, sad or celebrating. Tell the story behind it while you eat. A good one for Thanksgiving week, or as a quiet thank-you dinner.
In the envelope: two blank recipe cards, a note asking "What did your family make when...?"
November: tell me what tasted like home when you were little. Then we cook it.
12. December: The look-back night
- Budgetlow
- Best forend of the year
- Timean evening
Lay out the eleven opened envelopes and go through them in order: best date, funniest moment, what you'd repeat. Then the twist: you plan next year's twelve together.
In the envelope: a photo from one of the year's dates, twelve fresh envelopes with nothing written on them.
December: eleven dates down. Tonight we look back, and then it's your turn to plan.
Envelope wording and cards to copy
Besides the month envelopes, you need a gift card on top and a little rules card. Copy these and change the details.
12 envelopes. 12 months. 12 dates with me. Open one at the start of each month. No peeking ahead, I'll know.
The rules: 1. One envelope per month. 2. Open it on the first. 3. The date happens that month, you pick the day. 4. Cancelling is not allowed. Rescheduling is.
Bring your appetite. Wear sneakers. Bring a jacket. Pajamas are fine. Dress up a little. Charge your phone. You'll need a towel.
One year of us was so good, I planned the next one. One date a month. Happy anniversary.
Variations on 12 months of dates
- 12 dates on a budget: only free and very cheap dates, like the picnic, the sunset, the bike ride and the comfort food dinner. Our list of free and cheap dates has more.
- 12 dates for parents: dates that fit a babysitter window or happen after bedtime. See date ideas for parents.
- Long distance: send all envelopes at once and open them together on a video call. Our long-distance date ideas help you adapt each month.
- A December countdown: twelve tiny dates in the twelve days before Christmas, more like an advent calendar for two.
- The Southern Hemisphere version: swap the seasons, so the solstice evening lands in December and the cozy book date in July.
- Alphabet instead of months: if twelve isn't enough, go for 26 with alphabet dating.
Paper envelopes or a digital surprise?
Paper envelopes are the heart of this gift. But if you'd like a little extra surprise each month, or you can't be there to hand over the box, you can send the month's date as an invite to their phone: a short game to reveal the plan, a letter from you, the day they pick and a ticket at the end. The envelope then just holds a note: "Check your phone on the first."
psst … this makes it easier
Turn your idea into an invite
- Scratch card, spin the wheel, quiz or secret code
- Your date picks the day and the food right away
- Free, no account, sent as a link
Giving it for a special day? Our anniversary ideas pair well with this gift, and the ideas for a night out are handy if you want to swap a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is 12 months of dates?
12 months of dates is a gift made of twelve envelopes, one for each month of the year. Each envelope holds a planned date, often with small props like a recipe, snacks or a game. The person opens one envelope per month and you go on that date together.
What do you put in 12 months of dates envelopes?
Each envelope gets a card with the date plan and a hint of what to wear or bring, plus one or two small items: a recipe, a packet of hot chocolate, a deck of cards, a seed packet, popcorn, a printed map or a voucher you made yourself. Keep everything flat enough to fit in an envelope or use small boxes for bulky months.
How much does a 12 months of dates gift cost?
It can cost almost nothing or a lot, depending on the dates you choose. A mix works well: mostly free or cheap dates like a picnic, a hike or a movie night at home, plus one or two bigger ones such as a concert or a weekend away. The envelopes and props themselves cost very little.
When should you give 12 months of dates?
It's a classic for anniversaries, Christmas, Valentine's Day and birthdays. You don't have to start in January: begin with the envelope for the month you give it and run for a full year from there.
Does 12 months of dates work in the Southern Hemisphere?
Yes, just swap the seasons. In Australia or New Zealand, put the summer ideas like the solstice picnic and the lake swim into December to February and the cozy winter dates into June to August.
Can I do 12 months of dates for a long-distance partner?
Yes. Mail all twelve envelopes at once and open each one together on a video call. Choose dates you can do in parallel, such as cooking the same recipe, a movie night with a countdown or writing letters to each other.