Create a Romantic Date Crate – perfect for a sunset date that can be a load of fun, packed and ready to go, and here’s how…

What is the Romantic Date Crate?

A question I get asked by readers is, “How does one DATE in the outback?” Especially when there are no fancy restaurants, no seaside locales (that doesn’t involve crocodiles) or carnivals or cinemas.

Well, you learn to get creative and to make your own fun, which is how the Romantic Date Crate came to be.

It’s as simple as you want to make it and loaded with fun for those impromptu moments you may have spare to get romantic with someone.

By having a Romantic Date Crate prepared for romance at anytime for some instant portable fun, because hey, isn’t that what romance is … a little adventurous fun.

What makes the Romantic Date Crate?

Basically, it’s a box.

But it’s more than just a box! 

It’s a box dedicated to aiding those impromptu romantic moments like a sunset date.

It can be in a rustic crate if you’re a lover of rural romance so I do recommend a sturdy crate that you can flip over and use as a coffee table, but more on that later.

Once you have a crate, then you get to fill it. And that’s where the fun begins . . .

What to put inside your Romantic Date Crate?

There are professional parcels, and countless ideas on what to put inside your Romantic Date Crate, below are the basics to get you started to build your Romantic Date Crate the way you want for only a fraction of the price.

Cushions.

There is more than one use for that throw pillow, but most of you’ll want to get comfy where you are, and nothing says cosy like a cushion.

💜 You could use it for seating on the blanket (below) or you could flip over your emptied Romantic Date Crate, if it’s sturdy enough, to put the cushions on top for a comfy seat for one. Yes, you can date yourself, you know.

💜 And if you’re really creative and have a stack of old pillows laying around, you can make one big cushion roll.

💜 Or it’s a handy pet bed for the fur baby.

💜 And in case I forgot to mention, having a stack of waterproof outdoor throw cushions handy make the perfect headrest while you lay back to make up names for shapes in the clouds.

💜 Pillow fort anyone….

via GIPHY

Blanket or a Rug.

Some rugs may be too clunky, but a thick blanket or two has so many possibilities.

You can use it for:

💜 A place to sit on and have a picnic

💜 To cuddle with your loved one before a campfire or for that movie theatre that’s too cold. Aww…

💜 Or to make a tepee or as a roof for that pillow fort we mentioned earlier!

💜 It can become a table cloth for one of those concrete picnic settings you’ll find in parks.

💜 You can create an outdoor couch by covering a regular park bench seat, add some of your cushions, then flip your Romantic Date Crate over and use it as a footrest. Voila!

💜 Oh, and the blanket can be used to cover food from outdoor elements like bugs and if waterproof, rain.

💜 You can roll the blanket up and use it as a cushion if you don’t have any cushions inside your Romantic Date Crate.

💜 And if you have a handy outdoor blanket, you can use it as a makeshift shelter from the unpredictable weather.

💜 Make a cape – in case you want to get into some role play as the dating superheroes you are.

Candles

Candles are romance.

Look at the romantic dinner settings in fine dining restaurants, they’ve always got candles flickering on the tables.  We have candles on a cake when you’re celebrating, why not have some in your Romantic Date Crate, too.

Have a few scented ones for the perfect aroma, or citronella candles to deter the bugs.

It is advisable you find ones in containers, like tea lights in those glass jars to protect your candle flame from the wind, and if you’re in a Bushfire area you’ll be covered. Or just get some of those candles with batteries.

Romantic Candle Colours:

If you want to get technical, think of the colour meaning to your candles such as:

💜 White – purity peace and truth

💜 Red – lust and passion

💜 Pink – for emotional love, friendships, and self-love

💜 Purple – for healing, and royalty

💜 Green – in old magick green is the colour of love, it’s also the colour of the heart chakra.

Or you could just slip in a few strings of fairy lights that are always a favourite for ambience.

PSt, don’t forget to add matches to your Romantic Date Crate.

The Chalkboard

A chalkboard! Whaaat, you may be asking.

via GIPHY

Seriously, something so old-school simple has endless possibilities. And guess what? It doesn’t require batteries, which is really handy when you’re out in the middle of nowhere.

Now the size of the chalkboard depends on you, but here’s what you can do with it…

Uses for the Chalkboard are:

💜 Write the date and place like a movie prop for that photo keepsake you’ll want to add to your Instagram feed

💜 Use it to play tic-tac-toe otherwise known as noughts and crosses. Remember that one?

💜 You can use it to create a bucket list together, or what to do on your next date night

💜 To write a group poem together for some fun wordplay.

💜 Or to draw on or use in other games, like name that movie, or memory game.

💜 Oh, and you can use it as a serving tray for drinks or food in a flash.

Incidentally, if you have oodles of street chalk, make a mural on the sidewalk.  Hey, do you remember those graffitied heart signs KJ + KS forever (which is what my characters did in The Art of DUST) …. I guarantee you’ll both be smiling while you do this simple task.

Games couples can play:

Think about the kind of games you can slip into the Romantic Date Crate over time. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find – especially when you’re not looking for it. But here are a few suggestions (besides the chalkboard above) to help you and your date not stare at a small phone screen, as you’ll want to face each other.

Playing cards are perfect for this. I know it’s an old school tool, again, but it’s also the timeless art of facing each other, that doesn’t involve eating either. You can use your Romantic Date Crate as a table, while you try to learn your date’s giveaway tells and tricks as you play. Not only is it a great exercise for the brain, but it also allows space for conversation. Oh, and then there’s always strip poker!

Here’s a stack of couples games to choose from for inspiration.

Alternatively, you can also use this time to make a couple’s Romantic Love Jar, which is easier than you think – yet a priceless boost for your relationship.

Make it YOUR Romantic Date Crate

Your Romantic Date Crate can be filled with anything to make your date amazing without going into too much planning. All you’ll need is a spare Saturday afternoon and some great weather. Then scoop up your fabulously filled Romantic Date Crate, slide it into the car, and top it up with a few snacks and drinks on your way to watch the sunset.

It can be that easy to indulge in some romance that is time-efficient and easy on your purse too. But it’s romance.

And I’m all about feel-good emotions and romance because I believe everyone deserves to Escape to Happily Ever After (#Escape2HEA) 

Don’t you agree?

**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via CANVA.com 

Do check it out for all your graphic and social media needs.

| #Escape2HEA ~ because everyone deserves an Escape from the drama in their day!