Easy Valentine's Day Decorations and Gifts
Candy covers [1]
Dress up wrapped candy bars by adding your own papers, messages, ribbons and other accents.
Valentine's votives [4]
Show off costume jewelry, a flower, a heart-shape ornament, a bonbon or other pretty items in glass votives. Top with a Valentine-theme paper cupcake liner, and tie with colored string.
Use this idea either to create a centerpiece or to package gifts such as lip balm, candy, a poem or movie tickets.
Book lovers [7]
Give a bookmark with heart to the reader in your life. Cut rectangles out of cream-color and red wool felt. For the bookmark at left, we cut a heart out of the cream-color felt, trimmed the edges of the red felt with scallop-edge scissors and glued the pieces together. For the bookmark at right, we stitched up the middle using embroidery floss, then glued on a red felt heart.
Photo card [10]
Make this easy photo booklet for a family member who can display it on a dresser or shelf. Accordion-fold patterned card stock, center a photo in each square (our squares are about 4 inches), and attach with photo corners. Punch a hole in the back for ribbon. Fold paper and tie the ribbon; add a Valentine's scrapbooking charm if you like.
Tea time [13]
Fill a pretty teapot with flowers for a centerpiece or gift. To indulge a tea lover, give with a tea bag-shape tag and include a pair of cups and assorted teas.
Creative cookie gifts [16]
Package your Valentine's cookies in a simple, pretty homemade bag. Slip a cookie or two in a plastic treat bag (available at crafts stores) with a piece of scrapbooking paper. Fold contrasting paper over the opening, punch two holes, and tie with ribbon.
To make your cookies pink, add a few drops of gel food coloring to sugar cookie dough. Decorate with sugar hearts (attached with frosting) if you like.
Dress up soda [19]
Make a container of soda or beer more special by adding scrapbook papers, ribbon and a tag. Use double-sided tape or glue to attach paper.
Festive candle [22]
Add Valentine's candy nonpareils in the bottom of a votive for a festive candle display. Small glass beads from a crafts store will give a similar look.
60-Second Video: Valentine's decorating inspirations [25]
Add some love to your home with these easy Valentine’s Day projects. It’s amazing how a few simple touches create a cozy and warm atmosphere for a romantic evening.
Nontraditional vase [28]
Show off your beautiful blooms in a new way. Cut rose stems to 6 inches and remove leaves. Pack tightly in a straight-sided container and wrap with ribbon. Change the water daily.
Stamp muslin bags [31]
Package Valentine's gifts in a personalized muslin bag. Place a piece of cardstock inside the bag and stamp an image on the front. When the ink is dry, fill with candy.
Miniature messages [34]
Use mini cupcakes to spell out a special message.
Candles and flowers [37]
Easy centerpiece: Three stemless wine glasses hold roses floating in a bit of water, while votives provide a flickering accent.
Heart wreath [40]
Create a heart wreath with pretty card stock and scrapbooking papers. Use paper punches or scissors to cut out hearts, then curl by scraping them as you would curling ribbon. Layer and glue to a cardstock base.
Lollipop bouquet [43]
Create a simple Valentine's Day centerpiece or gift with lollipop flowers. Fold colored card stock in half and cut out six hearts. Punch a small hole near the tip of each heart, insert a lollipop stick and arrange six hearts on the stem; fan out petals around the stick.
Informal Valentine place setting [46]
A centerpiece of lollipop flowers (see previous slide) sets the tone for an informal Valentine place setting for breakfast or lunch.
Romantic place setting [49]
For a more formal place setting than the previous slide, try a combination of red, white and red-and-white china, a centerpiece of red carnations, pink votives and other colorful accents.
Cookies with heart [52]
Package homemade cookies with paper hearts—held together with a brad—for a lunch or dinner family treat.
Puffed Heart Lemon Cookies recipe [53]
Wrap a vase [56]
Create a pretty centerpiece by adding the texture of burlap to a plain cylinder vase and filling your vase with flowers in a matching color.
Wrap the vase with colored burlap, attaching with double-sided tape. Add ribbon to the top and bottom of the burlap with fabric glue.
Homemade cards [59]
Homemade cards brighten anyone's day. Create sweet messages with hearts, cardstock and ribbon.
Heart frames [62]
Create a frame of candy or foam hearts to suround a special picture. Cut out a cardboard circle to fit on top of a frame, then glue on candy hearts or use stick-on foam hearts.
Red-and-white garland [65]
Make a garland of hearts cut from fabric scraps layered and attached with iron-on adhesive. Tie together with ribbon. You could achieve a similar effect using sturdy scrapbook paper, too.
Lunch surprise [68]
Do you help pack lunch for someone in your house? Leave them a surprise by clipping on Valentine's candy. We used pinking shears to cut a scalloped border around red card stock, layered on a contrasting piece of paper, then attached foil-wrapped chocolates with double-sided tape.
Jazz up a cake [71]
Add punch to a purchased cake with touches like a red cake stand, number blocks, and heart decorations.
