A Guide to Diy Valentines Day Decorations
For the timid and uncertain crafter, DIY Valentine’s Day decorations may seem overwhelming. However, glancing through the aisles of the local party supply store, much of what is offered seems cheap, showy, and impersonal. If you want a personal touch to your Valentine’s décor, but aren’t quite sure how to go about it, the following simple tips will help you to analyze your needs, and to put your plans into action. It’s going to be lovely!
~Areas of Concentration~
Any holiday decorating requires a brief survey of the areas you want to decorate. For Valentine’s Day, one of the top locations will be the dining room. Other key points in the home will be the entrance, and the living room. Walls, shelves, doors, and tables will be the greatest points of focus.
~Expected Guests~
Are you decorating for guests? Will you simply be dressing up the atmosphere for your own family? Are children at the center of your decorating efforts, or adults? The reason for decorating impacts the direction your DIY project will take.
~Table Linens~
Do it yourself table coverings are simple. All you need is the fabric that best suits your decorating goals, cut to size for dining tables, coffee tables, and even for end tables. If you desire, you can hem edges, and create a finished look. Additionally, this will allow for easy re-use of your DIY table linens. If you don’t feel confident with hemming, use fabric glue, and lightly glue a hem into place.
An intriguing hand-made table linen is a muslin tablecloth, made from the fabric, and hand painted with flowers, hearts, and other embellishments, with fabric paint. This is great if you are including youngsters in the décor. Other outstanding choices can be found at a fabric or craft store, seasonal prints ranging from cute, to whimsical, to romantic. Your tastes will be the basis of your selections, of course.
~Centerpieces~
One might consider flowers as a first thought for Valentine’s Day centerpieces at the dining table, and on other tables in the home. However, there are plenty of fun alternatives. Make your own cookie bouquet, using heart shaped cutters, or freehand design. Bake Popsicle or lollipop sticks into the cookies, and when they’ve cooled, decorate with tinted royal icing. Include kids in the decorating, or do it on your own, using a rich variety of dots, swirls, and lines to enhance the cookies. Put together a big bouquet in the center of the table, using craft foam inside a planter, or basket. Put together miniature bouquets in mason canning jars, likewise using craft foam for anchoring the cookie sticks.
Another fun centerpiece is a candy bouquet. Likewise, using appropriate containers, and craft foam, you will insert various holiday themed candies and lollipops. Using a low-temperature glue gun, lightly glue lollipop sticks to the backs of miniature chocolate bars, heart-shaped candies, and boxes of conversation hearts. Fill in holiday colors with squares of colored tissue paper, wrapped at the center around a skewer, and poked into the foam. Remove the skewer, and leave the paper, as beautiful filler.
~Wall Hangings~
Create beautiful hearts to hang on the wall, using cardboard, Valentine-themed wrapping paper, lace, hot glue, and modpodge glue. Cut heart shapes from cardboard, in the sizes and quantities you wish to create. Cut your wrapping paper to overlap the cardboard by at least an inch. Attach paper to cardboard, using a thin layer of the modpodge. Bring the overlap over, and attach to the backside with the glue. Coat the front with a thin layer of modpodge, and allow it to dry overnight. With hot glue, attach lace around the perimeter of the heart.
Create a hangar on the back, attaching a hanging string 1/3 of the way down, centered, and held taught with staples or hot glue. Hang on nails, tacks, or small hooks. Alternately, you can simply tack these homemade hangings to the wall.
You are not merely limited to traditional hearts. You may find it fun to create Cupids, lips, and other shapes, using a printed outline to trace onto your cardboard. The results are fun, individualized, and perfect. Save a little more effort, and instead of wrapping paper for color and effect, use spray paint: metallics, reds, purples, pinks, any color scheme you wish is achievable. Accent with acrylic paints, and create interesting accents.
As a do it yourself decorator, you will find that many more ideas come, as you immerse yourself in the project. Give yourself a little preparation time, assemble your materials, and let your creative side shine through!
