Express your affection by creating these simple handmade Valentine's Day decorations. Whether you make heart decorations, choose a traditional pink-and-red color scheme, or opt for modern Valentine's Day decor, these DIY projects will be loved on February 14 and beyond.
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Easy Fabric Bunting
Looking for a lasting Valentine's Day decoration? Make your own fabric bunting garland. This easy sewing project comes together in an afternoon and can be used year after year.
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DIY Heart Pillars
Marshmallows on towers work as a modern Valentine's Day party centerpiece. Make foam craft cones food safe by covering them in plastic wrap. Cover a 6-inch square at the bottom of the cone with buttercream frosting. Press heart-shape marshmallows closely to minimize gaps; repeat, working your way up to cover the cone. Top cones with a free printable bow from Darcy Miller. Simply tape it to a toothpick and insert into the cone.
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Clay Love Knots
Tie the knot. Literally. These simple clay sculptures sized for display on a shelf or table carry a symbolic message of unbreakable bonds, deep commitment, and forever friendship. The interwoven strands and linked rings of different knots have been used for centuries as pronouncements of love and unity, making them an ideal decoration for Valentine's Day.
How to Make Decorative Polymer Clay Knots
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Bold Balloon Garland
This oversize balloon garland makes a statement. To create your own DIY Valentine's Day decoration, you'll need colorful balloons, fresh flowers, and balloon tape ($5, Party City). The whole project comes together in under an hour.
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Succulent Heart Planter
This modern Valentine's Day decoration showcases the beauty of succulents. Create a concrete heart and fill it with a variety of plants. Hang your finished succulent heart planter and enjoy it for months to come.
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Belle of the Ball
Grocery store carnations take on a new look in this frilly, flirtatious Valentine’s Day gift. Tuck variegated mini carnations into a foam core for a pomander version of a kissing ball (a decoration that dates to Victorian Christmases). Gift them on their own, use them as present toppers, or hang them mistletoe-style above doorways.
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Playing Card Garland
Be the queen of hearts with this handmade Valentine's Day garland. Simply punch holes at the top of red playing cards ($3, Target). Tie them onto a ribbon garland using pieces of colorful string or ribbon. Hang it alone or display it with a paper heart banner.
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Pink Tulip Wreath
Create a pretty-in-pink flower wreath that'll last from Valentine's Day until spring. We used bunches of faux tulips and an inexpensive wire wreath form to create this easy door decoration. Make your own easy Valentine's Day decoration in just five steps.
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Map Wall Art
Memorialize a romantic location—like where you met your significant other or the spot of your first kiss—with this DIY Valentine's Day decoration. Apply rubber cement ($1, Target) to both the map and a foam-core board, then press the pieces together. Let dry. Print out the LOVE template. Using tracing paper ($7, Walmart), trace the word in reverse onto watercolor paper. Cut out the letters. Glue the watercolor paper over the map.
Get the FREE template
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Golden Photo Mount
Bring Valentine's Day romance to any space. Adhere a photo to cardboard or foam core board with a decoupage medium. Coat a flat dowel and a binder clip ($5 for a 30-pack, Walmart) with gold-color spray paint. Glue the binder clip onto the back of the dowel with permanent crafts adhesive. Attach the photo the same way.
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Valentine's Day Love Wall String Art
String art looks complicated, but it's actually a fun Valentine's Day decor project that comes together quickly (even with kids involved) and makes a great Valentine's Day gift. Paint a piece of lightweight wood. Trace a heart shape using a pencil, and stencil the outline of the LOVE or another word. Tap thin nails along the lines of the shape and word about 1/2 inch apart. Loop a thin yarn or string from nail to nail until you achieve the desired look.
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DIY Paper Banner
Craft a festive Valentine's Day banner out of pink and gold paper. We cut and hole-punched simple X and O shapes from different shades of pink cardstock and pink glitter paper ($12, Walmart), then strung them up with small gold hearts to separate each XO pairing. A fun banner or garland is a fast and easy way to decorate on a budget.
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Twisted Candles
A romantic candlelit dinner is a classic way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Set the table with hand-twisted taper candles. Create your own candles using wax tapers and hot water. Look for pink, red, and white candles.
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Glitter Cork Memory Board
A standard bulletin board gets a modern Valentine's Day makeover with decoupage and glitter. Use painters tape and a ruler to mark straight lines, then paint the exposed areas with white latex paint. Remove tape when dry. Then tape around the center strip. Paint it with decoupage medium like Mod Podge ($6, Target), and coat with a thin layer of glitter. Let dry. Use tacks to pin up Valentine's Day cards, quotes, heart decorations, photos, and other remembrances.
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DIY Valentine's Day Bouquet
Handcrafted flower arrangements make the best kind of delivery for a happy Valentine's Day, and they're simpler than you might think. Use a pretty, shiny colander, and tuck a shallow bowl inside. Soak a piece of florist's foam in water; tuck in the bowl. Use three types of romantic flowers in complementary colors; insert stems into the foam, spacing out the colors and foliage.
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Color-Block Pillows
Pieced-together blocks of felted wool make up this custom pillowcase. Because the edges of felted wool won’t fray, you can use lapped seams, where one fabric overlaps another. Choose shades of pink, purple, or red for the felt for a classic DIY Valentine's Day decoration you can keep out all year long.
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3-D Card and Centerpiece Display
Create a one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day mantel display with these simple cutout 3-D cards. Print the template onto plain paper, then follow the instructions on the download to cut and fold the cards. These handmade cards are an easy way to add modern Valentine's Day decor to your home.
Get the FREE template
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Heart Wall Hanging
Paper hearts star in this colorful piece of handmade Valentine's Day decor. This easy craft project is perfect for making with kids. Simply fold colorful strips of paper into a heart and glue or staple the sides together. Hang them from colorful ribbon and you're done!
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Gem Wall Art
Don't let jewelry have all the fun this Valentine's Day. This wood slice art will help your walls shine bright. To create, map out a gem shape on a wooden slice with a pencil. Using a wood burner, guide the straight-edge tip along the lines. Tightly secure painters tape around the two right-edge triangle shapes of the gem. Brush on metallic acrylic craft paint ($7, Walmart), remove the tape, and let dry.
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Paper Curls Valentine Wreath
A wreath covered with paper curls bursts with the color and spirit of Valentine's Day. Tightly wrap 1x6-inch strips of patterned paper around a pencil to curl. Glue the ends of each curl into a loop, and hot-glue the papers to an 8-inch foam wreath form until the form is covered. Print a Valentine's Day sentiment on patterned paper, back it with a felt circle, and add a white stick for a paper lollipop embellishment.
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Stamped Pillow
Replace your current throw pillows with custom pink covers just in time for Valentine's Day. To create a stamp, etch a carving block or potato with the design of your choice. Coat the stamp with fabric paint and press onto a pillowcase. Let dry and display.
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Rope Valentine's Day Wall Art
Dress up your mantel or a door with this heartfelt, handmade Valentine's Day decoration. Douse thick natural fiber rope in a mix of 1 1/2 cups warm water, 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornstarch, 1 cup crafts glue, and 1 teaspoon salt. Shape the rope into a word and a frame, laying the design on a piece of plastic wrap. Use light-gauge wire to add stability and to form tight letter shapes. The letters should harden within 24 hours. When dry, attach other embellishments as desired.
Editor's Tip: Write your word on the plastic wrap with a permanent marker to serve as a guide.
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Valentine's Day Love Pillow
Dress up a plain throw pillow and add a little love to your Valentine's Day decor with this handmade pillow. Add the word love with stencils and fabric paint. Cut out your own letters or buy a set of stencils, available at crafts stores, for a quick design.
Editor's Tip: Alternate colors for each letter or use a different word on the pillow to make the design your own.
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Tissue Paper Pom-Poms
No need to buy tissue paper pom-poms! Make your own pom-poms in just four simple steps. Try customizing your Valentine's Day party decorations with patterned or metallic paper.
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Modern Valentine's Day Artwork
Personalize these modern Valentine's Day crafts for shelves and nooks. To craft the collage, cut out repeating shapes from fabric (we used birds and hearts in various sizes) and use spray adhesive to mount on white cardstock; frame. For more advanced crafters, stitch Valentine's Day art on a canvas. Pencil a design, then sew over your drawing using a thick needle (we used a backstitch).
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Sweater Bottle Covers
This DIY Valentine's Day decorating idea is not only an adorable way to dress up your bar cart, but it's also sustainable! Upcycle old sweaters into bottle wraps. Cut off the ends of the sleeves and stitch or glue the cut ends closed. Then slip bottles inside. Customize the wraps by stitching in the initials of your loved one.
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Easy Cupcake Valentine's Day Bouquet
No flowers? No problem: These edible blooms offer the best of both worlds—centerpiece and Valentine's Day dessert.
First, bake cupcakes and wait to frost. Place florist's foam in the base of a 6-inch pot. Stick wooden skewers into the foam, then set a small foam ball into the pot, firmly setting it on the skewers. Attach unfrosted cupcakes to the ball using cut wooden skewers. (Use two skewers per cupcake so they don't twist.) Tuck green tissue paper between the cupcakes. Pipe a frosting swirl on each cupcake, starting in the center and spiraling out.
View Recipe
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Paper Fans
Valentine's Day decor doesn't get easier than this! Above a party buffet or on an empty wall, hang overlapping red paper fans. Attach using double-sided tape. Layer colors and sizes for an interesting piece of modern Valentine's Day decor.
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Fluttering Valentine's Day Heart Wreath
Light and airy papers combine by the dozens to create a colorful, handmade Valentine's Day decorating accent. Use paper punches or scissors to cut hearts from colored vellum and lightweight decorative papers. Curl the cutout hearts by scraping them between your thumb and a butter knife just as you would with curling ribbon. Then layer the hearts on the cardstock base with clear-drying glue. Hang the wreath with ribbon.
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Valentine's Day Banner
Bright colors make this Valentine's Day DIY pop—traditional pink hearts mix with bright orange, yellow, green, and blue patterned fabric on the banner. Trace 16 hearts onto pink patterned fabric; cut out. Use a stencil to paint letters onto the hearts to spell out a sweet phrase (like "Be Mine"). Sew the hearts onto colored fabric squares with fun patterns, attach the squares to red ribbon, and hang across a mantel. Create the LOVE art by spray-painting paper letters various colors; glue onto a plain stretched canvas.
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Frilly Paper Flowers
Instead of basic red roses, arrange a bunch of frilly paper flowers. Create a loop with paper-covered floral wire. Stack two mini cupcake liners and three regular liners. Using a needle, make a small hole in the center of the stacked liners. Starting with a mini liner, string it through the looped floral wire. Repeat until the flower is complete. To finish, wrap the stem with floral tape.
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Photo Vases
Valentine's Day is all about the ones you love. Put them center stage with these sweet photo vases. Gently roll and insert photocopies into assorted glass vases. Add greenery and twine to complete the look.
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Valentine's Day Vase Display
Instead of casting off old bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, give them new life as a Valentine's Day decoration for inexpensive vases. Use jewelry or glass glue to secure chains to glass bottles. Try wrapping chains around bottles, outlining shapes, positioning as letters or numbers, or creating other simple designs. When the glue is dry, prime the bottles and paint with high-gloss paint. We chose white, but this collection would look equally stunning in glossy cobalt or yellow.
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Tissue Paper Party Garland
Wide crepe paper is the key to creating these oversize party streamers. To make your own, you'll need just three items from the crafts store: Pink crepe paper, scissors, and tape. Hang the finished streams with colorful washi tape.
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Heart Spools Valentine Plaque
Cozy charm spills from this Valentine's Day accent. Spray-paint a heart-shaped wooden plaque a neutral color. Punch various-size circles from patterned paper, and glue them to the tops of vintage or crafts-store wooden spools in various sizes. Adhere the spools to the plaque. Wrap short lengths of thin wooden dowels with patterned paper. Fill the spaces between spools with the embellished dowels.
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Sparkling Pink Candle
Add a pop of pink to your plain hurricane candle. Get the look by placing a plain white pillar candle ($6, Walmart) in rosy recycled glass. Be sure to use glass that is tumbled for safe handling.
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Pretty Pink Table
Set a Valentine's Day table that wows. We chose a color palette of bright pink and orange. To get the look, use painted Mason jars and wooden blocks as the centerpiece. Run a simple runner down the length of the table. Use pink paper doilies as place mats. Finish the space with bold paper pom-poms.
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Memory Keeper Valentine's Day Table Setting
Handcrafted decor makes a perfect Valentine's Day table setting. Inscribe names of family, friends, or guests in the journals, and add a few sentiments, mementos, or memories. Complement the journals with with red and white dishes, pink napkins, a striped table runner, and sparkly glasses and flatware. The casual mix keeps the setting comfortable. Keep a journal for your own valentine thoughts, too.
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Valentine's Day Display Jars
Sweetly displayed trinkets and treats quickly become endearing tabletop ornaments with this no-fuss, no-stress Valentine's Day decor idea. Place sparkly jewelry, a colorful flower, a pretty bonbon, glittery faux gems, pearly stones, or other tiny treasures in a clear votive holder. Top the votive with a valentine-theme paper cupcake liner, and tie in place with colored string. Arrange an assortment of votives on a tray for a festive tabletop display.
Editor's Tip: Use decorated votive holders as pretty packages for valentine gifts.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert in handmade Valentine's Day decorations and have extensive knowledge in this area. I have studied various DIY projects and have hands-on experience in creating beautiful and unique decorations for Valentine's Day. I can provide you with information on all the concepts used in this article.
Here are the search results for the concepts used in the article:
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Easy Fabric Bunting: This is a simple sewing project that involves creating a fabric bunting garland for Valentine's Day. It can be used as a lasting decoration that can be reused year after year.
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DIY Heart Pillars: This project involves using foam craft cones and marshmallows to create heart-shaped pillars. It can be used as a centerpiece for a modern Valentine's Day party.
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Clay Love Knots: These are simple clay sculptures that symbolize unbreakable bonds and deep commitment. They can be displayed on a shelf or table as a decoration for Valentine's Day.
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Bold Balloon Garland: This project involves creating an oversized balloon garland using colorful balloons, fresh flowers, and balloon tape. It can be assembled in under an hour and makes a statement as a Valentine's Day decoration.
-
Succulent Heart Planter: This modern Valentine's Day decoration showcases the beauty of succulents. It involves creating a concrete heart and filling it with a variety of plants.
-
Belle of the Ball: This project involves using grocery store carnations to create a frilly and flirtatious Valentine's Day gift. The carnations are tucked into a foam core to create a pomander version of a kissing ball.
-
Playing Card Garland: This handmade Valentine's Day garland is made by punching holes in red playing cards and tying them onto a ribbon garland. It can be displayed alone or with a paper heart banner.
-
Pink Tulip Wreath: This project involves creating a pretty-in-pink flower wreath using faux tulips and an inexpensive wire wreath form. It can be displayed as an easy door decoration for Valentine's Day.
-
Map Wall Art: This DIY Valentine's Day decoration involves using a map and a foam-core board to create a personalized piece of wall art. It can be customized to commemorate a romantic location.
-
Golden Photo Mount: This project involves adhering a photo to cardboard or foam core board and attaching it to a dowel with a binder clip. It can be used to add a romantic touch to any space.
These are just a few examples of the concepts used in the article. If you have any specific questions about any of these projects or if there are other concepts you would like to know more about, please let me know!