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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so I wanted to share with you some super easy and budget-friendly Valentine’s Day decoration ideas that will add a romantic and festive touch to your space, but without having to buy more decor items.
Because you know how it is – it feels like a constant holiday retail marathon where one event ends and another begins, and there’s always pressure to buy more and more things.
Of course, if you love decorating your space with heart-shaped everything, that’s fantastic – no judgment here!
But if you prefer to keep things sweet and simple, easy on the pocket, light on the clutter, and heavy on the romantic vibes, then stick with me. And let’s make this Valentine’s Day special without breaking the bank and adding more stuff to our storage.
The first idea on my list is making a fresh flower arrangement. Because fresh flowers always bring that festive, romantic, and fancy touch.
But instead of waiting for someone else to give you flowers on the busy Valentine’s Day, with all the crazy lines and flower chaos everywhere, you can grab some flowers a bit earlier, treat yourself, and create a gorgeous arrangement all by yourself (If you get flowers for Valentine’s Day too, that’s great! I think the more flowers the better, right? ;-)).
It’s surprisingly easy, I promise! And trust me, it’ll look as luxurious as if you ordered it from a fancy flower salon.
You can, of course, choose any flowers you like.
Personally, I associate Valentine’s Day with classic pink and red roses. So, I picked up these beautiful pink roses from my local grocery store, and in addition to them, I also grabbed a bundle of baby’s breath flowers just to make the arrangement more interesting.
But you can use any other flowers or interesting greenery. For example, you can add eucalyptus, which will also complement the roses beautifully. So, feel free to be as creative as you want, depending on what’s available at your store.
I remove all the leaves from the roses. If you like, you can leave a few leaves, but I’ve noticed that professional florists typically remove all the leaves from flowers when making arrangements and bouquets. I believe it conserves the flower’s energy, so I always do it as well.
Make sure that your pot or vase isn’t too large, because it will require a substantial amount of flowers to fill it. So, keep in mind that if you use a large-sized dish, be prepared to use a generous amount of flowers!
Before soaking the foam, I add flower food to the water. This step is not necessary, but if you have it, it’s beneficial because it helps flowers last a little longer.
Also, remember when you place a block on the water, let it sink in and don’t push it down. Pressing the foam into the water can create air pockets in the center, and the flowers will not have a water source in those places.
My vase is quite deep, so I filled the bottom with plastic bags before placing the wet foam.
And then I secured it all with waterproof floral tape. However, if you’re not planning to move your arrangement around, you can skip this step as it’s not really necessary.
Okay, everything’s set, but before I begin arranging my roses, I like to open them up, or as florists call it, “reflex” them.
It’s when you gently curve the petals outward to make the roses look fuller and more open. This technique has been quite trendy lately, and I really love how it makes the roses look lush, bigger, and more dramatic.
I think these particular roses may not be ideal for this technique, because their petals are pretty tall and firm. But even bending a few outer petals creates an amazing look, as you can see.
Just try to be very gentle. As you move towards the inner petals and find that you can’t fully curve the entire petal outward, you can simply curl the sides of the petals. This will also serve as a kind of transition from the outer petals to the closed petals in the bud.
As for the shape of my arrangement, I wanted to create something asymmetrical, voluminous, and airy.
While a pavé arrangement, where you tightly pack the flowers together, is the easiest shape to create at home, it requires a larger quantity of flowers.
The style I’m going for might need a little more effort, but it’s worth trying out!
Before inserting flowers into the foam, always make a fresh cut at a diagonal angle on the stem so that it has a better chance to absorb water and stay fresh longer.
I try to place the shortest stems right by the edge, so that the flower heads cover as much of the rim of my vase as possible.
The baby’s breath flowers I try to arrange close together, forming a diagonal line, instead of scattering them randomly among the roses. I hope that makes sense!
And this is the arrangement I came up with!
Honestly, I’m pretty thrilled with the result. There’s just something special about creating it yourself. So I highly recommend giving it a try, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Another fantastic way to add a touch of romance to your home without spending much is, of course, through candles!
I personally think that long tapered candles, in particular, always make things look fancy, elegant and festive.
And if you want to take an extra step and make it a little more thematic, just switch your regular white or neutral candles to pink or red ones. The colors work like magic and always set the perfect mood.
I picked up a pair of these pink tapered candles, placed them into my old candle holders from Ikea, and voila!
Just look how instantly romantic and festive this candle setup is. This is a very quick and easy way to set the mood.
If you’re feeling extra creative, consider grouping several candles together for a large centerpiece.
And don’t forget about scents – vanilla or floral scents can really add that extra touch of romance.
The next thing on my list might not exactly be considered decor, but it’s sure to elevate your evening, look fabulous, and, best of all, be delicious!
Let’s create a Valentine’s Day charcuterie board! Well, I can’t exactly label it as a charcuterie board since there won’t be any meat involved. So let’s call it a Valentine’s Day dessert board instead.
The first ingredient on my list is delicious whipped cream.
I strongly encourage you to whip the cream yourself rather than opting for the store-bought one in a can because it just can never compare with the taste of freshly homemade whipped cream.
To whip it up quickly, ensure the cream is super cold. You can even place it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before you start.
Add some regular or powdered sugar to your liking, and you’re done in about 5 minutes.
I had a pair of adorable small heart-shaped pink bowls, so I put the whipped cream in one of them and sprinkled it on top with lovely Valentine sprinkles I found at Hobby Lobby.
And the second small bowl I filled with cute pink, red, and white M&M’s candies.
And finally, it’s time to put together our beautiful and delicious board!
What could be a more perfect combo with whipped cream than fresh berries? So, I’m using fresh strawberries and raspberries here.
Then I added my favorite Pretzel Breadsticks from Trader Joe’s. If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly recommend them; they’re so yummy.
The next item was fancy cake pops I found at Target.
Then I added sweet Butter Toffee Pretzels, followed by dark chocolate almonds.
And lastly, I added Fig & Olive crisps from Trader Joe’s.
To make your board not only tasty but also beautiful, try mixing up different pretty colors and placing items with contrasting colors next to each other.
If you want to add some color accents, you can do what I did: just dip something into whipped cream and sprinkle it with those cute sprinkles to make it even prettier.
I actually had more ingredients that I wanted to add — I had blueberries and blackberries, and I also had grapes, but there was just no room left for them on this board.
But I think you get the idea; you can mix and match your favorite snacks and treats, making your board as healthy or as indulgent as you wish! 🙂 Just enjoy the fun of creating your perfect combination!
I hope you enjoyed these simple ideas to make your Valentine’s Day a little more beautiful and tasty.
Even if you don’t have a special someone yet, it’s always a good idea to make any day a little brighter and create a small celebration just for yourself.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether you’re spending it with someone special or enjoying some self-love?
Let me know in the comments!👇
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I’m Oksana and I love paper flowers and all things paper. Here at FancyBloom I design new flower templates, make paper flower tutorials, and share my ideas and inspiration for fancy and modern craft.
