Don't hide your love for DIYs!
Valentine's Day decorations can seem cut-and-dried compared with Thanksgiving and Christmas, which tend to have quite a broad range when it comes to decorating styles, from classic to coquettish for the latter. You have the hearts, the shades of reds and pinks, the chocolate, the teddy bears…. After a good number of years decorating this way, it can all start to feel a bit stale. But it doesn't have to! Valentine's Day is just a week away, so it's time to switch it up your scheme with creative and crafty Valentine's Day ideas to make your home, office, or wherever you'll be celebrating feel as fresh and fun as a new crush.
These budget-friendly crafts aren't your average Valentine's Day decorations. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with the usual cheesy decor decked out in X's and O's, these DIYs are a bit more elevated—think sultry lipstick signatures and luxe tablescapes. While the classic colors still make an appearance here, expect to see a few other complementary hues like rich greens, corals, and purple in the mix. You can easily set up a few of these in one night, which is especially handy since the day of love is so close. They make the perfect surprise for your significant other when they get home from work.
These unique DIYs add a personal, heartfelt touch to your space too. There's a time and place for a fancy dinner, but sometimes a night at home is really all you need. So channel your inner Cupid, press play on your favorite rom-com soundtrack, and get to crafting on these Valentine's Day decorations. Maybe you and your partner could even do one together as a sort of Valentine's Day pregame.
Sculpt a Special Gift Tag
We think Valentine's gifts deserve to be on display for days leading up to February 14, the same way Christmas gifts are. Make your gift wrap aesthetically pleasing, starting with a unique and special gift tag made of air-dry clay. After they open their presents, they'll treasure the tag.
Get the tutorial at It All Started With Paint.
Bring Them Flowers That Won't Wilt
No matter the reason you don't want to do fresh flowers into the home—be it a pet or allergies or a lack of diverse floral options—you can still put in the effort by making your loved one their own bouquet out of crepe paper and wire. The delicate, sculptable paper perfectly resembles petals.
Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Make a Minimalist Centerpiece
If you love Valentine's Day but not its pink-and-red color palette, these neutral heart-shaped centerpieces are for you. They're so simple to make, but they look like something you bought at your favorite home goods store.
Get the tutorial at It All Started With Paint.
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Put Out a Bowl of Fortune Cookies
These paper fortune cookies are so unique and pretty darn easy to make. The soft colors would look beautiful in a bowl on your kitchen island or breakfast table, and they're such a fun way to tell your Valentine about your plans for the night.
Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Decorate the Cake
Don't leave your baked goods out of the fun. Show your sweetheart how much you care by taking things a step further and adding a handmade Valentine's Day cake topper to your cake with a message just for them.
Get the tutorial at It All Started With Paint.
Set the Mood Lighting
Give the overhead lighting a break and set the mood with DIY luminaria. These Valentine's Day–themed paper lanterns are a cute and subtle way to sprinkle the typical holiday colors throughout your home and give it a more romantic atmosphere.
Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.
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Don't Forget About the Plants
Within every inch of your home lies room for you to insert at least some kind of Valentine's Day decorations—plants included. If your partner is the one who goes around watering the greenery in the morning, surprise them by sticking these cute, crafty plush heart stakes among the stems.
Get the tutorial at It All Started With Paint.
DIY an Elegant Wreath
Nothing says elegant like white roses. These fake florals will add a level of class to your door and your collection of Valentine's Day decorations that will make you want to leave it up all year round. Plus, it's cheaper to make than it looks.
Get the tutorial at It All Started With Paint.
Declare your love for your Valentine as soon as they walk in the door with this darling balloon framing kit that spells out the word of the day: love. It's bright enough to immediately catch their eye, and it'll look so good when they show it off on Instagram.
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No one wants to have their Valentine's Day ruined by a house fire because someone forgot to blow out the candles. Instead of making a centerpiece for the table with real fire, go the artificial route and make a heart-shaped ring of fire using LED tea lights and faux rose petals.
Hang Mood Lights
If part of your Valentine's Day plan involves a romantic flick or two, set the scene with one of these prelit curtains. They consist of a pleated sheer fabric accented with micro lights, the perfect touch for a low-effort decoration scheme.
Make a Photo Backdrop
Snapping a sweet photo (whether it's of you and your partner or your galentines) is always a good idea. After all, you're creating memories! Don't settle for a regular fabric backdrop—create one yourself with metallic heart-shaped balloons.
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Keep It Healthy(ish)
We're all for edible Valentine's Day decoration ideas, which is how we discovered these heart-shaped strawberries dipped in melted chocolate. All you need is a box of fresh berries, chocolate chips, and skewers for dipping.
Go All Out
No matter how small your space is, you can still create a maximalist Valentine's Day spread. Start with letter-shaped balloons, throw in some light-colored greenery, and the rest is up to you!
Incorporate Some Pink
Each of the Valentine's Day decorations on our list is DIY friendly, but these hand-painted bottle-brush trees are for more experienced crafters. Be prepared: This project will get messy, and it takes a while to decorate a whole blush-toned forest, but it's worth it.
Peep the tutorial on South Lumina Style's blog.
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Dress Up Mason Jars
Mason jars are easy to come by and serve quite a few purposes, which is why the trusty containers have shown up in plenty of people's cabinets. If you have a few to donate to your Valentine's Day decorations, slap on a layer of matte paint and add a few rustic details, including some twine, stickers, and a glittery heart or two.
Decorate Candles
If your Valentine's Day plans involve a romantic dinner at home, set the mood with tiny votive candles. Here's our suggestion: Wrap the perimeter with decorative tape and glue a faux blossom to one side. The best part? These candles come in a set of 45 for only $10.
Make Heart Art
Personalized art is always a good idea—especially when the art is homemade. All you need are a few blank canvases and whatever materials you want to decorate them. We're feeling the pom-pom hearts, but to each their own.
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Mix Candy and Flowers
This is one of the DIY decorations that looks complicated, but it requires only three (or maybe four, depending on how extra you want to be) materials. The first is a wide vase, the second is a bunch of candy hearts, and the third is a few fresh stems of your favorite flower. If you want to go the extra mile, tie a bow around the whole thing and set it on the dining table.
Hang a Minimalist Wreath
A minimalist wreath is another Valentine's Day decoration that looks much harder than it really is to make. All you need is a large metal ring, faux flowers, wood slices, and ribbon to fasten the whole thing to the door.
Kate McGregor
SEO Editor
Kate McGregor is House Beautiful's SEO Editor, writing in-depth home renovation cost guides, design inspiration stories while overseeing gardening content through routine plant care guides. With over five years in the shelter industry creating content for brands like Domino, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest’s Clever, Kate has developed a passion for uncovering the personal stories that often lie behind the inspiration for people’s spaces. She previously worked as the assistant market editor at ELLE Decor, where she identified top products and brands in the industry as well as interviewed emerging designers about their thoughts on the latest interior design trends. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University. When not researching the specificities of begonia plant care, you can find Kate scouring vintage markets for the ideal wrought-iron chair, knitting yet another cardigan, or reading historical nonfiction.
Meghan Shouse
Assistant Editor
Meghan is the assistant editor at House Beautiful where she writes about interior design, pop culture, and furniture.
