40 Valentine's Decoration Ideas You Can Make Yourself
If you love DIY, this goes out to you!
Unlike other holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day can present a few decorating challenges. Luckily, we’ve hatched a few Valentine’s decoration ideas that make outfitting the house in more than cut-out hearts and pink glitter super easy and fun. Even if you don’t consider yourself a DIY expert, these Valentine-friendly decorations will take less than a few minutes and hardly any materials.
The best part? Nothing will feel overly cheesy. You won’t see stuffed teddy bears or assorted chocolates in a heart-shaped box. Instead, you’ll find miniature candles wrapped in decorative tape and accented with faux flower blossoms or a rustic handmade wreath dotted with giant peonies, and even games you can eat.
So if you’re eager to bring a little love into your home without spending a ton, keep scrolling to discover affordable, easy-to-make Valentine’s decoration ideas. We've got everything covered down to exactly where to get the sometimes hard-to-find materials needed to craft these elegant goodies. Whether you want to keep it simple and swath a rarely used Mason jar in creamy pink paint or go bigger by whipping up a batch of sugar cookies topped with a smear of homemade pink frosting, you and your Valentine will be in for a treat. Scroll on and get creative!
Create a Backdrop
If part of your Valentine's Day plan involves a romantic flick or two, set the scene with one of these pre-lit curtains. They consist of a pleated sheer fabric accented with micro lights, which are the perfect touch to a low-effort decoration scheme.
Get Creative
Snapping a sweet photo (whether it's of you and your partner or galentines) is always a good idea. After all, you're creating memories! If your living room won't cut it for a backdrop, consider making your own with a piece of fabric (a bed sheet will also do), and plenty of balloons.
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 spread. Start with letter-shaped balloons. The rest is up to you!
Incorporate Some Pink
Every Valentine's Day decoration idea on our list is DIY-friendly, but these hand-painted bottle brush trees are for the expert crafters. Be prepared: It will get messy and it takes a while to decorate a whole blush-toned forrest, but it's worth it. Peep the tutorial on South Lumina Style's blog.
Dress up Your 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 decorations, slap on a layer of matte paint and add a few rustic details, including some twine, stickers, and maybe a glittery heart.
Decorate the Candles
If your Valentine's Day plans involve a romantic dinner at home, set the mood, courtesy of these tiny 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 less than $10.
Paint Your Own Gallery Wall
A gallery wall is always a good idea—especially when the art in question is homemade. All you need is a few blank canvases and whatever materials you want to decorate them. We're feeling the pompom hearts, but to each their own.
Mix Candy and Flowers
This is one of DIY decorations that look complicated, but it requires only three (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, wrap a neatly tied bow around the whole thing, and set it on the dining table.
Hang a Minimalist Wreath
Another Valentine's Day decoration that looks harder than it is is a minimalist wreath. All you need is a large metal ring, faux flowers (and wood slices), and ribbon to fasten the whole thing to the door.
Make Your Own Game
Decorative tape is the unsung hero of DIY Valentine's Day accessories. If you want to go the fun route, make your own game. Whether you opt for tic-tac-toe, bingo, or any other small easy alternative, you'll have plenty of fun crafting it. Start with a few blank cards, decorate them with tape, and then use a permanent marker to create your game. Bonus points if the game's pieces are bite-size candies.
Keep It Simple
If you want to go the super-easy route this year, you can't go wrong with a DIY garland made of paper hearts strung on a long piece of twine. Take a shortcut and layer the paper in a pile and cut the hearts at the same time, ensuring they're all the same size. It also saves a ton of time.
Consider a Wreath
When we think of a stylish wreath, Christmas comes to mind. However, there are plenty of occasions to break out a beautiful, floral decoration for the front door, and Valentine's Day is one of them. This specific wreath may take some time, though, so don't save it for the last minute. Peep the tutorial on The Pioneer Woman.
Do a DIY Table Runner
Another dinner at home idea that takes only a few minutes? A DIY table runner. Start with a piece of fabric (don't use paper because it's too delicate) and decorate it with paint, embroidery or florals.
Bake Something Sweet
Who says Valentine's Day decor can't be edible? Not us. If you consider yourself a talented pastry chef, go ahead and whip up a batch of homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies covered in a layer of pink (or white) icing and topped with red sprinkles.
Deck Out a Dessert Table
Deck out a console, side table, or shelving unit in the entryway with Valentine's Day treats for a sweet "welcome home" surprise. The more cake stands and candy dishes, the better.
Layer Luxe Runners
Drape some richly textured fabric, like luxe velvets in jewel tones and sweet pastels, over a table as layered runners. Then use tableware in complementary tones and arrange romantic florals for some laidback romance.
Add Personal Lipstick Kisses
Add an even more personal touch to handwritten notes with lipstick kisses and then lay out some simple flowers, like daisies, as well as cut-out paper hearts.
Match Your Linens With the Florals
Start the day of romance off right with a pretty breakfast in bed situation. Match your florals to the linens and you'll be golden.
Hang Fabric and Scatter Balloons
Go to the fabric store and keep your eye out for something in a Valentine's Day color family (i.e. pink, purple, or red), and then hang it over your walls and windows. Here, they bring a romantic fullness to the living room without looking too on-theme. And the mix of large and small balloons makes it feel like a full-on party.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.
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