Handcrafted Valentine's Day Decor

Be the queen of hearts with this handmade Valentine's Day garland. Simply punch holes at the top of playing cards. Tie them onto a ribbon garland using pieces of colorful string or ribbon. Hang it alone or display it with a paper heart banner. 

This Valentine's Day decoration showcases the beauty of succulents. Create a concrete heart and fill it with a variety of plants. Hang and enjoy this living decoration for months to come. 

These rustic hearts are baked to form a DIY Valentine's Day banner you can hang year after year. Use a cookie cutter to form the shape and string them up on neon pink ribbon. 

Memorialize a romantic location -- like where you met your significant other or the spot of your first kiss -- with this Valentine's Day DIY. Apply rubber cement to both the map and a foam-core board, then press the pieces together. Let dry. Trim away any excess map with a crafts knife and ruler. Print out the LOVE template. Using tracing paper, trace the word in reverse onto watercolor paper. Cut out the letters. Line up watercolor paper and board edges and glue the watercolor paper over the map. Trim any excess on edges with a crafts knife and ruler.

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! 

Bring Valentine's romance to any space. Adhere a photo to cardboard with decoupage medium. Coat a flat dowel and half a binder clip 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. 

String art looks complicated, but it's actually a fun project that comes together quickly (even with kids involved) and makes a great Valentine's Day gift. Paint a piece of lightweight wood your desired color. Trace a heart shape using a pencil, and stencil the outline of the LOVE or another word of your choosing. Tap thin nails along the lines of the shape and word, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Loop a thin yarn or string from nail to nail, across, up and down, and side to side, until you achieve the desired look.

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, 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.

A standard bulletin board gets a 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, 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. 

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. 

Create a one-of-a-kind mantel display with these simple cutout 3-D cards.

I Heart You: Print the template onto plain paper, then cut out along the solid lines. Trace the template onto 12x12-inch cardstock, cut out, then fold as indicated by the dotted lines.

Heart Accordion Fold: Print the template onto plain paper and cut out. On a piece of cardstock, draw and cut out a 5.5x12-inch rectangle. Fold accordion-style along the short side (as indicated by the dotted lines). You should have six sections. Place the template on the folded paper with the open side of the heart over the top fold. Trace heart and cut out. On contrasting paper, trace a heart that's slightly larger all around. Glue to the back of the center heart on your accordion.

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 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 paint, remove the paint, and let dry. 

Instead of casting off old bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, give them new life as a Valentine's Day accent for inexpensive vases. Use jewelry or glass glue to secure chains to glass bottles, either in a neutral color or in pink or red. Try wrapping chains around bottles, outlining shapes, positioning as letters or numbers, or creating other simple designs. We removed the pin from the back of a plastic flower to embellish one of the bottles. 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.

Valentine's Day decor doesn't get easier than this! Above a party buffet or on an empty wall, hang overlapping paper fans. Attach using double sided tape. Layer colors and sizes for an interesting piece of Valentine's Day decor. 

No flowers? No problem: These edible blooms offer the best of both worlds -- centerpiece and dessert.

First, prepare cupcakes (our favorite recipe appears below, or use a box mix) and bake in 24 paper liners, being careful not to overfill the cups. Wait to frost. Place scraps of florist's foam in the base of a 6-inch pot. Stick wooden skewers into the scraps, then set a small foam ball into the pot, firmly setting it into the skewers. Attach unfrosted cupakes to the ball using cut wooden skewers. (Use two skewers per cupcake so they don't twist.) Tuck green tissue paper between the cupakes to look like leaves and hide gaps. Fit a pastry bag with a large open star tip. Pipe a swirl on each cupcake, starting in the center and spiraling out.

A wreath covered with paper curls bursts with the color and spirit of Valentine's Day. Lovely over a mantel or on a door, this wreath is easy to construct. Tightly wrap 1x6-inch strips of patterned paper around a pencil to curl. Glue the end of each curl into a loop. Hot-glue the paper to an 8-inch foam wreath form. Repeat until the form is covered. Lightly brush liquid adhesive over the paper curls and sprinkle with glitter. 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.

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 canvas.

Get kids into the Valentine's Day handcrafting spirit with love-you cubes they help create. Have them select images of favorite memories, places, or a similar theme. Apply to photo cubes with handwritten sentiments.

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 doilies as placemats. Finish the space with bold paper pom-poms. 

Dress up your mantel, a door, or another spot in your house with this heartfelt, handmade Valentine's Day decoration. Douse thick natural fiber rope in a mix of 1.5 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, tack the lettering on the wall, attaching decorative birds or other embellishments as desired.

Editor's Tip: Write your word on the plastic wrap with a permanent marker to serve as a guide.

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 flowers in complementary colors; insert stems into the foam, spacing out the colors and foliage.

Personalize these cute 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, design a work of Valentine's Day art. Pencil a design on a store-bought canvas, then sew over your drawing using a thick needle (we used a backstitch).

This quick but pretty garland makes a perfect accent on a mantel, over an island, on a door, or behind a holiday sweet-treat buffet. Cut out oversize hearts from patterned cardstock. Cut parallel vertical slits near the center of each heart, and thread red or valentine-theme ribbon through the slits.

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.

Capture heartfelt holiday memories and display them on pretty memory boards. Wrap 1/2-inch-thick square or rectangular cork pieces in fabric. Choose Valentine's Day patterns, or select coordinating fabrics in pinks and reds to best suit the holiday. Lightweight fabrics, such as cotton, wrap best. Fold the corners, wrap the fabric to the back, and staple in place. Mount the panels with removable hooks and picture hangers to make it easy to change them out.

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. 

Cozy charm spills from this Valentine's Day accent. The easy plaque comes together quickly with only a few supplies. Spray-paint a heart-shape 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, placing the tallest at the top and working to the shortest at the bottom. Wrap short lengths of thin wooden dowels with patterned paper. Fill the spaces between spools with the embellished dowels.

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. 

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.

Add a pop of pink to your plain hurricane candle. Get the look by placing a plain white pillar candle in rosy recycled glass. Be sure to use glass that is tumbled for safe handling. 

Plenty of easy decorating ideas involve accenting store-bought accessories with colors and shapes from the season. Wrap a favorite scented candle in these easy-to-make hearts for a quick but thoughtful Valentine's Day gift or decor. Cut strips of pink patterned papers and adhere them to same-size strips of white cardstock. Die-cut, punch, or freehand-cut two sizes of hearts from the strips. Poke holes in some of the hearts. Run wire through the holes and wrap wire around the other hearts -- twisting and bending the wire into curls and loops -- to join the hearts. If you wish, slide beads onto the wire as you go. Continue until the wired hearts encircle the candle; join the wire ends to secure.

Light and airy papers combine by the dozens to create a colorful, handmade Valentine's Day decorating accent. Drape a single wreath on a chair back, or group a trio for a front door welcome. 

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 and attach each heart with a dab of clear-drying glue, either in the center or near one edge. Hang the wreath with ribbon.