Decorative Packaging

A Gift of Love, Country Style

 This gift idea is all about love. Creatively packaging hearts on the inside and a heart on the outside your special someone will feel the love all wrapped up

with a Country Chic Novelty red checked Ribbon.

These little hearts can be hung on your Love Tree or Valentine Tree.  You can also hang them on cabinet knobs, hung with a ribbon in a window valence, or used to decorate a floral arrangement.  However you choose to use these little hearts, it will be fun to give them and receive them too. 

The country wrapping is brown mailing paper; you can re-use a grocery sack if you need to.  Wrap the box and lid separately.  The ribbon can be taped or glued inside the lid.  Pull it tight and make sure the lid will fit on the box.  Use decorative shred inside the box for an added country touch.  Add a little bow and a heart name tag!

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Pizazz in the Guest Room,

Adding Ribbon and lace trim to cotton pillowcases can bring simple elegance and style to plain white linens. You can update the look of the room with out having to go buy all new sheets.  This can also had a holiday WOW to your guest room by using holiday ribbon to accent your sheets.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Re-use Items  to make the Love Box

Valentines Day on a Budget

This goes right back to using what you already have in your home.

You can make what we call a love box. Valentines Day on a budget can still be romantic and full of fun surprises!

Take a shoe box or gift box and cover it with a love poem and personal items, like photos. Use a copy machine to copy everything.  Add some hearts, ribbon and bows for extra flair. Then cover the box and fill it with items that reflect your sweetheart’s passions.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Creating the Perfect Mood

You can create a wonderful table-scape using clear glass containers like vases or mason jars, and votive candles.

Fill them with Valentine’s Day candies like pink M&Ms, white and red jelly beans and Red Hots. It really easy and cost-effective and it’s great fun.

Put it on your table and on mantles. It’s so visual and accessible, and anyone can do it.

Candy makes a great gift too!  As you have added color to your room by adding the candy dishes, why not give your sweetie some sweets too? 

 You can buy their favorite gourmet candy wrapped in plastic and tied up with curling ribbon, or assorted candies in Cellophane tied up with a pretty bow. This particular gift of candy is also in a special flower pot for Violets.  So its a gift in a gift.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Add a little Valentine flair to an intimate lunch for two! 

2 white place mats

Various shades of pink satin ribbon

Pink ruffled ribbon

Fabric spray paint

Hot glue 

Curling ribbon

Clothes pins

Valentine or love note 

Wash and dry white place-mat to remove sizing.

     Protect work area with plastic tablecloth and lay place-mat on protected surface.

     Start spray of Fabric Spray Paint colors on a paper towel to get a feel for spray pump. Spray each of the colors in a random pattern on place-mat. (Tip: Pressing pump halfway will produce a splatter effect.) Let dry 4 hours.

     Cut ribbon and use Fabric Fusion™ or hot glue to glue strips crisscrossing across place-mat, gluing only at the edge of place-mat. Refer to photo. Hold in place with clothespins until dry.

     Turn place-mat over and glue ruffled ribbon trim around the edges of the place-mat. Refer to photo. Hold in place with clothespins until dry.

    Gather several colors of pink curling ribbon, tie a bow around the stem of the water glasses leaving the tails long, and then curl the ends.

     Tuck a Valentine or “love note” behind the crisscrossed ribbon

    Add some flowers or candles to the center and enjoy your dinner!

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Children grow up so fast.  Before you know it they are leaving for college. This Valentine will be a treasure when your child traces their hand to make it.  For years to come, you will hang on to this remembering how small the were when they made it.  This makes a great craft for preschool kids, or elementary school age children.

Fold red construction paper, or red sheet of craft foam in half longways.  Lay the fold on the left side.  Line up the child’s little finger on the left hand with the fold. Begin tracing around it keeping the little finger on the fold. When you cut it out, start at the top of the little finger, cut around the lines all the way around to the bottom of the wrist. STOP cutting at the fold.  DO NOT cut the fold.  Open up the paper and you should have two hands, all in one piece with a fold down the center.  Cut out a complimenting color heart and write something loving on it, glue it to the center of the front.  I tied a small bow in decorative ribbon and glued it at the tip of the heart for a finishing touch.  Write your loving words on the inside.  Then, DATE it.  Your treasure will have a date on it so you can remember how small they were when they made it.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

This wreath pattern can be created in many different types of materials.

I have seen it finished using foam, card stock, felt, even mini quilted pillows. It can be used as a wreath to hang inside the windows with decorative ribbon.  It can be used as a centerpiece ring to surround flowers and candles on the table.  You can place it on a piece of white construction paper, write a message in the center, laminate it and use it for a child’s place mat.  I used a ring of masking tape to keep the hearts from sliding until finished. A few things will stay the same no matter how you create it.  The hearts will all be uniform in size.  The same color heart will be at 12, 3, 6, and 9  as on a clock. The edges will be attached.  I used a dinner plate as my form and keep it round.  I glued tiny white bows on the 4 red hearts.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

Valentine’s Day “Red” Carnations

Cut the ends off of three white carnations;

Add warm water to a vase and place in a few drops of red food coloring.

Place the carnations in the vase.

Watch patiently as the red coloring seeps into the carnation.

Tie a beautiful Valentine ribbon bow around the vase and it becomes a wonderful centerpiece.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.   

In a previous post I mentioned the idea of re-decorating our Christmas evergreen wreath (if its still beautifully green or artificial) for Valentines Day.  Since I posted that, I have seen several mini pine trees decorated for Valentines Day! I was so excited that I had to take pictures of them.  Doesn’t it seem like a lot of work to re-arrange the whole house to put up a Christmas tree, only to tear it down in a week or two. The tree transforms feeling in the room instantly.   This seems like a time saver and a way to enjoy the festive holiday feel to our homes for a little longer.  The red checked wired ribbon is used as a tree topper and a tiny bow is attached to each limb with a wire tie slipped through the back of the bow.  The ornaments on the tree are little plastic hearts hung, one to a branch in various sizes with a gold thread.  The other ornaments on this tree are mini kitchen gadgets all accented with the red checked tiny ribbon used as a hanger.  The photo below shows red, pink and white card stock heart valentines with a hole punched in the top and tied on with a red ribbon. You can also use some silk roses randomly to fill in.  The lights are all clear.  This tree stays up all year and the decorations change with the seasons.  If you don’t want to leave your huge tree up that long due to limited space, you can also do this with the mini trees and scale every thing down. Have fun decorating!

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the link in my post.