Making Valentine's Magic

:::Happy Valentine's Day:::

How to Make Valentine's Day Magic

1. CANDLES - Candles give the ambiance of Romance and Intrigue. Candles give a warm glow and offer a sense of Peace. They're perfect to set the mood for any evening but are particularly vital on Valentine's Day. To ensure less of a Fire Hazard use glass votives, and be sure to keep a fire extinguisher close at hand just in case. And, be sure to Dim the Lights!

Candles on a budget...Candles are particularly attractive in glass containers, but you don't have to splurge to get yourself some fancy votives. Scour your house for glass containers - the kitchen cupboards contain lots of drinking glasses and maybe even a few fancy goblets that would work nicely, and canning jars also work wonders with a few glass pebbles inside.

Glass pebbles can be purchased at any craft store and come in a variety of colors, but if you already have some on hand and they'r not quite the right hue, try painting them. Painting pebbles metallic colors can give a nice effect.

If you're using tall pillar candles in your votives than plastic beads could also work nicely to add a touch of elegance.


My favorite candle touch for Valentine's Day were these great Martini Glasses that I got on Clearance at Target! They came to just $1 per glass. The Red are especially festive for V-Day.

2. MIRRORS - Mirrors, although not traditionally a Valentine's day decoration, can really spice up the scene. Use them as a table centerpiece with a fresh boquet of roses, sprinkle rose petals on top, or set your votive candles on mirrors. They will reflect the light and give an extra glamorous feel to the affair.

3. FABRIC - Fabric is a must! Whether it's a nice crisp tablecloth (go for a new white or red tablecloth that reaches to the floor - sheer elegance!) or some satin fabric draped over your couch or bed, transform the room you're celebrating in so that it has a Romantic getaway feel. I covered our couch in red satin and it had a luscious sexy look that was just perfect. Search the sale fabrics at JoAnn Fabrics or your local fabric store. You might also consider draping festive fabric over your curtain rods or even hanging a bed canopy from the ceiling with sticky hooks. Imagine dining under a sheer canopy. Sounds like fun!

Since our Living Room is in the same room as the Dining Room I wanted to decorate that, too, so that this wouldn't look like a typical dinner for two - this is Valentine's Day, afterall!

Cover the TV and anything too modern. I kept many items of furniture and lighting but superimposed the Valentine's decor overtop. When the lights were dimmed you really didn't notice the "modern" elements as much. Faux fur was used on the floor to give it a different look...just for the occasion!

4. DINNER FOR TWO - This is a MUST! We've seen it in all of the shows from 'Lady and the Tramp' on up, it's the epitome of Romance. A small round table would be the perfect set piece for this. If your dining room table is not small and round could you pull up an end table and cover with a piece of wood? Or purchase one of those cheap wood end tables at K-mart...it'll be covered anyway. I used several yards of white fabric for our tablecloth - see, it doesn't even have to be as expensive as buying a new tablecloth! The fabric was ironed and draped over the table so that it touched the floor...now that's elegance! Candles add a nice touch, whether a candleabra, the traditional two taper candles, or small votives scattered about. A single rose, a boquet of flowers, or rose petals scattered on the table can add color. Oh, and get out those nice Goblets (any you haven't used for candles), this is just the occasion they've been waiting for!


5. MOOD MUSIC - Burn a CD with your favorite songs as a couple and play it in the background. Later you can give the CD to your honey to play in the car. They'll never forget your special evening together. ; )