Seasonal Decorating: Valentine’s Day

Holidays and seasons give shape to the year. They are hooks upon which we hang our family memories. As special occasions and celebrations mark the passing of the seasons, we can create their atmosphere in our homes. You may be surprised at how much your family will look forward to the traditions of seasonal decorations, as these little touches set the stage for daily life.   Children especially love traditions. It gives them a grounded feeling of belonging in the family.

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Holidays are often busy times, and it can seem overwhelming to add a change in décor to the list of to-do’s. The key is to keep things simple. Small changes make a big difference. You’re going for effect, not a complete remodel of the room.

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For Valentine’s Day,  add a few touches to give a festive feeling to the house. Inexpensive wired foil heart garland can be entwined around the kitchen chandelier, with a small heart-shaped ornament hanging from the center of the fixture.

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Look around the house to find red or pink accessories for a new arrangement on the fireplace mantel. The local dollar store may yield some fun items, so gather the children and take a little trip to go treasure hunting. One year we found red foil-covered cardboard heart boxes that now sit on either side of antique china plates on our mantel. Heart-shaped paper doilies and candles are easy-to-use accessories. Next time you’re browsing in an antique store, keep an eye out for antique Valentine cards for your bookshelves or end tables.

Look around for more surfaces for your creative efforts. You might already have accessories in place, and you can just add a few hearts or red candles. Our TV armoire already had some greenery and candleholders in an arrangement. Chunky red candles with an interesting texture and more foil heart garland woven into the green leaves changed the feeling of the whole arrangement.

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Why bother to do seasonal decorating for such a minor holiday? Because it’s an excuse to tweak your surroundings for variety and surprise. Going beyond the ordinary to surprise your loved ones with visual beauty makes them feel cared for. It feeds your soul, too. Human beings long for beauty and there is something homey and satisfying in a constantly evolving landscape of home life. Even if you do one thing as simple as lighting a red candle set on a paper doily, it adds atmosphere. You may find that next year someone will ask you where the red candle is.