“All you need is love…”  It’s wonderful to see everyone from everywhere celebrate the month of love.  Heart shaped decorations, red streamers, lovely flowers are all around and it’s amazing.  So what’s more special than to incorporate the “Love” month with a Valentine’s Day party?  I’m pretty sure most of us have the Valentine’s party decorating down back but here are a few tips that will help to liven up some of the decorating ways for your Valentine’s Day party.

DIY Valentines Day Party Ideas

Non-Traditional

Have you ever thought of using a theme, treasured sports team or favorite colors as the inspiration for your Valentine’s party?  The traditional party favors are great but every once in a while you want to give a different flare for your special day.  For some examples, try decorating your Valentine’s party with your favorite sports team paraphernalia, or pick a theme for your party like Alice in Wonderland or vintage trinkets, or try putting the favorite colors of your and the special persons in your life.  Check out local websites to help you in deciding which idea is better for you.

Image via: The Purple Pug

Traditional

However, the traditional way has its perks.  Everyone still enjoys seeing the beautiful red, pink and white color combinations streaked around the room.  Try setting out the heart shaped cut outs, shimmering red goodie bags filled with Valentine’s knickknacks, balloons, also send out personalized Valentine’s Day invitations like Passports to Paris .  Have the Valentine’s Day décor be lead around your home in places like the kitchen, entryway, hallways, and dining room the places where your guests will most occupy.

Image via:  Ilunia

Romantic

Perhaps, it’s just a party for two or couples Valentine’s party, then let’s add in some romance to the mix.  For this idea use your dining table or kitchen table as the setting for your Valentine’s favors.  Decorate the table with candles, red tablecloth, place settings, beautiful champagne flutes and a rosy centerpiece.  You want to add an alluring feel to the space, which will show your spouse or partner how much they mean to you.

Image via:  House Keeper London

Travel

Set up your Valentine’s Day party imitate a beautiful and romantic country from around the world.  Places like Fiji, Paris, Venice, Tuscany etc…  You can research the country that you prefer, then purchase or create items that most resemble the country.  Such as the food, special monuments on photographs or other items, pictures with the name of the country and hearts around it etc.  The possibilities are endless and for more help check out home décor magazines and websites.

Image via:  Paris Perfect

The national day of “Love” should be celebrated and you can do it any way you would like.  There are only a few suggestions above but they should be very effective.  So go out and find out which themes work for your home or your Valentine’s Day celebration and see how they work out for you. What are your Valentines Party Ideas?

For more Valentine’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Before you were inspired by – ‘Choosing Inspiring Winter Colors for your Interiors‘ from Kimberly Latimer. Today, I feature Nanette Reynolds who is a member of the the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she shows you how to bring Valentine’s Day into your everyday home! Wonderful insight into the history of Valentine’s Day and how to bring it in your home all year around!

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #65

Valentine’s Day Everyday in your Home – Nanette Reynolds

The origins of Valentine’s Day date back to the ancient Romans. Many customs that we associate with this day began around the Middle Ages, when poets such as Chaucer romanticized love in their sonnets.  Yet despite these colorful beginnings, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a commercialized event overrun with hearts, flowers, and candy everywhere you look.

Want to impress your loved ones this Valentine’s Day? Well, serve this Srcumptious Cupid Cupcakes that will surely soften the heart of your special someone. This Valentine’s dessert can work its magic for a memorable meal on this romantic date.

Valentine Dessert: Scrumptious Cupid Cupcakes

Image via: My Recipes

[ad#co-3]

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake:

• 12 ounce frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
• 1/4 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
• Paper baking cups
• Vegetable cooking spray

Chocolate Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 16. oz package powdered sugar

Toppings:

• 24 fresh strawberries
• Chocolate jimmies

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Procedure

1. To prepare Strawberry Cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process strawberries and syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth and pureed. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy. Add 1/2 cups strawberry puree; beat 1 minute.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in strawberry extract and food coloring.
2. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
4. To prepare Chocolate Frosting, beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Makes 3 cups.
5. Fill each cupcake with Chocolate Frosting. To fill cupcakes, insert the end of a wooden spoon or dowel into the center of the cupcake to make a hole. Fill a zip-top plastic freezer bag with filling or frosting. Use scissors or kitchen shears to snip about 1/4 inch from one corner of the bag; insert bag into the hole in the cupcake. Squeeze gently until filling comes to the top of each cupcake.
6. Frost each cupcake with Chocolate Frosting.
7. To prepare ganache, cook cream in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until it begins to steam (do not boil); remove from heat. Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Slowly add hot cream to chocolate, beating with a whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is well blended. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Makes about 2 cups.
8. Place 1 fresh strawberry on top of each cupcake. Top each cupcake with chocolate jimmies, and drizzle with warm Chocolate Ganache.

This Valentine’s dessert isn’t just perfect its look, but also for its taste. You can make at least 25 mouth-watering Stupid Cupid Cupcakes using the whole ingredients. Let your loved ones experience your sweetness through this Valentine’s dessert.

For more Valentine’s ideas on Stagetecture, click here

Express your love in a more personal way by doing your own Valentine’s crafts. This will make your gift more attractive and unique. With a personal touch and efforts exerted, who wouldn’t fall for this? Hence, Valentine’s Day crafts are worth making for your loved ones.

Through the years, DIY Valentine’s Day crafts are evolving into creative ways to keep up with the time. You have the effortless crafts, low-cost crafts, environment-friendly and contemporary crafts. Whichever of these craft types captures your attention, you can be confident that it will be treasured.

Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Crafts

• Felt Coffee-Cup Sleeve

Turn your usual cup of coffee into a heart-ful of serving. With a touch of Felt Coffee-Cup Sleeve project, you can turn a dull and boring cup into a heartwarming craft for your beloved ones. It’s so simple. You need felt paper, scissors, pinking shears, sewing kits and glue. Cut the felt paper using a template or your own customized design. Wrap it around a coffee cup and pin in place. Slide it out stitch to maintain the shape. Trim seam using pinking shears.

Image via: Kathy-Pretty In Ink

[ad#co-1]

• Meringue Letters and Hearts

How about a sweet temptation for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day? Surprise your loved ones with a Meringue Letter and Hearts on the table. It’s a food craft that will definitely spell out your love literally. To do this, you only need 3 large egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, a pinch of coarse salt and large pinch of cream of tartar. You can do this by doing the usual meringue recipe and make the difference in the design. Write down how you feel with hearts on the background for a sweet look.

Image via: Martha Stewart

• Zip Tie Heart Garland

This one is really simple yet very attractive. This is a kid-friendly project that you can make as a family bonding. All you need is a bunch of neon zip ties. Simply bend and overlap a series of neon zip ties until you reach a desirable length. That’s how easy and quick you can make this beautiful craft.

Image via: Pinterest

Pick your choice and impress your loved ones with these DIY Valentine’s Day Crafts. Don’t even bother looking for expensive gifts. Bear in mind that it’s the thought that counts!

For more Valentine’s ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you looking for sweet Valentine’s Day Gifts to give to the ones you care about? Here is a beautiful idea that shows your love and thoughtfulness: Make some homemade heart-shaped teabags and sugar cubes. It is not something difficult to do, but the results are personalized and cute Valentine’s Day Gifts. Here is how!

Valentine’s Day Gifts: Homemade Heart Teabags and Sugar Cubes

Image via: Etsy

Materials:

For the heart-shaped teabags:

Coffee filters

Scissors

Loose teas

Needle and cotton string

Heart template or heart-shaped cookie cutter

Cardstock (in desired color)

Image via: A Subtle Revelry

For the heart-shaped sugar cubes:

Plain sugar

Heart-shaped silicon mold or cookie cutters

Water

Food coloring (optional)

Image via: Sweet Society

Directions:

Heart-shaped tea bags

Use the heart-shaped template or the cookie cutter to cut out 2 hearts out of the coffee filters. Take the needle and string and sew the two hearts together, leaving a small hole open. From the hole, insert about 2 teaspoons of your favorite loose tea. You can use a small funnel to help you with this step. Finish sewing the teabag. Take the cardstock and cut out a small heart or any other desired shape and attach to the string, either by sewing it on or just using a stapler. Sew the other end of the string to the teabag and you have your very own heart-shaped, homemade teabag!

Image via: Brit & Co

Heart-shaped sugar cubes

To accompany your teabags, or even as a stand-alone Valentine’s Day Gift, these easy sugar cubes are ideal. Take a bowl and add about ½ cup of sugar. Start off by adding ½ teaspoon of water and mix with a fork or spatula. Watch the density of the sugar; you are aiming at a paste-like consistency without melting the sugar. If needed, add another ¼ teaspoon of water to the mix. Add a very small amount of gel food coloring (tip: use a toothpick) and combine. If needed, add a little more food coloring until you get the desired color. Watch out for the consistency. Tip: If you use liquid food coloring, be sure to add less water in the beginning.

Image via: Etsy

If using a heart shaped silicon mold, just spoon the sugar into the mold and even it out. Make sure to pad it firmly into the mold. Let the sugar-hearts dry for a few hours and then carefully push the cubes out of the mold and onto parchment paper. Let them dry for another few hours until firm.

If using heart shaped cookie cutters, place the cookie cutter on parchment paper and fill it with sugar; pad it firmly. Let it dry for a few minutes and then remove carefully the cookie cutter. Let the sugar cube dry for a few hours. Another way you could make these cubes with cookie cutters is to try to roll out your sugar paste onto parchment paper and use the cookie cutters to cut out hearts, just as you would do with cookie dough.

Dress your teabags and sugar cubes up and present them beautifully and it’s going to be a special Valentine’s Day Gift hit for sure! Need more Valentine’s Gift Ideas, click here.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

If you are having a tough time looking for gifting ideas for your loved ones this Valentine’s day, consider presenting them with something that is handmade with love. Bring in the Valentine’s Day spirit into your home by decorating it with themed wall art. It is easy and quick to make with very few supplies.

Image via: Pinterest

[ad#co-1]

Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Wall Art Ideas

1. With birds and hearts:

Why limit Valentine’s Day crafts to just hearts? Create a beautiful collage of birds and hearts. You will require an A4 size card stock paper in white. Cut out silhouettes of birds and hearts from scraps of printed fabric. You should choose bright and cheery colors like red, pink, yellow etc. Plan a layout on the card stock paper and use adhesive to stick the cut outs. Frame and decorate your new wall art.

Image via: All People Quilt

 2. With embroidery hoops:

Embroidery hoops are a novel way of decorating your walls this Valentine’s Day. Embroidered hoops make for cute Valentine’s Day gifts as well. You will need embroidery hoops in different sizes along with supplies like printed fabric, buttons, embroidery threads and felt to decorate your hoops. Cover your hoop in a neutral color like light pink. Cut a piece of felt in the shape of a heart. Hot glue bright another layer of a smaller heart. Adhere these layers onto the embroidery hoop. Use embroidery threads to make small stitches around the heart.

Use your creativity to decorate the rest of your hoops.

Image via: Etsy

 3. With floating hearts:

Upcycle an old frame with floating hearts to create an unusual wall art. Pick out an old frame and take out the backing cardboard. Repaint the frame to give it a fresh look. Cut out hearts in different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns from card stock paper or craft paper. You can also use old greeting cards with interesting designs for your hearts. Create a layout inside the frame and lay the string on top of the hearts. Glue tem together when you are happy with the layout. Finally glue the string in place at the back of your frame.

Image via: Creating Home Base

Cut little hearts for gift tags and present your handmade wall art to your loved ones or decorate your home with them.

For more Valentine’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature. ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Last week you enjoyed Frances Newman’s  – ‘Fresh Take on Valentine’s Day‘ and this week I bring you Steven Gluth, a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room. I’m excited today because Steven is our first male to participate in the Olioboard Inspiration feature and I asked Steven to show a non-traditional Valentine’s home. Steven far surpassed my  expectations and came up with a sultry and sexy Valentine’s home that anyone would love!

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

Olioboard Inspiration #4

‘Your Sexy Chocolate Valentine’s Home ” – Steven Gluth

Experience a richer and fuller Valentine’s Day with a splash of chocolate flavor…

In order to have a fuller experience with design, one must explore all the colors and flavors of the chocolate confections that have become a rich part of our tradition on Valentine’s Day. Forrest Gump once said “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get…I may not be a smart man, but I know what Love is.”

Love is dark chocolate melting inside you. Love is feeling the tenderness and soft skin of your loved one as you hold them tight. Like stars in your lover’s eyes and the feeling of new heels, fall in love with a design that reflects taste and touch. Replace the ordinary pinks and reds of this special day by making your living space a caramel creation your senses will never forget. Add classic chocolate furniture, with soft caramel or peanut butter pillows. Keep it bright with accessories splashed in yellow. Fill the room with chocolate and cream swirled wallpaper and indulge in the senses. Melt away with your lover as you wrap them in your arms, and experience a deeper and softer side of life together. Can you feel it inside you?

[ad#co-1]

About Steven Gluth

I am an Interior Design student who currently resides in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In addition to doing graphic and interior design part-time, I am also a chef and a mentor for 2 students going into the Air Force. My career goal is to work in the residential design field as a full service designer and dive into home staging as well. I am presently building a furniture and accessories website that uses my Olioboard designs as inspiration and foundation for sales.

About 2 years ago, one of my instructors told our class about Olioboard. Ever since then, I have been using Olioboard to create room designs, accessory boards, and all ranges of graphic designs for clients and my website. I use Olioboard to push the boundaries of design, creating sexy and unique designs that really catch your eye. I believe the ultimate goal of an interior designer is to enhance the visual world around us through harmonious and balanced interior design. My Olioboard profile page , and website portfolio and Facebook profiles are located here.

The Valentine gifts start filling the stores toward the beginning of the holidays. However, the wide range of gift items also drives your mind to various directions, leaving you wondering what to pick up for your special one. There is a common conception that women love jewelry, flowers, and chocolates while men are fond of alcohol, multi-tool gadgets, and latest devices but in order to make the gift item unique, you have to add your creative twist to it.

Image via: Reachli

[ad#co-1]

Discard Traditional Gift Ideas

The gift shops are hoarded with numerous gift items this time. You will get everything there – from heart-shaped chocolate to boxer shorts. However, the gift that will actually count is the one that your special one cares for. You have to listen to him/her carefully to get the clues of what s/he actually wants. Do not let your mind to be boggled with traditional gift ideas. Your dear one could be delighted by having just a book rather than a fancy dress or accessory. Tickets to baseball match can make a man more delighted than a bunch of flowers while a girl could be impressed by having something new for her collectibles shelf rather than an impersonal heart-shaped box of chocolates.

Image via: Travel – Babbles

Spend Time Together

The best gift for your loved one could be spending some time together with his/her. The best thing would be to dine a meal with your partner. Prepare at least one favorite dish of his/her with one or two other items. Add creative touches to the decoration and presentation of the meal to make it memorable to your beloved. Add heart-shaped crockery, roses, red candles, soft music, and on the top of it, your unquestionable and undivided attention for the evening. A romantic meal and your heartfelt attention – a combination that will never go wrong.

Image via: Etsy

Think of Something Different

A photo or a typographic pillow will give your Valentine something to snuggle up when s/he cannot be with you. A pillow with his/her favorite quotes or words or your photo with some words imprinted on it would be a cute gift unlike anything your beloved has ever received before. It will also show that you really care for your partner.

Give Personal Touches

A traditional gift can also be special if has a personal touch in it. Jewelry is one of the most traditional Valentine gifts but you can make it special just by spending a little bit time. Engrave an inside joke that makes you both smile or a secret name that you use to call your partner endearingly. You can also make the jewelry by your own. Purchase beads, jewelry wire, and a clasp. Make a bracelet and present it to your Valentine.

Image via: Babble

You can generate hundreds of gift ideas if you just think a bit out of the box. The trick to make your Valentine happy is to give his/her either what s/he admires or something that proves your love to him/her.

For more Valentine’s gift ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Now we all know the typical and traditional colors for Valentine’s Day are red, pink, and white.  Which are truly great colors they are soothing and some of them represent the color of the heart which equate to the colors of love.  But what about changing up the scene? Why not try colors that have a similar appeal but are just visually different.  Try adding and mixing colors that usher in the spring season while rousing the relaxing warm feel to the environment.

Grab Flowers from Non-traditional Places

Image via: Maggie Lyn

We love the red, pink, and white collection.  It was what we grew up with but let’s mix in some of the color combinations that are nature-inspired and see where they might take us.  Surprise yourself with something new and refreshing that will still provide the loving and inviting atmosphere of Valentine’s Day.  Choosing colors such as the Red-Orange, Yellow, Green and White combination still has a fun and energetic feeling.  One is still getting the heart-warming environment a just different visual appeal.

[ad#co-1]

Color of Love Inside – Where do you find Inspiration? 

Back to red is the color of the heart and with the heart we love.  Plenty of research has proven that before oxygen even touches the blood stream that the color of the blood is of a deep lilac.  The heart pumps blood which helps to give us life.  Without life there would be no love.  So again, you can still keep with the theme of love just represented in a different manner.  Plus lilac and sky blue bring an airy and light emotion to the space; since the two colors are cool/dulled colors they all the person to have a peaceful and calming holiday with an embrace of magical fantasy.

Show Team Spirit

Who’s got Spirit?  Why not display your Valentine’s Day Spirit by doing it in your favorite sports team colors?  We all know how excited we can become when our favorite team is in the super bowl, playoffs, or any championship game.  So let’s take some of that passion and use it for inspiration for our Valentine’s Day decor.  Again it’s just your own interpretation of how you would like to celebrate this holiday.  Take something that you care about and display it for your loved ones.

Valentine’s Day can be as unique as you would like for it be.  Isn’t that what makes it so special?  The fact that the decor is coming from a place of caring, sharing and thoughtfulness which is what matters the most.  Dress it up or played it down as much as you would like.

For more Valentine’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! In two weeks it will be Valentine’s Day and we often only think about physical gifts to give to our sweethearts. Although, another wonderful idea is to surprise your sweetheart with a bathroom that is romantic and today’s DIY Saturday is all about transforming your bathroom.

Image via: Pinterest

See how to make bath bombs to give your sweetheart, or give as wonderful gifts! Bath bombs are used in your bathtub and create an aromatic and luxurious bathing experience to your bath. Then Sam Holloway joins us again with Olioboard inspiration in a ‘Get the Look’ feature and shows us how to change your plain white bathroom into a romantic getaway!

[ad#co-1]

How to Make Bath Bombs for a Relaxing Bath

Link to You Tube video –> How to Make Bath Bombs

How to Transform a Plain White Bathroom into a Romantic Treat

‘Get the Look’ – Olioboard Inspiration from Sam Holloway – See her other feature here.

Plain white bathroom before

Valentine’s Bathroom after

• To set up the most romantic evening possible, you’ll need to make sure that your bathroom is completely clean.
• Choose a time when you know you will be uninterrupted. Ensure your children will be away so that you and your partner are able to relax without fear of being interrupted.
• Rose petals sprinkled on top of the water add a romantic and fragrant effect to your bath. You can also blend a few cups of rose petals with half a blender of warm water to make a puree. Swirl it into the hot bath water or massage it on each other during the bath.
• Adding a bubble bath to the water while the tub is filling up, it adds a mood of both frivolity and romance. Look for more adult scents, such as vanilla, rather than using the same fruity-scented bubbles you would put in a child’s bath. Or opt for bath salts that add both colour and fragrance to the bath whilst softening the skin
• Purchase a couple of large sponges to use while you are soaking in the tub. The more absorbent the sponges, the better, as it allows you to squeeze the warm water over each other
• Set the scene by lighting candles around the bathroom and around the edge of the tub if the rim is wide enough that you won’t knock them over. You can purchase scented candles but try not to add to many strongly scented items to such a small space. Make sure that candles are not placed under towels or tissue products that could catch on fire, or in places where they are likely to be tipped over.
• Create a play list or CD of your favourite songs beforehand to ensure you have a constant stream of your favourite romantic music playing during your bath, yet ensuring that the stereo is kept safely  away from the water
• A new red bathmat and a couple of red fluffy towels ready  on the towel warmer add that soft extra loving touch
• A romantic message written on the bathroom mirror
• Post It notes of romantic poems, quotes and love messages can be dotted around the room to add that personal touch
• Why not peg up some photos of the special times you have shared together along a piece of ribbon.
• Make your own valentine bunting or garland from odd bits of fabric you may have laying around or from coloured card.
• Prepare a tray holding 2 glasses of champagne or sparkling fruit juice, with strawberries, grapes and maybe a box of chocolates to share with your partner whilst soaking in the bath. Set the tray on a small table near the tub so it is easy for you both to access.
• Lastly remember that this is your alone time, which can seldom happen in a home full of children, so relax and enjoy each other’s company like you are the only two people in the world.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.