Decorate for Valentine's Day Using Christmas Decorations

In this day and age, thriftiness and recycling is a necessity. This is never more true than at holiday time. While it is always a pleasure to stroll into a store and fill up a shopping cart with the brightest and shiniest decorations, most family's budgets no longer allow for that. Christmas has come and gone, but Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Here are some fun ways to give your home that festive flair and feeling using decorations you already own.

Make the Most of Your Red Christmas Tree Balls. Gather all your red balls that you used on your holiday tree and layer them in a clear or silver vase. Tie a plaid or gingham bow around the base and you have a lovely Valentine's Day table centerpiece. Arrange them in a straight line on a fireplace mantel using craft putty to keep them in place. Display your holiday cards or the kid's craft projects in between the ornaments. A wicker basket can also be filled with the balls. Add decorative pine cones and heart shapes cut from construction paper, card stock or Styrofoam for an inexpensive but pretty table topper. Designate this basket as the holder for all the holiday greetings your family receives to give it a bit of extra flair.

Give Your Snowmen a Bit of Valentine's Day Style. Do you generally take down your snowmen decorations right after the new year arrives? Give them some added longevity this year by leaving them up until February. Spring is still a few weeks away, so these decor items are perfectly appropriate for this time of year. Drape the pieces in red garland, strands of red hearts and beads for a fun holiday look. Spend an afternoon at the kitchen table making pink, white and red paper heart chains with the kids. They will love working on this craft project with you, and then going around the house decorating the snowmen with their finished products.

Add Some Fun Holiday Lighting. Drape red and white Christmas lights over a railing or along a bookcase. Frame a doorway or a bay window with strands of the pretty lights. Fill a square or round tray with your half used red and white pillar candles. Scatter artificial rose petals around the perimeter of the tray for a sweet and romantic centerpiece. Adding a bit of artificial or natural lighting in unexpected places will give your home a lovely glow for the holiday.

Make Use of the New Christmas Tree Now. Did you score a half price artificial holiday tree the day after Christmas? Don't wait until December to break it out. Set it up in a corner of the living room and give it some understated decor with a strand of white lights and heart shaped decorations you make yourself. Use red craft wire to make hearts to hang on the branches. Tuck holiday cards and homemade Valentine's Day greetings in between the branches. This unique but lovely decor item will surely add a bit of light and love to the drab winter days that February generally brings.

Change Up Your Holiday Wreath. A balsam wreath with white lights can be easily spruced up for Valentine's Day. Snip pieces of red garland to tuck between the layers. Small velvet bows or cupid and heart shaped wooden cut outs can be adhered to the wreath with a glue gun. Small pictures of loved ones framed with Popsicle sticks can also be used to create a wreath of love for the holiday. With a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, a simple balsam wreath can become your most cherished Valentine decoration.