Valentine's Day for the NON CRAFTY

All right.

This is practical stuff.  I could not wait to share if with you!

I am not an interior designer (shock I know).  I also am not a crafty, make my own stuff kind of person (more shock - I'll wait).

This is NO excuse to not decorate for the holidays!  Especially if you have kids.  They just love it!  I remember begging my parents to decorate for every holiday.  I mean, aren't there decorations for President's day??

Now, I understand a bit better.  The pressure to either make or buy amazing beautiful decorations is huge.  And it seems easier to do nothing than to try and fail.

So - now you've got it.  A tutorial on how to decorate for next to nothing and with no skills!  I bought a couple cute things a few years ago and then I just add $1-2 worth of cuteness a year.

First, we have my mantel decorations.  There are 2.  One is some kind of wiry heart encrusted garland.  It bends and twists and hearts fall off it every year.  I suppose I've got a couple years left with that one.  Then the other is this year's meager addition.  A small $1 garland I picked up at Target.  Cute and effective and I did NOT make it!

Next we have my table decorations.  Thanks to the hubby for beautiful flowers and then I just added some shiny plastic grape bundles - good colors and a bit of ribbon.  Oh - and some ducks.  More on those later.

Here is what we affectionally call "the black shelf".  I added some more wiry ribbon and a set of cute heart boxes and an amazing, elaborate, totally handmade valentine mailbox that my talented Mother in Law made for us several years ago.  It is truly amazing.  (I can take orders if you want one!)

And the most fun (and easy) tradition I started was our Valentine's ducks. Every year I get these out and hide them all over the house.  I have about 20 and I put some of them in plain sight and others go behind pictures, above door frames and all over the house.  It's fun to see the girls find them gradually and it is SO easy to do! 

Now - get some flowers, add a few valentine's hearts and I consider you to have mastered Normal Person's Decorating 101!

PS:  I also have plenty of room to add the kid's homemade decorations.  They inevitably come home with a few over the course of the week.