How to Set a Valentines Table on a Dime!
By Kathy Wilson
Valentine's Day is a special day in my household, and I try to share
the feeling of love and romance with all my family! One of the best
ways to do that is to set a holiday table, and spend time enjoying
good food and drink with your loved ones. (Include your kids in
dinner, and save a special after dinner dessert for romance!) Here
are
some great ideas for setting the stage for a romantic dining
experience, without breaking your budget.
Set a background for your Valentine's Day dinner. Layer your table
with fabrics to invoke the sense of a luxurious hotel. Use sheets,
quilts, tablecloths and placemats in coordinating colors. Pink, red
and white are all indicative of love, but so are deep jewel tones.
Look around your linen closet to find what you may already own! Flat
sheets can be found at the discount shop for $3!
Invest in a roll of wire edged ribbon from the discount store. Tie
bows around chair backs, glass stems, and silverware bundles for
that
extra touch.
Use a paper punch and create confetti to sprinkle over the table.
This
is a great use for used wrapping paper, greeting cards, or even the
funnies! It adds a great festive touch, and you can even put the
kids
to work on this one!
Buy a few boxes of Valentine's message hearts (they are only a $1
for
three boxes!) and leave special love messages for each family member
on their plate. Or use chocolate bars and cut out the letters to
spell
their name or initial as a sweet place card.
Make each family member a Scroll of love. Write them a personal
note
telling them all the wonderful things you love about them, then roll
it up like a scroll, and tie with the ribbon. Tie to their chair
with
the ribbon, or tuck in with their napkin. Make sure their names are
marked on each scroll.
Use the best dishes you own! Layer plates and soup bowls, make sure
(just for tonight) there is a salad fork and a dessert spoon. Pamper
your family with simple indulgences such as fresh flowers tucked in
wine glasses, or a line of chocolate kisses down the center of the
table. Use candles as a centerpiece, you can pick them up at a
dollar
shop! You may wish to save lighting them until the kids are all in
bed, for safety reasons.
Just a few easy and inexpensive changes to your nightly dinnertime
routine, and your loved ones will feel special and precious, as well
they should.
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of several popular
home and garden websites. For hundreds of free do it yourself home
and
garden ideas, please visit her websites now at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com,
http://www.DecoratingYourSmallSpace.com and
http://www.TheGardenGlove.com
. Also visit her work at home site at
http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com
.
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