Set a Sweet Valentine’s Table for Two

This is the first year I’ve had time to set a pretty table for breakfast on Valentine’s Day and I had so much fun doing it!

Usually, hubby and I don’t make much of a fuss about this holiday. A card and a smooch is our typical way of celebrating, but I wanted this year to be special. After all, the reason I stepped away from corporate life is to put more energy into being home, so I focused on setting a beautiful table for breakfast this morning.

To start, I scoured Pinterest for ideas (it may be my favorite source for creative inspiration) and landed on a plan for our table that was sweet and charming but steered clear of being too frilly. I decided on a color scheme that was primarily red and white with a touch of pink and included burlap both for texture and as a neutral, grounding element.

Then I worked on figuring out what I already had on hand and what I needed to buy. After nearly 35 years of marriage, I have a lot of “stuff,” so I’m conscious of using that before parting with any money. When I do shop, I head to places like the local dollar stores, Home Goods, craft stores, and antique and thrift shops. These are great for cute and inexpensive holiday décor items. (Amazon and the big box stores like Wal Mart and Target are also on my list.)

Once I had everything I needed, I started putting it together. I always stage my table before the day of the event. That gives me time to play around till I get it just right. When I’m happy with the result, I’ll take a picture of it and then recreate it on the big day.

Layering is the key to getting a tablescape right. You want it to feel well-thought out and complete. For this one, I opted to keep it simple – no tablecloths or runners and a small centerpiece since it’s just the two of us.

For the place settings, I started with the foundation, which was a burlap placemat, then added a glossy red charger (I got four at the Dollar General for just 22 cents!).

Next came a white dinner plate (that I already had) with a red heart-shaped plate on top (purchased from a neighborhood store).

Then I added a pink pail (from the Dollar Tree) with a small arrangement of silk roses and a glitter heart (which I’ve had for years).

Napkins were a red and white windowpane plaid (purchased a while ago – probably from Home Goods) and the red coffee mugs were a new purchase from Wal Mart. I love the mix of textures and patterns!

A faux floral arrangement served as the centerpiece. I used a footed glass vase I had on hand and added a small glass jar to the center (it was a mustard jar I washed out and kept for crafting projects). Next, I filled the vase with candy hearts all the way up to the top, which also hid the smaller glass jar in the middle.

I tied a ribbon around the vase, then added some dark and light pink silk tulips to the smaller jar in the center (sort of a vase within a vase). The final touch was the addition of three glitter heart picks (from the dollar store) to the flowers and my simple centerpiece was done.

As soon as we got up, I set the table (in record time). I wanted it to be a surprise, so the faster I could get it done, the better. Since I had staged it earlier in the week, I already knew exactly where everything would go, so it was a quick process. The look on my husband’s face was the best part – he was genuinely surprised and delighted! When you can add a big smile to someone’s face at 6:30 AM, it’s going to be a great day.

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of homemade turkey sausage and cinnamon swirl French toast and lingered at the table a while, sipping coffee and chatting amid hearts and flowers. It made for a special morning and I hope you get the chance to give it a try, too!

Enjoy!

Tablescape Investment

For anyone interested in what this tablescape cost and where I made my purchases, here’s a breakdown:

Total investment: $49.38

The great news is that I can reuse everything I bought and some items (like the placemats and mugs which were more than 60 percent of the total cost) I can use beyond Valentine’s Day.