You know we love to decorate for holidays and Valentines is one of our favorites! Nothing brings you out of the winter blues like the pinks and reds of Valentine decor.  Here are a few of our favorite finds.

If you’ve been following along for a while you know our favorite place to decorate is our mantel. We often use found objects from our home that fit the Valentine color scheme, books, flowers, vases, candles and then a sparkling of themed decor. I love stacking items in layers using books and cake stands. In the glass jar are several stuffed hearts I made years ago. If you notice there are only four real Valentine themed decor on the mantel. Everything else just fits in the color scheme. Here are a few of our favorite items for the mantel.

This year I have been obsessed with bows. I actually made many of these for the mantel, our chandelier, and our front door.

BOW TUTORIAL

Here is a little tutorial on how to make one! Once you start, you won’t be able to stop!! 

Here’s what you need:

-Rectangle for the bow. (6×12)

-Rectangle of “sew in stabilizer” (6×12) This will keep the bow in the desired shape but you can do it without too.

-Long strip for the tie. (5” x length of the fabric)

Really you can make the bow as big or small as you like. I’ve gone as big as 10×14 with 7 inch strips. It’s a great way to use up scraps. 

How to make a fabric bow.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sew the bow, right sides together with the stabilizer on the back. I like to leave a hole in the bottom middle. 

2. Sew the tie, right sides together, with the hole in the middle of the longest side. If you want angled tips, just add an angle at each end. 

3. Turn both pieces inside out and use a chopstick to poke out corners. 

4. Press both pieces. 

5. Pinch the bow in the center and tie the long strip to the bow. I just did a basic x like the first part of tying your shoe. 

6. You can hand sew the holes but I’ve found that if I place them in the middle of both pieces the tie hides them. 

7. Enjoy!