I have a money saving hint for buying decorations for Valentine's Day (and many other special occasions). In my local garden centre, all the Christmas produce is being sold at 75% off. Looking at the range of ornaments, decorations and baubles, I realised that there were lots things which weren't Christmassy at all. There was quite a selection of hearts and angels among the more festive designs. Perfect for St.Val's! So I bought a selection of beautiful heart shaped glass baubles, cherub candle votives, lace winged butterflies and a large wooden heart decoration. The whole lot was worth over £30 but I paid less than £8 for the lot. Much cheaper than buying bespoke Valentine's Day products, plus the quality is far superior to many of the novelty Valentine's Day items on the market.
It's well worth keeping an open mind when looking at things in the post Christmas sales. There are often things that have multiple purposes and as I love celebrating all the year's special days, I can often find things appropriate to other occasions. As well as these decorations, the garden centre had ones shaped like gemstones, cars, musical instruments, birds and little toys. All could be used as decorations for birthdays, themed parties or other events. Just because they are a part of their Christmas range, doesn't mean you have to use them solely at Christmas time!
On Valentine's Day I will be decorating the dining room with my haul to create a romantic setting for our special dinner. Decorating the room really adds to the ambiance, fun and atmosphere. I'm planning on spray painting a branch, popping it in a vase and hanging the decorative hearts on it, as a lovely table centrepiece.
I love a good bargain and I like having a good selection of pretty things ready to adorn my home to make every celebration simply perfect.
