A Valentine Tree How-To

I don’t know if it’s because I put up four Christmas trees and dread taking them all down, or if it’s because I don’t want to give up the cheery lights when it turns dark at 4:30 . . .  but I decided to morph one of my Christmas trees into a Valentine tree this year. And I’m loving it!

valentine tree how-to

A few months ago, my local Habitat for Humanity Restore had a huge lot of 9-foot, white flocked Christmas trees still in their original boxes. I’ve always wanted a flocked tree, but never took the plunge to buy one. I got this one for a great deal and decided it was worth the risk of the messiness that I knew would come with owning such a tree!

valentine tree by the decorologist

It was messy putting it up for Christmas, but it was so worth it. The white background makes the ornaments really POP so much more than a traditional green tree. I’ve had a Valentines tree in the past when my girls were younger, but it was just a small tabletop version. I figured that I’d just go for it and transition right my library Christmas tree right into a Valentine tree.

The first thing I did was remove the “Christmas-y” ornaments and anything that wasn’t white, pink, or red. I packed those away and pulled out a box of Valentines decor that I hadn’t really pulled out in years.

pink valentines tree ornaments

Here are some things that work well as ornaments for a Valentines tree:

 

  1. White, pink, and red balls from your Christmas ornaments
  2. Anything heart-shaped
  3. Snowflakes or anything snowy
  4. Birds (white or pink)
  5. Pink or white floral stems
  6. Wired pink ribbon
  7. Items that have the word “LOVE”
  8. Small dolls
  9. Vintage Valentine cards

 

These things don’t have to be hangable – just small enough to tuck into the branches!

flocked valentine tree with ornaments

Years ago, I liked to make cards and did the whole stamping crafty thing. I used pink paint swatches to make little Valentine’s cards and decorations, which I also pulled out of storage for the first time in many years.

Valentines ornaments decorations

You may notice that I included a few small books about Valentines or love, as well as a small fabric doll. These are vintage Joan Walsh Anglund, one of my favorite children’s book illustrators. The floral stems are from Michael’s. I’ve collected old Valentines from estate sales and antique shops over the years, and small ones work perfectly.

valentines tree

 

After removing Christmas decor from the mantel, I found a few items to replace those to complement my Valentine tree. I’ve always loved these little vintage snow toddlers!

valentine mantel decoration

There used to be a fabulous store in downtown Franklin that had amazing Victorian pop-up cards for every holiday. I’m glad I saved some of those I bought almost 30 years ago. Here’s a similar set of 6 romantic pop-up cards.

valentine pop-up card

 

And finally, I used faux pink cabbage stems to create a little arrangement for the coffee table, set in vintage milk glass footed bowl (similar to this one).

pink cabbage decor

Decorating a Valentine tree was the perfect activity for a snowy day like the one we had over the weekend, and the white tree and lights certainly keep this corner of our library bright and cozy to help us get through winter (and cancelled appointments)!

valentine tree in front of snowy window

Thank you for joining me today in the coziest spot in Granbery Manor this winter.  It’s not too late to decorate your own Valentine tree – I’m so glad I did. Now I don’t have to take this one down for another month!

You may want to pin this for next year:

valentine tree tutorial

May 2022 be filled with hope and love for all of us.

 

To help you find sources for your Valentine decor, I’ve included a few Amazon affiliate links in this post.

35 Comments

  1. Suzy

    Beautiful! And after Valentines a Mardi Gras tree! Very popular in New Orleans!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Then an Easter tree – that would take us almost into summer, haha!

      Reply
  2. Christy Byers

    Super cute!

    Reply
  3. Colleen

    Kristie,
    Such a clever way to extend the season. Beautifully done. A wonderfully colorful display to keep spirits elevated. Your idea is a keeper! When the time comes to pack up the Christmas decor, the interior always seems a little sad.
    Once Christmas was packed away this year, I decided to leave I out and style mini trees and greenery to add some pizzazz keeping with the wintery theme. Special touches like you shared help us to get through the winter doldrums. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thank you so much, Colleen! Winter is not my favorite, and this certainly brightens things up. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dana

    I like the paint sample cards tucked in the tree! I should have done this! I would love the twinkling lights to be around a little longer. I haven’t put my small flocked tree away yet. Forecast is calling for 12-16 inches (historic) snow storm here in VA later this week. Maybe I’ll be cutting out hearts.
    Your tree is lovely!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      A flocked tree is ideal for a Valentine tree – go for it!

      Reply
  5. Lynne

    I love your Valentine tree and your beautiful library!

    Reply
  6. Emily Sandelin

    What a fun project! The tree turned out perfectly. It’s so nice during our cold, dark winters to have lights up for a few months—just makes me happy.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Especially when it gets dark at 4:30! I need more sunlight!

      Reply
  7. Karina

    Your tree is beautiful!! I remember the shop on Main Street that had all the old pop up cards! I loved going in there and miss it!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thank you, Karina! Do you remember what the name of that store was? They also had a huge birdcage full of birds there.

      Reply
  8. Madeleine

    Thanks for sharing! This was the first year I had an artificial tree and haven’t taken it down yet! I decorated it for fall, then Christmas and now it just has the white lights is so pretty. I know what my next decor will be!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      That’s great – let’s take the cheer into 2022. I’m sure we’ll need it, haha!

      Reply
  9. Marcy Terwilliger

    If there were more room in our home having a tree up year round would be wonderful. Your tree is decorated in such a beautiful way and any shade of pink is such a delightful color. Why take it down at all with springtime coming soon? Think about delightful Easter eggs blown out, hand painted hung by pastel ribbons, little birds & nests, Easter cards, little garden gadgets, rabbits, flowers, the list in endless. July brings everything red, white & blue while September does too! Dazzle away with star pic’s, flags, etc. Just have fun!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      What great ideas, Marcy! Thank you for the inspiration. The great thing about this tree is that it really doesn’t take up much room, so there’s no immediate need to take it out – it’s not like I had to take out a chair or anything. I’ll start planning for my Easter tree, but I’m not sure I can keep it up year round . . . I guess we’ll see! haha

      Reply
      • Marcy Terwilliger

        Can’t wait to see it and the decorations are endless!

        Reply
  10. Keri Lynn Campbell

    It’s gorgeous! I love it!

    Reply
  11. Briana from Texas

    I love your Valentine decor! And I especially love your Valentine tree!

    Reply
  12. Lisa

    That tree is so pretty! What a great idea!

    Reply
  13. Rhonda

    I love your Valentine tree! And your gorgeous room!! I’ll enjoy yours vicariously with my own Christmas tree still shining… until I get ready to take it down. Can’t say when that will be, but I’m known to keep the Christmas decor up for a long time, whenever I get tired of it. Lol!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thank you, Rhonda, and good for you for keeping that tree up for as long as you feel like it! I’ve always felt like I absolutely had to get the Christmas tree down right after Christmas – literally Dec 26. Then I got to where I’d wait until Jan 1, and that was ok. I stretched it out this year and took down two of my four trees down last week, switched the flocked tree into my Valentine tree, and I still have one Christmas tree still up!

      Reply
  14. Robin

    I am totally going for it lol!! My trees are still up as well! I too love the cheerfulness the pretty twinkles give off. Now I know what my next step will be.💗Can’t wait!! Superb idea. Thank you muchly!!!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Wonderful, Robin! I have one more “Christmas” tree I believe I’ll take down today, but this Valentine tree has almost another month to go! And at this point, I think I’ll move right into Easter with it. I have lots of Easter decor and vintage Easter cards that I used when my kids were young, and I’m sure I can deck out a whole tree with those things!

      Reply
  15. Linda M

    This is a perfect transition! I love the snow babies and vintage cards and the cabbage!! I have some cases of old cards of my great aunts’! I’m going to dig through them! I love the Valentine’s Day tree!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thank you! It’s such a good display for vintage or special old cards. xo

      Reply
  16. Kathryn Lackey

    Love this!!! I never would have thought of this transition into the next holiday. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      You’re so welcome, I’m glad you like it!

      Reply
  17. Mary Burchette

    Your Valentine tree is beauty-full and such a great idea! It’s sure to cheer up the dreariest winter days and nights!!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thank you! I am really enjoying it, and I leave the lights on all day and evening. 🙂

      Reply

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