How to Create a Simple Valentine’s Day Mantel

Truth be told, I’m usually the one who frantically grabs a few holiday-ish decor items from a packed-away storage bin to set out a few days before the holiday arrives. I don’t mean the Christmas holiday, I’m talking the little cutesy holidays throughout the year such as Valentine’s Day. This year, I decided to put a little something together and today I’m sharing how to create a simple Valentine’s Day mantel [in case you’re like me and often do nothing this time of year!]

[*Affiliate links were used below.]

This year, I partnered with Oriental Trading to show you how a couple of simple Valentine’s Day decor pieces can give your space a whole new look. Simply add a few pops of pink and red and bonus points if you incorporate something heart-shaped. That’s it! I’ve been ordering birthday party toys and decorations from Oriental Trading for years [see the Safari Soiree here], but never realized how amazing their selection of hundreds and hundreds of Valentine’s Day items are! Ranging from decor, treats, gift wrapping essentials and valentine’s day goodies for the kiddos to exchange. Such an awesome variety!

 With a couple new items and shopping my house for the rest, I was able to create a simple Valentine’s Day mantel in 30 minutes or less!

I started with Oriental Trading’s Heart Trees that come in a package of 3 sizes. I split up the set, by placing the large and the small tree on the left side and the medium-sized one on the right side.

From there, I filled in some various styling accessories. I wanted to make the mantel feel more cohesive with the look and vibe of the rest of our home. You guessed it…Black, white and gold, with some pattern play!

I grabbed 3 thrifted brass candlesticks from my “collection” and placed a white candle candle in each . I used varying heights of candlestick holders to create balance and visual interest among the heart trees.

You want your eye to follow a zig-zag pattern across each side of the mantel. Similar to a technique used when styling a bookcase, coffee table or nightstand.

Next, I placed a new black and white geometric vase I recently scored from Hobby Lobby on clearance for $3.60 [see similar here] on the left side and then propped up a mirror with a black geometric overlay on the right side. Again, balancing out the use of the bold black on both sides.

I decided to add in a few more pops of red, so I grabbed 2 of the 3 red frames from my “Be Mine Forever” Gallery wall from last year and layered the “Be” and “Mine” off to the left side of the mirror.

A DIY red & gold pillow was placed on the floor and a red and white patterned throw was draped over the side of the arm-chair in the corner. Both items I had stored away from when I last used them in my Christmas Living Room Tour in 2015.

Finally, I draped a darling felt heart garland across the mantel using old command hooks I accidentally left up from our Christmas stockings [see our Christmas Family Room + Mantel here]! I guess my lack of attention to detail while deconstructing Christmas [or sheer laziness!] worked in my favor!

You’ll notice the garland isn’t hung evenly across the mantel, but I like it that way. It keeps things fun and free! Valentine’s Day decor shouldn’t feel uniform and rigid anyways, right?! It’s supposed to be a fun and light-hearted day!

So, with a couple adorable pieces from Oriental Trading and a bit of gathering from around our home, I was able to put this simple Valentine’s Day mantel together during nap-time. If I accomplish even the smallest of tasks during afternoon rest time, it’s a victory. And a simple mantel styling sesh, well that’s a big victory!

Happy February, friends! Hopefully I’ve inspired you to round up a few things to create a simple Valentine’s Day mantel of your own!

Other Valentine’s Day posts you’ll want to check out!:

*This post was in collaboration with Oriental Trading. A big thank you to them for providing me with some cute new Valentine’s Day decor! All thought, opinions and images are my own.