How to Create Budget-Friendly Valentine’s Day Tablescape

Stunning Valentine’s Day Tablescpae on a Budget 

Whether you are looking for Valentine’s Day tablescape inspiration or springtime tablescapes, this post is going to offer you plenty of budget friendly ideas. We will share budget-friendly decorating tips, versatile ways to create seasonal decor, and plenty of Valentine’s-inspired beauty.  We take you step by step through the creation of my Valentine’s Day tablescape, and teach you how to apply our best decorating processes in your own home. It’s easy to decorate like a professional and still stay on budget with our creative tips.

This post contains affiliate shopping links.

Step 1: Valentine’s Day Tablescape Inspiration

Begin with your inspiration. Your inspiration is like your guide. It creates a theme or focus that will guide all your decisions. Without an inspirational focus your decor can look like an incoherent jumble. 

• Without a decided focus, your table might look random or cluttered.
• When you have a theme, your decor is much more likely to look cohesive.
• In addition, you will know what to buy. You won’t be tempted by “all the things”.
• Your buying will be focused on only what works with your inspiration.
• Starting with focused inspiration guides your decisions, your shopping, and saves you money.

Styling Tip: The best part about this tablescape? It is very versatile. These colors and feminine details can work equally well for many other holidays or events:

• Valentine’s Day
• Spring Table
• Mother’s Day
• Easter (add a few bunnies or eggs and you’re ready)
• Ladies’ Luncheon
• Bridal Shower
• Tea Party

When your decor is versatile you save money. I like to think about my decor purchases and ask myself, “Can I use these items in other ways? How else will I be able to use what I am buying?” When you keep an eye on versatility you end up saving money in your decor budget.

Step 2: Gathering Valentine’s Day Tablescape Supplies

Next, it’s time to gather all the items you might use for your tablescape or seasonal decor vignette. 

Important budget tip:  Before you head to the store shop your home.

• Don’t just think about Valentine’s Day. Here is an important time to think outside the box. 
• Sometimes using non-traditional items for table decor is even more fun.
• There are no limits.
• When you think outside the box the results are fun, surprising, creative, and you end up saving money.
• Ask yourself, what do you love? How can you incorporate personality with unique details?

 

Step 3: Make Shopping Lists for your Valentine’s Day Tablescape Needs

Once you have conducted a complete search of everything you already own, it’s time to head to the stores or do a little online shopping.

Make a shopping list with two categories:

1. Must-have items.
2. Items you might need or want.

Shopping Tip:  If you are going to the stores, bring your inspiration piece or pieces with you. Matching colors (and style) is key to the success of your table or vignette.

Use Unexpected Details for your Table Decor

In order to keep your decor budget friendly, ask yourself two questions:

1. What do I love?
2. And what do I own?

Which unexpected details did I use?

• vintage burlap string-tied hand-stamped book stacks.
• antique book pages 
• faux flower vase filler 

Color is Everything

There is nothing more defining or more powerful than color. So choosing your color scheme is one of the most important decisions. 

Have fun with your colors. Make it new by mixing colors. Mix up your dishes for a different look.

For this table I took my inspiration from one single item I found: a faux Dahlia floral stem. I loved the beauty of the flower, and I really was inspired by the colors. In the flower I saw shades of pink, mauve, and then gold. I envisioned the perfect color combination. 

The Struggle was Real. So was the Reward.

Once I found my inspiration it wasn’t easy. I was shopping late in the season for Valentine’s Day. That was my first problem. Next, all the decor I found was red and pink. Red was a no go, and most of the pinks were too bright. I wasn’t finding anything soft pink, nothing, mauve. Everything in the Valentine’s aisle clashed.

This is when I knew I needed to leave the Valentine’s Day decor sections to achieve my “out-of-the-box” Valentine’s Day tablescape. 

Honestly, I almost reconsidered my inspiration focus at this point. But I looked at the Dahlia, and I was determined. So, I continued searching a few more stores, and eventually my dedication to my original plan paid off. 

 

 

Here are the items I bought for this Valentine’s Day Tablescape

Everything I bought was inexpensive and budget friendly.

(Click on photos to shop.)

• Faux Dahlia stems

• Gold inexpensive high-drama plastic chargers.

• Soft pastel pink salad plates to top off my plate stack.

• Gold fringed cotton-slub napkins.

• Boxed faux flower vase filler supplied the perfect shades of mauve, and soft pinks.

• Soft pink vintage-inspired glasses.

• Pretty pink faux floral stems to add to vases, table & settings.

• Modern Farmhouse style vases.

Build on Staple Dishes to Create your Valentine’s Day Tablescape

It’s so important to have a quality set (or two) of stoneware to use for your tablescape designs. The investment is worth it. Quality stoneware will last throughout your lifetime and serve your family for years.

I highly recommend the quality and lasting beauty of the stoneware made by Casafina. Their collections are timeless.

(Click on photo to shop.)

My dishes are from the Fattoria collection. They provide a stylish yet versatile backdrop for all my designs. Casafina creates beautiful fine stoneware made in Portugal by true artisans. Their products are hand finished and made to last.

The Fattoria collection is a farmhouse-inspired collection of tableware, serve ware, kitchen and bakeware, and accessories. The pieces work effortlessly from fridge to oven, microwave, table and dishwasher. 

(Click on photos to shop.)

Step 4: Time to Create Your Tablescape or Vignette

This is my favorite part. Now it’s time to play. Piece together your table. Try different looks. Change up how you display your napkins. Use cute details in the center of your plate stack.

Have fun with the Valentine’s Day Tablescape centerpiece. There are two main focal points to a table:

1. your centerpiece
2. your table settings

They are two pieces of a whole. They work separately but should integrate together. 

Styling Tip: Tie your centerpiece to your table settings by repeating some element or elements in both spots. 

For this Valentine’s Day tablescape I repeated both the pink flower stems and the vase filler flowers. These elements tied the whole look together.

(Click on photo to shop.)

I usually begin my table by creating the centerpiece. For this Valentine’s Day tablescape I began with my Dahlia inspiration stems. I decided I wanted a repetition of three vases. I knew I would be using my farmhouse style stoneware, so I found a simple farmhouse style vase that matched well with the style of my dishes.

Keys to Creating a Beautiful Budget Friendly Tablescape for Any Occasion

1. Always shop your home first to keep it budget friendly.
2. Gather from everywhere because you never know where you’ll find items that will make your tablescape unique.
3. Choose inspiration to guide your creation, either a specific item or specific colors.
4. Take your inspiration item or your colors with you when you shop.
5. Be sure to tie your centerpiece to your place settings.
    

 

We hope you enjoyed the inspiration of this Valentine’s Day tablescape and that you will use these tips to help you create your own table designs.  Think outside the box, beyond Valentine’s Day, and get creative to make the most of what you have. Create budget-friendly decorating by reusing items in fresh ways. And most of all, have fun!

Here’s another one of our budget-friendly ideas we love: How to Create Stunning DIY Chair Decorations.