Valentine's Mantel Decor

This week has been very busy and I took on WAY too many projects!  One positive result = I have LOTS to share with you.  My main focus was to decorate for Valentine's (didn't I just un-decorate from Christmas??).  To be honest, I'm really not into Valentine's Day (doesn't everyone say that) and I don't usually change my decor for this somewhat minor holiday, but I had fun styling my home with a few homemade crafty creations!

Earlier this week, I posted pics of some Valentine's ideas from other talented bloggers and I gave you a preview of the pillows (and now the mantel) that I pulled together for this LOVEly Holiday!

These cute pillows were super easy to make, especially using my all time favorite stand-by, Stitch Witch!  I own a sewing machine (thanks to my mom), but do not sew (YET!...it's on my resolution list for 2011).  The other day, I picked up some fun V-day fabrics and accessories (ie: colorful buttons and iron-on appliques) and my creative juices started to floooow....  I had an idea in my head of the kind of pillows I wanted to create and here is the result:

The heart shape pillow is adorable, especially donning some colorful pink, orange, and yellow buttons!

And what about the L-O-V-E pillow ~ What do you think??  I used cheap inexpensive Muslin fabric ($2.50/yd) to create this vertical beauty.  I cut out the letters L, V, & E from felt and ironed them on, along with the heart applique for the O.  SIMPLE!

The other two pillows are basic sizes ~ the pink is 16:" x 16" (which I'll put in my daughter's Honeysuckle colored room after V-day) and the black pillow is 8" x 16".  And of course the little mini....4" x 6"

{The LOVE Mantel} 

Mostly everything on the mantel is repurposed from other places in my home. 

The candle pillars I purchased awhile ago from AC Moore ($5-$8).  The two taller pillars hold candles and the smaller version has newly made yarn balls.  They are so stinkin' cute!!  Many of you knitters out there probably have a ton of 'real' yarn balls, but these are fake using styrofoam balls with yarn wrapping around (shhhh...).  Jenn just did a tutorial on how to make them ~ check it out.  

Standing in front, is my latest LOVE plaque that I bought from AC Moore for less than $1.  It's actually a picture frame, which I removed and added a little love heart. 

Adorable Valentine Subway Art ~ Get it for Yourself.

And of course, our tribute to Philly: a mini LOVE sculpture.

I dressed up the candles on the candelabra (from Willow House) using some burlap strands. 

That's my wedding bouquet from 7 years ago....how nice to incorporate into my LOVE mantel!

LOVE the garland on my newly retiled fireplace?  I cut out hearts from white construction paper and hung it with two layers of red yarn (used from the yarn balls).

This was a really fun project to work on...I hope you've enjoyed it!

Have you decorated your mantel for Valentine's Day?

You can find my projected linked up to:

As well as these linky parties