DIY Handmade Romantic Tablescape

Creating a romantic Valentine’s day tablescape is all about the personal touch. I had so much fun pulling together this simple romantic table setting with creamy whites, greens, and a touch of pink. Creating a romantic atmosphere honestly doesn’t take much effort. Here are 5 main components to help you transform your dining room table for Valentine’s Day.

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When I was thinking about how I would create a romantic Valentine’s Day tablescape I knew I wanted to focus on subtle, romantic, and classic designs. Neutral colors as a base with a subtle nod to the classic Valentine’s day color scheme.

This romantic tablescape would work effortlessly for date night, any holiday, or even just an average fancy dinner night.

How to Create a Romantic Handmade Tablescape | Video Tutorial

5 Elements to Build Your Own Valentine’s Day Table Setting

I’m no interior designer, but these are the 5 basic elements I consider when pulling together a beautiful table.

01 Color Scheme

I already touched a moment on why I chose a neutral color scheme with brass accents, but let’s talk about choosing an unusual color for an out-of-the-box romantic setting. The first thing that comes to mind for Valentine’s day is extravagance, but you can get the feeling of extravagance in a simple way when you use bold colors.

I have been diving a little deeper into the rich jewel tones of the victorian age with my beautiful Christmas tablescape. So, if I were to create another Valentine’s Day tablescape I’d go for deep, rich, and elegant.

Think velvet, chiffon, or satin as a bit of a different texture. And a few of the colors on my mind are Emerald Green, Magenta, Wine, Black, and Gold.

Maybe try something a little out of your comfort zone this year? Seasonal decor is so short-lived, holiday decor is the perfect time to try a fun idea you wouldn’t typically choose.

02 The Centerpiece

There are so many beautiful options for creating visual interest in the center of your Valentine’s day tablescape. And while I chose to keep it simple with brass candlesticks, white taper candles, and rustic branch place cardholders here are a few other great centerpiece options.

Any of these options on their own would be gorgeous, or masterfully craft a menagerie of several options for a grand valentine’s day table setting.

5 Great Simple Centerpiece Options

• Fresh Greenery. I went out and trimmed some branches off of the only green bush around in February. It had delightful berries which worked perfectly. Just in case you don’t have any greenery around you can trim, or simply don’t want to, here are a few options *Eucalyptus Sprigs.
• Floral Arrangement. Go all out with a large centerpiece full of gorgeous flowers or a simpler single beautiful flower in a bud vase. There is very little that could beat fresh flowers.
• A Row of Glass Vases. Do a row down the center of the dining table and a single beautiful flower in each.
• Brass Candlesticks. Make sure to add more visual interest if you’re going simple with different heights.
• Cake Stands. Valentine’s day is after all a perfect excuse for sweet treats! I have a small cake stand I love to put cupcakes, cookies, or mini cakes on. And a larger one that is perfect for cakes or pies. But what about a sweet treat display?

Vintage brass candlesticks were the first thing I was absolutely sure I was going to include in this Valentine’s Day Tablescape. I am more than mildly obsessed with brass candlesticks.

Every time I pop my head into a thrift store I am scanning all the shelves for brass or copper elements. In fact, even when they’re tarnished the beautiful patina only adds to the charming classic elegance. However, if you must clean your brass it only takes a quick cleaning, you really can’t go wrong.

03 The Table Setting

A fun way to put together a beautiful Valentine’s dinner is to use your special dishes. In fact, you should pull out all the stops and take this opportunity to use your favorite things.

I chose to use my vintage Pfaltzgraff dishes, white linen napkins, and brass napkin rings. These are, of course, three of my favorite things.

If you can’t find vintage, here are some comparable brass candlesticks & brass napkin rings.

Vintage, Antique, or Family Heirloom Dishes

Use the good stuff. Maybe you received a beautiful dish set as a wedding present, or maybe it was passed down to you from your grandmother. Even if it’s just an intimate setting for a romantic dinner for two. There is no better time than now.

I love purchasing vintage and antique dishes, their charm is unparalleled. We actually use them, even with 5 kids.

Brass Napkin Rings

These are my absolute favorite. I have seen a lot of napkin holders and none of them ever appealed to me until I found these at a garage sale up the road. They are one of those fun accessories that maybe you don’t think about, but they add so much for such a little touch.

Vintage Linen Napkins

I found this beautiful set of 6 vintage linen napkins at a thrift store eons ago. Originally they had a quaint blue embroidered flower on them. And though I love embroidery, and I like blue in general, I really prefer neutral tones for something like this. It makes them extremely versatile.

45 minutes and a seam ripper, a quick wash, hang to dry, and lastly a quick iron job. They are delicate, slightly feminine, and romantic all their own, in my opinion. A perfect addition to a romantic tablescape.

There is something so classic about actual fabric napkins.

There is one common thread that runs through my ideals in life and that is to use things that include risk. What I mean is, things that can be broken, things that can be stained, things that will age and show it. Because if everything we own and teach our children to use is easy to throw away then how do we teach them true value?

If you don’t have any vintage linen here are some similar *fabric napkins.

04 The Tablecloth & Table Runner

There are so many gorgeous tablecloth ideas you could use, but I opted for clean and simple with a DIY table runner made from bleached drop cloth fabric. It was pretty much the easiest sewing project you could do if you wanted to take one on.

I made it wider than typical runners at 3/4 of the width of my table. And then long enough that it was draped over the length of my table. The fact that it is this beautiful creamy color means it’s perfect for layering as well.

You could put a tablecloth under it and a smaller runner on top, or even a beautiful draped lace on top.

If you don’t feel like sewing here is a comparable option for *Cotton Table Runner.

05 A DIY Idea | Natural Elements

No table would be complete without the personal touch! I love bringing nature in and had a bunch of willow branches just waiting for me to create something out of them. These rustic place card holders were a fun quick project and I like how they added a bit of texture as well.

Not into DIY or can’t make them yourself? No problem. Believe it or not, there are comparable *Rustic Wooden Place Card Holders.

It turned out a little bit magical. I could also imagine this setting looking beautiful in a garden on a picnic table of sorts, or even a garden party set up.

Download the Free Poetry Cards PDF

These printables are available as a free download in the Wonderland Subscriber Library. By simply entering your email address and subscribing you get full access. Please remember these are for personal use only.

You can also download these romantic poetry cards for free. There are 10 to choose from and who doesn’t like to receive a super romantic card from their loved one? Bonus points if you write a special message to them specifically on the back and sign it. Just type in your email address below and it’ll go straight to your email!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this post inspired you to put your own romantic Valentine’s Day tablescape together. What would you do differently?

Julie