(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Posts on Robyn’s French Nest may contain affiliate links. You can see our full disclosure details here.)

Guess what?  Valentine’s celebrations don’t have to be expensive or fancy to feel special!  Check out a few ways to create a simple Valentine’s Day table on a budget!

Want to know a secret?  I don’t even usually decorate very much at all for Valentine’s Day!  And usually, our family just enjoys a favorite restaurant or ordering in pizza with a movie.

If you’re looking for elaborate Valentine’s Day table and decor ideas, I’m not your girl!

However, your celebration doesn’t have to require buying a lot of stuff or taking a ton of time either.  You can set a simple Valentine’s Day table that can serve as a little decor for these couple of weeks as well as making that “pizza and movie night” a little more special!

I hope this post inspires you to look around your home and use things you already have, maybe just adding a couple of small DIY items or purchases that you can use year after year!

Simple Valentine’s Day Table Centerpiece

Skip the expensive flowers!

I wanted to create a simple Valentine’s Day table centerpiece that I could keep out on the table during these couple of weeks.  Since it is almost the extent of my Valentine’s Day decor around here, that’s the least I can do, right?!

To have a centerpiece that would last, I decided to skip the flowers and do something a little bit different.

I started with a simple, neutral table runner.  You can even use a long piece of fabric, cut to your desired length.

I added my favorite faux eucalyptus garland  and tucked in some pieces of faux cedar and Norfolk pine for a little extra layering.  After Valentine’s Day, I’ll start putting away winter decor, so I wanted to enjoy it one last time and Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday for a little cozy winter decor!

If I weren’t putting other greenery on the table, I would maybe use greenery or grocery store flowers in the pitcher, so that could be another option if you want to make it a little dressier!  I may add some flowers next week myself!

I thought it would be fun to get the kids involved, so they decorated these little craft hearts with the text from I Corinthians 13, the love chapter!  You can draw and cut out your own hearts, but for less than $7 for 300 hearts, (and next day delivery!) I chose to take the easy way out on this one!

My kids enjoyed helping by hanging their work on the branches and I love how the cardboard craft hearts tie in with the simple, casual theme of the table.

Plus, it can’t hurt to have this important message right in front of us, right?  Surely our family isn’t the only one who needs reminders about patience and kindness?!

I love the subtle touch of Valentine’s Day table decor, added to decor I already had, yet in a meaningful way!  I also love that this centerpiece can just stay here and be used for regular, everyday meals too. The fancier tables are a lot of fun to create, but I do love the more practical ones too!

You can find 3 winter centerpiece ideas on this post and add your own subtle Valentine’s Day touch to any of them!

Simple Valentine’s Day Table Place Settings

Everyday items with a sweet, personalized touch.

Since I am creating my tablescape with a week night in and pizza and movie night, I’ll be breaking out my regular, everyday white dishes!  When people ask me about dishes, I always say the top priority should be a basic set of white dishes.

They go with everything for every season and there are a million ways you can dress them up!

One of the best and fun ways you can decorate for specific celebrations or holidays is to use your food as part of the decor!  Edible decor!

I layered my everyday dinner and salad plates with a simple napkin between.  Napkins are a great way to add texture and color to your table and make it feel a little more “extra” than everyday.

Since pizza is on the menu, I opted for my favorite shop rag napkins.  If they get stained, it’s no big deal.  For under $3 for a pack of 6, you can’t go wrong!

They also add to the rustic, vintage look of my table theme and I love how they have the look of old fabric or linen!

On the salad plate, we displayed Payton’s Valentine’s Pastries!  You can find all the details on this post.

I think they look so cute and definitely makes this an inviting table!  Who doesn’t want to come to a celebration with individual cakes that look this pretty?!

With the simple addition of the desserts Payton made, we were able to transform each place setting from everyday, white dishes to a special and inviting spot to gather and celebrate!

To finish each place setting, I added our simple, black flatware and some fancy stemware.

I always get asked where these glasses came from.  I’ve had them for many, MANY years (at least 13!) and purchased them from the Southern Living at Home parties.  Does anyone else remember those?  They were a fun way to get unique decor for your home!

My black flatware is linked HERE.  I love how it adds that little extra something to the table, but is durable and family-friendly for everyday use!

Vintage Valentine’s Day Table Decor

Thrift for these or make a DIY!

I absolutely love these sweet vintage envelopes that I purchased from my friends over at The Cotton Shed.  Kerri always has amazing vintage finds.  I love that she shares the history of pieces, knowledge about her vintage finds, and always has a touch of the unexpected!

When I saw these bundles of vintage envelopes at one of her online vintage sales, I thought they would be the cutest addition to my Valentine’s Day table decor!

I originally thought I would put one at each place setting, which would still be super cute.  But as I started styling my table, they seemed to work so perfectly in the centerpiece.  I tucked them in and around the greenery.

I love that they add a conversation piece to my centerpiece, a definite vintage vibe, and another subtle Valentine’s Day decor touch too!

What’s sweeter than a special piece of mail, right?!

If you love vintage, make sure to check out The Cotton Shed (hyperlink to IG).  You’ll get so much inspiration from her set-ups, knowledge about vintage pieces, and loads of fun!

Valentine’s Day Family Activity

What’s a party without a little activity, right?  I created this fun conversation heart box last year to use during the Valentine’s Day season.  We had fun discussing different topics over family dinners.  Of course, you can tweak this to fit your children’s ages or just to enjoy with your special someone too!

You can find all the details on this post.

I hope this sparks a couple of ideas that you can use to create your own simple Valentine’s Day table and/or celebration!  It doesn’t have to be fancy to let your people know how much you love them!

No matter how you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, I hope you remember that we can love because we were first loved by our Creator!  YOU are deeply loved and are precious in His sight.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!  

Blessings,

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Posts on Robyn’s French Nest may contain affiliate links. You can see our full disclosure details here.)