Wishing you all the love this Valentine’s season!
My Valentines Day tree has been up for a little while now, so I wanted to share it with you.
As you know, this little tree has permanent residence in a corner of my kitchen and I try to decorate it for as many seasons as possible. This idea was shared with me many years ago from my friend, Toni. Toni and I think alike in many ways, and I am always in awe of her decorating skills. I’ve sold quite a few of her homes over the years and love just being a fly on the wall to see what great ideas she comes up with. Fast forward to 2026 and everyone seems to be keeping their trees up year round with seasonal decor. I guess I am just trying to tell you how old I am.
As I planned this year’s Valentine’s tree, I knew I wanted to use red toile and family photos and traditional hearts.
When I took down the Christmas decorations, I left some of the red berries and winter greenery in place.
When I took down the Christmas decorations, I left some of the red berries and winter greenery in place. From there, I filled in gaps with greenery from my stash. I recycle greenery throughout the year—from Christmas trees to arrangements to wreaths—so it’s always in rotation. I also tucked in some cream florals left over from Christmas.
To bring in a soft pink hue, I added faux pink baby’s breath throughout the branches.
Next came the photo frames. I found these sweet little frames on Amazon and used them for vintage-style family portraits.
I went to my friend, ChatGPT, and asked him specifically:
“Please transform this photo as “Vintage storybook illustration, soft watercolor, fine ink lines, warm neutral palette, classic children’s book style, gentle expressions, timeless clothing”
...and, yes, I always say "please" and "thank you" to my ChatGPT.
I loaded one photo at a time and gave those specific directions each time to ChatGPT. Some turned out beautifully, others…not so much. Not every photo was usable. I have a subscription to Chat GPT and am unsure if you could get multiple photos transformed in a timely manner without a paid subscription.
Here’s my favorite edit using a photo of Evie.
After editing, I placed the photos on a single page to size them for the frames. You could do this in Pages, Word, or any simple document program. Once cut and framed, a deep red velvet bow on top of each frame finished them off.
For the red toile accents, I decoupaged napkins onto oval ornaments. This was such an easy project and made a big impact. Both the napkins and ornaments were Amazon finds.
For years, I’ve collected vintage metal molds in all sizes. They’ve been sitting in my basement with no purpose, so I decided this was their moment. Since I’m using a lot of copper in my kitchen décor right now, I spray-painted the molds copper and hot-glued floral wire to the back to create hangers.
Years ago, I bought faux strawberries for Mary’s strawberry-themed Christmas tree. I used the extras here by adding a small eye bolt to the top and tying on a pink satin bow. Instant ornaments.
The large white wooden hearts were a Dollar Tree find in the picture frame section. They were white and lightly distressed so I softened them with a coat of creamy paint to blend with the other ornaments.
The last ornaments made were a collaboration with my granddaughter Evie and daughter, Mary.
We made cinnamon applesauce ornaments together. Evie just turned three, but she quickly figured out how to press the cookie cutters into the dough and transfer the shapes onto parchment paper. This craft is perfect for younger kids, and we had the best time getting our hands dirty.
Cinnamon Applesauce Ornament Recipe
1 cup ground cinnamon
3/4 cup applesauce
2 TBSP white school glue
1 TBSP ground allspice (or nutmeg/cloves)
Mix all ingredients together. Roll or press the mixture to about 1/4"–1/2" thick. Sprinkle extra cinnamon if it feels too moist or sticky. Cut shapes just like you would biscuits.
Be sure to add a hole at the top to feed your ribbon or wire through for hanging. A straw or toothpick can be used, depending on the size hold you'd like to make. I used a toothpick and rolled it until the hole was the size I wanted it.
Allow the ornaments to air dry for approximately 48 hours, turning them over once during the drying process. Let dry completely before decorating.
Mary came by after the ornaments had dried and decorated them with paint pens and puff paint. Our ornament decorations were made with Colorshot paint markers and Tulip puff paint.
To finish the tree, I decoupaged leftover toile napkins onto a strip of cardboard to create a tree collar. Extra greenery tucked inside gave it a finished look.
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