DIY Adorable Valentine's Day Decor Using A Few Budget-Friendly Materials

Valentine's décor, while not as abundantly available as preceding holidays like Christmas and Halloween, can still be found in store aisles lined with pink, red, and heart-shaped themes right after the holiday season. February may also charmingly evoke the nostalgia of classroom paper hearts and homemade paper chains, leaving you longing for a more personalized and handmade romantic touch for this holiday. Instagram DIYer @sarah.e.pope may have the perfect solution that melds school day craftiness with a contemporary spin with her quick tutorial on how to make an adorable heart garland using only inexpensive pipe cleaners. 

With the only materials being the pipe cleaners themselves (usually available in large packs, like these IOOLEEM's Chenille Stem Pipe Cleaners), this is a great budget-friendly DIY to decorate the home for Valentine's Day. Easy to assemble with no tools or adhesive, you could also enlist the help of little ones or use the project as a fun snow-day crafting session.

Separate out the colors of pipe cleaners from the pack you want to use. Red, pink, and whites are Valentine's Day standards, but you may also want to incorporate shades like purple, lavender, green, or even orange into your chain. Or, create a full spectrum rainbow heart chain using all the colors in the pack. 

Fold your pipe cleaner into a round and wrap the ends together, pressing down on the top to create the indent at the top of the heart's shape. Keep adding additional pipe cleaners as you go, wrapping them through the last one and securing them, varying the directions of the hearts for a tighter fit together. You could also intermix hearts with other shapes like diamonds or florals for a fun variation on the traditional heart chain. 

These budget-friendly Valentine's Day garlands work perfectly hanging over a window, strewn on outdoor bushes, strung around doorways, or placed anywhere you need some additional whimsical or romantic charm. Use these pipe cleaner hearts to DIY a beautiful Valentine's Day wreath by adding a chain of hearts around the perimeter or attaching the individual pipe cleaner hearts with hot glue. They also make great accents for gift wrapping on bags or packages.