A DIY Heart Lamp Is Perfect For Valentine's Day (But You May Want It All Year)

There's nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve, but when it comes to decorating your home for Valentine's Day, why not display it on a side table or mantle instead? Although a romantic card, box of chocolates, or a dozen roses are classic choices to show you care, capturing the look of love in your space takes a little more creativity. Whether you're hosting your girls for Galentine's or playing Cupid for your crush, consider adding a DIY heart-shaped lamp to your space. It takes less effort than planning the perfect date to add a colorful, cheerful, and customizable glow that will leave you smitten all year long.

From expensive iridescent table lamps to inexpensive neaon sign like this BHCLIGHT Pink Heart Neon Sign, heart-shaped lighting is having a moment. This glittery mason jar lantern is one of the sweetest DIY lamp ideas. It's perfect for beginners, requiring little more than a strand of fairy lights combined with a few supplies you can pick up at Dollar Tree. This cute DIY Valentine's Day lamp takes no more than an hour to make or assemble, even with kids. Combined with a few of Dollar Tree's hanging tinsel hearts, this heart-shaped lamp will add a fun and flirty vibe to your home that's sweeter than candy.

Some rooms benefit more from subtle lighting than statement lamps. To create this small but adorable DIY heart lamp, you'll need to use a clear jar like the YINGERHUAN Glass Mason Jars, available in a four-pack for $15 on Amazon. Along with a piece of thick poster board, a pair of scissors, Mod Podge, and Crafter's Square Ultra Fine Glitter from Dollar Tree, you'll also need a short strand of lights in the color of your choice. If you decide to use a larger jar to create a bigger lamp, make sure you opt for a longer strand of lights, too. 

Start by cutting out a heart shape from the poster board and attaching it using double-sided tape before coating the jar in Mod Podge and liberally sprinkling it with glitter. This can be a messy process, but you can clean up spilled glitter easily with this bread trick. The light inside shines through the clear glass areas you've stuck the heart to, so if you want a brighter light, consider using multiple cut out hearts instead of just a central one. Once the glitter has completely dried, carefully remove the poster board heart and tuck the fairy lights inside. Adding a twine bow around the mouth of the jar is an optional step. Basic brown twine is fine, but using KINGLAKE's Metallic Cotton Bakers Twine in gold, white gold, or silver can add some additional sparkle.

So, what if you want to add this sweet lamp to your space, but you can't stand the thought of working with glitter? Instead of using Mod Podge, attach one large poster board heart to the center of your jar with double-sided tape. Then cover the jar using craft paint in pastel colors like pink, sea foam green, or lilac, to mimic the look of candy conversation hearts. Once the paint has dried completely, remove the poster board heart before using freehand or stencils to add short phrases like "BE MINE" or "KISS ME" to the center of your heart. 

This is also an ideal project for using up any craft supplies you have leftover from making homemade Valentine's Day cards with your kids. Young children can use Mod Podge to cover mason jars in colorful heart-shaped doilies or stickers. Older kids can cut out fun characters or Cupid shapes before attaching them with Mod Podge or, for thicker cards, a little hot glue. 

To achieve a stained-glass look, more advanced crafters can cover the entire mason jar with a thin coat of Mod Podge before gently covering it with tissue paper. You can then add additional layers of tissue paper, cut into heart shapes, X's and O's, or just randomly torn into pieces, to get the look you want. If fairy lights aren't in your budget, or you want a more uniform glow, use a battery-operated electric candle inside.