The Valentine Files: PART II

All aboard the lurve train, people. Like it or loathe it, the Valentines stress fest is in full swing…

Let’s kick things off with a peep at the pretty gifts in store at Cox and Cox. I like the silver heart decorations (lovely at any time of year!), the romantic sugar cubes and the little heart pegs best…

Feeling creative? Feeling skint? Both, perhaps? Check out this cute Valentines craft project from our new March issue – it’s cheap to make and oh-so-personal! Buy a vintage map (or just print a map from Google!) then frame the place where you first met…or the town you got married in…or the resort where you spent your honeymoon…or the last place you had a row…

Get more craft kicks elsewhere and download this gorgeous free project from Papermash. What a cute idea – romantic 50s-style paper straws for a Valentine’s Day table setting. Imagine how cool these would look in strawberry milkshakes!

Have you been to HobbyCraft lately? It just gets better and better. I like this idea of using edible rice paper with alphabet stamps and edible ink to write little love notes on biscuits…

A bit more loveliness from our friends at Notonthehighstreet…

I posted about some little ceramic hearts earlier this week, and here’s one I photographed tied around a bundle of vintage love letters for a shoot a while ago. SIGH! And on that soppy note, I’ll be off. I’m starting to feel a bit nauseous. – Ellie

The Valentine Files: PART I

Ever since David Page held my hand in the Book Corner and gave me a huge, glittery hand-made card to declare his undying love (we were both four at the time), I’ve been a fan of Valentine’s Day.

On HomeShoppingSpy this week, we’re going to wade through the mountains of pink plastic hearts, teddies, helium balloons and faux roses to bring you The Valentine files – posts filled with the most beautiful Valentine’s Day gifts and some easy ways to make your own personalised love tokens, which always mean so much more than anything shop-bought. Get crafting for your other half, your secret crush…or just for yourself to make your home look fabulous!

Our first gift idea is a stunning paper heart artwork from Sarah & Bendrix at Notonthehighstreet. These remind me of Tracey Bush butterfly frames, which I’ve ripped off, (erm, been inspired by) myself.  I like the little initial/date hearts for a personal detail and the way some are stuck down completely while others are folded and 3D – so pretty.

I’ve got my eye on these delicate ceramic hearts from The Chic Country Home, but then I always was a sucker for a bit of typography…

Another romantic idea is this stylish Bedtime Stories bed linen from Tiago da Fonseca. It’s printed with ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ fairy tale from Brothers Grimm and gives a whole new meaning to reading in bed! – Ellie