| How to Decorate For Valentine's Day Posted: 13 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST Decorating for Valentine's Day can be a lot of fun. If you don't have many ideas, however, it can be quite stressful. This article will give you several tips and ideas on how to decorate for this very special day. It will also give you a few simple projects that you can later use to decorate your space with. [Edit]Getting Ideas - Know who you are decorating for. Having an idea of who you will be decorating for can help you decide what sots of themes and colors to use. For example, if you are decorating a classroom for young children, you may want to use larger, more colorful decorations. If you are decorating a classroom for older children (such as teenagers) you might want to tone down the pink and frills, and keep the decorations more subtle.
- Know where you will be putting the decorations. Some decorations work better in some places than others do. For example, you can get away with using larger, brighter decorations in a classroom, but you might want to use smaller, less distracting decorations for your desk or cubicle.
- Make use of the bulletin board in classrooms. Use white or pink for the background, and red for the boarder. Decorate the board with the students' Valentine's day crafts.
- If you are in a cubicle, pin a heart or cupid cut-out to the wall. You can also place a glass bowl with candy hearts on your desk.
- If you work at a desk, try getting a Valentine's day themed figurine, such as a tinsel heart, and placing it on top of a lace doily. You can also place a jar filled with candy hearts on your desk.
- Decorate the windows with garlands and paper cut-outs if you own a shop. These will bring the holiday into your shop without getting in your customers' way.
- Go full out if you are decorating your home, but be mindful of people's private space. Consider decorating family areas, such as the kitchen, living room, and dining room.
- Choose a theme and stick with it. Valentine's Day decorations come in all shapes and sizes. Some look rustic, while others look fancy. Whatever theme you choose, keep it consistent. A rustic, burlap table runner won't look good under an elegant vase filled with a dozen red roses. Here are some common Valentine's Day themes to get you started:
- Old-fashioned themes will be Victorian-inspired. They will often use gold, ivory, and other soft, faded colors. They will be detailed, with lots of lace.
- Rustic themes are popular and make use of burlap, rope, and galvanized steal.
- Traditional themes use a lot of red, white and pink. While hearts are the main focus, you can also expect a cupid here and there.
- Sweet themes are true to their name, and use lots of pastels, candy hearts or heart-shaped chocolates in their design.
- Try going beyond red, pink, and white. These are the three most commonly used colors for Valentine's day, but this doesn't mean that you have to use them. There are other colors that, when used with a heart shape, can also work.
- Use the candy conversation hearts as inspiration. They come in pink, pale yellow, light green, and pastel purple. These are great for kids.
- Red and gold or red and black are romantic, and great for fancy dinners.
- Pink and silver are more delicate, and great for anyone.
[Edit]Decorating Your Space - Choose candles in romantic colors and sweet scents. Candles are perfect for bringing a touch of romance to any space. Red, pink, or white candles, however, would be even better. To step things up a notch, try getting scented candles, especially ones that smell like cookies, cupcakes, roses, and sugar.
- For more ideas on how to use candles, click here.
- Use lots of flowers. Nothing says romance and love like flowers, especially roses. Red roses are the most popular, but pink and white roses are also suitable. You can also use carnations and daisies as well. Arrange the flowers in glass vases. Baby's breath and fern leaves make great fillers.
- For a fancy dinner, tuck a single rose into each napkin ring, along with a white napkin.
- Red roses make perfect gifts for romantic partners. Pink and white roses make great gifts for sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers.
- If you don't want to use flowers, get a pack of fake rose petals from an arts and crafts store instead. You can usually find them in the wedding aisle. Scatter the petals across tables or fireplace mantles. You can also place them in a bowl.
- Place bowls of candy throughout the house or room. For a fancier twist, place the candy in a fake crystal bowl or on a cupcake tray. Conversation hearts and cinnamon hearts are perfect for Valentine's Day. If you don't like those candies, however, try chocolates, or other red-colored candies.
- Use table runners and lace doilies. Drape table runners over the tabletops before you set things down, such as flowers and candles. You can also use doilies instead. For example, a large, glass vase filled with red roses would look romantic set atop a large, white, lace doily.
- If your table runner is plain, you can paint hearts onto it using stencils and red or pink fabric paint.
- You can also dress up a plain table runner by gluing down some wide lace down the center.
- If the runner is narrow enough, you might be able to place it on your fireplace mantle.
- Make use of store-bought decorations. They usually start appearing in stores around January. Party supply stores and arts and crafts stores often have a lot to choose from. Some department stores may also sell them. Here is a list of store-bought decorations, and how you can use them:
- Drape banners across doorways, fireplace mantles, and windows.
- Pin or tape cupid and heart cut-outs on doors, above fireplace mantles, and on windows.
- Hang wreaths on doors or above fireplace mantles.
- Place tissue balls and flower balls in glass bowls. If they come with a ribbon or string loop, you can hang them up instead.
- Place figurines, miniature plants, and tiny topiaries on mantles and desks.
[Edit]Using and Decorating Candles - Put candles on tables and fireplace mantles. If you are using pillar candles, use both short and tall ones. This will make your mantle look more interesting. Also, try to use a color that contrasts with the mantle, or the wall behind it. For example, if you have a dark-colored mantle, use white or ivory candles. If you have a white mantle, use pink candles for a softer look, or red candles for a romantic look.
- Red, pink, and white/ivory are typical Valentine's day colors. You can also use gold or silver.
- Add to existing pillar candles. If you can't find any red or pink candles, but don't want to use plain white candles, you can always dress up what you have. Wrap some twine or thick lace around the middle of a candle, and secure it with a piece of clear tape or a drop of glue. Stick a heart-shaped button or sticker in the middle.[1]
- You can also wrap strips of double-sided tape around a candle, and then roll the candle around in glitter. Use Valentine's day colors, such as pink, red, gold, or silver. You can match the glitter to the candle color, or use a contrasting color, such as gold glitter on a red candle.
- Decorate the trays, chargers, and stands you put pillar candles on. This is great for those who have plain candles and don't feel like decorating them. It can turn a plain set of candles into Valentine's day ones with little effort. Place your pillar candles on the base first. Next, scatter some conversation hearts or glass marbles across the base, between the candles.
- Use Valentine's day colors for the glass marbles, such as red, pink, silver, and gold.
- Use floating candles for a more romantic look. Fill a shallow, glass bowl with water, and add some floating candles. For some more color, scatter some red or pink glass marbles across the bottom of the bowl. You can use ordinary white floating candles or rose-shaped ones (in red, pink, white, gold, or silver).
- For a twist on the floating candle, consider using a tall, cylindrical vase or a mason jar instead of a glass bowl. Fill the vase or jar almost to the top with water, and add the candle.
- Fill a cylindrical or hurricane vase with pink and/or white sand and stick a pillar candle on top. You can also use other vase fillers as well, such as conversation hearts or glass marbles in pink, red, or clear. Try to use a contrasting color for the candle, so if you are using pink filler, use a white candle. For a finishing touch, wrap some pink or red ribbon around the middle of the vase, and tie it in a bow.[2]
- To use less filler: place a small can inside the vase, and stick the candle on top. Fill the space around the can with filler, all the way up to the top of the can. When you are done, the can should not be visible.
[Edit]Making Decorations - Make some Valentine's Day candle holders using mason jars, paint, and glitter. Cut a large heart out of adhesive paper, and stick it onto the side of the jar. Paint over the jar using Mod Podge. Shake on some white, pink, or red glitter, and then peel off the heart. You will be left with a heart-shaped hole; the candle light will shine through this hole. Wait for the glue to dry, then tie a pretty pink ribbon around the mouth of the jar.[3]
- Wipe the entire jar down with rubbing alcohol first. It will help the glitter stick better.
- Consider painting the jar first. Match the color of the paint to the glitter you will use.
- Try to use fine, scrapbooking glitter instead of thick, chunky glitter. It will look more professional.
- Make a heart tree using tree branches and hearts. Go outside and find a tree branch; it should be no longer than your arm, with thin, delicate twigs. Cut some hearts out of pink, white, and/or red paper. Glue the hearts onto the twigs using hot glue. Stick the branch into a vase.
- Try using pearly scrapbook paper or glitter paper. It will look more romantic.
- Make a simple garland. Find cardstock in red, pink, and white. Punch or cut hearts out of the cardstock. Arrange the hearts in a row, making sure to leave some space between each one. Draw a thin line of glue along the center of each heart, going from side to side. Cut a long piece of string, and place it across the hearts, right on top of the glue.
- For a romantic garland, fold lace, paper doilies over a piece of string. Secure the doilies with a drop of glue on the inside.
- To decorate for school or a book-lover, use photocopies of book pages instead.
- Make a giant conversation heart garland. Cut large hearts out of pastel-colored paper, and write cute messages using red marker. Punch a hole through the left and right sides of each heart. Tie the hearts together using shiny, white ribbon; be sure to tie the ribbon into cute bows. Tie a piece of ribbon onto each end of the garland so that you can hang it up.[4]
- Aim to make each heart about 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) across.
- For a simpler garland, use smaller hearts. Glue the hearts across the middle to the string. Leave about 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) on each end of the string so that you can hang it up.
- Sew a garland. Cut hearts out of red, pink, and white felt. Place red thread in your sewing machine. Sew the hearts across the center, from top to bottom. Feed hearts into the sewing machine, one after the other, until they are all included on one long piece of string. Back stitch at both ends to ensure the thread doesn't unwind. Hang it with tacks in a doorway, or lay it across a table.
- Add some sparkle to just about anything with glitter. Apply some white glue onto the area you want glittery. If you want to use more than one color, start with your first color; you will apply the other colors later. Shake the glitter onto the glue, then tap the excess off. If you want to add more colors, apply the glue for your next color. You can apply glitter to just about anything, including candles, jars, and cards.
- Use Valentine's day colors, such as red, pink, and iridescent, when coloring large areas.
- Use gold and silver for small, accent areas.
- For large areas, use loose glitter and glue. You can use spray-on glue, or liquid glue. Use a paintbrush or foam brush to apply the liquid glue.
- Use double-sided tape on boarders. Place the tape down first, then shake some glitter over it.
- Use glitter glue pens for fine, detailed areas. Glitter glue pens will also work for letters.
- Make some Valentine's Day cards for your loved ones. Use cardstock, lace doilies, and glue to layer a heart design. Color the card with colored pencils, markers or crayons. When you are done, you can pin the Valentines to walls or windows for decoration.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Cook Frozen Prawns Posted: 12 Feb 2021 04:00 PM PST Prawns can make a quick and delicious meal, and if you keep them in your freezer, you can pull them out on a night when you are having trouble coming up with dinner. Defrosting prawns takes less then 20 minutes when you use cold water, and you can pan-fry them or boil them from there. However, you can also cook them from frozen, if you prefer, cutting out the extra step of defrosting them. [Edit]Defrosting Frozen Prawns - Soak the prawns in salt water for about 20 minutes. For a rapid defrost, add (34 g) of salt to of cold water. Take the prawns out of the bag, and add them to the water, making sure they are completely submerged. Leave them for 20 minutes.[1]
- Drain the water off once the prawns are defrosted. They should feel squishy rather than solid.
- The salt helps add flavor to the prawns.
- Do not refreeze the defrosted prawns without cooking them.[2]
- Thaw prawns under running water for the fastest method. Put the prawns in a colander, and place them under running water. As the water runs, move the prawns around to help incorporate the water. This method typically takes 5-10 minutes to defrost the prawns.[3]
- Make sure your water is cool. Warm water can begin to cook the prawns.
- Don't refreeze the prawns without cooking them first.[4]
- Avoid defrosting prawns in the microwave. While you can use the microwave to thaw prawns, you'll likely end up partially cooking them while doing it. You're more likely to end up with chewy, rubbery prawns if you defrost them this way.[5]
- Alternatively, place the prawns in the refrigerator overnight. This method takes a while, but it's also the easiest. Simply take the prawns out of their freezer bag, and put them in a covered dish. Set them in the refrigerator. They should be defrosted the next day.[6]
- Once they're defrosted, they're ready to cook.
[Edit]Cooking Defrosted Prawns - Boil prawns in salt water. Add of salt (34 g) to about of water in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, and pour in the prawns. This should be enough water for about of prawns. Once the water comes back to a boil, turn the heat down and cook the prawns for 3-6 minutes, until they turn pink and opaque.[7]
- The prawns will float to the top when they're done.
- To stop the cooking process, you can run the prawns under cold water.
- You can leave the shells on to cook them this way.
- Butterfly and grill the prawns. Heat up the grill first. If it's a gas grill, put on medium heat. If you have a charcoal grill, let the initial heat die down some before you grill the shrimp. Cut along the back of the prawn, creating an opening. Pull the prawn open in the back, making a wide, flat prawn. Place the prawns on the grill, and cook them until they're pink and opaque, which usually takes just 3-5 minutes.[8]
- If the prawns still have their shells, leave them on, but trim off the legs. You can still butterfly the prawns, even with their shells on.
- Adding a little oil or butter to the prawns before grilling will add flavor.
- Sauté prawns in a pan. Place a pan over high heat, and add a pat or 2 of butter and a spoonful of olive oil. Once the oil is hot and the butter is melted, add a little minced garlic (1-2 cloves) to the pan, and let it cook by itself for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the prawns, and sprinkle them with a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper. You don't want to crowd the pan, but the amount you can add depends on the size of your pan. Cook them 3-5 minutes, stirring often.[9]
- Take them off the heat when they turn pink.
- It helps to pat the prawns dry before adding them to the pan, as they will sear better.
- While you can leave the shells on for this process, it's easier to peel them before cooking when you're sautéing them.
[Edit]Cooking Frozen Prawns without Thawing - Rinse the prawns to remove ice crystals for baking or sautéing. Place the prawns in a colander and run them under water quickly. You just want to break up the clumps and remove any excess ice crystals on the outside of the prawns.[10]
- If you're using a wet cooking method, such as poaching, you can simply bang the bag on the counter to break up the clumps. There's no need to rinse.[11]
- You can use shelled or unshelled prawns for these cooking methods.
- Poach the prawns in boiling water with additional flavors. Fill a small pot with water, and place it over high heat. Stir in several heavy pinches of salt and any spices or flavors you'd like. Bring the pot to a boil, and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the prawns, and cover the pot. The prawns should be done in 5-6 minutes, when they're pink and opaque.[12]
- Add in aromatics and other flavors like half a lemon with the juice squeezed in, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1/4 of an onion, a handful of parsley, and/or 12-15 peppercorns. The amounts do not need to be precise, as they are just adding flavor. You can be as light or as heavy-handed as you'd like.
- Try a 1/2 a teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt to of water, which will easily hold of prawns.
- Roast the prawns in a hot oven. Place the rack in the oven about from the broiler. Turn on the broiler, and place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat for 10 minutes. Toss the frozen, rinsed prawns in the seasoning mix of your choice, such as a Cajun seasoning mix. Once the pan is hot, pull it out with a oven mitt, and pour the prawns on the pan. Put them back in the oven to cook for about 5 minutes.[13]
- You can make your own Cajun blend or simply buy some from the store. You could also use taco seasoning or just sprinkle on some rosemary, basil, and garlic.
- The prawns will curl slightly when they're done.
- If the prawns clump up as you pour them, use tongs to spread them out.
- Sauté prawns in a pan with a little oil and garlic. Heat a pan on the stove to high heat, and pour in a spoonful of olive oil and a couple of pats of butter. Cook 1-2 cloves of minced garlic in the pan for about 1 minute. Pat the prawns dry, and add them to the oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Cook them 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they turn pink.[14]
- Try not to crowd the prawns, as they won't sear as well.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Colander
- Pot or pan
- Oven mitt
- Salt
- Oil or butter, optional
- Seasonings, optional
[Edit]Warnings - Don't defrost prawns at room temperature without water, as they may sit at an unsafe temperature for too long and grow bacteria.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Cards for Valentine's Day Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:00 AM PST A homemade card can show a little extra love and care on Valentine's Day. Homemade cards can include plays on language, like puns. You can attach small gifts, such as candy, to cards. Go for eye-catching decorations, like ribbon and fabric, to make your cards attractive. [Edit]Playing with Language and Puns - Make a tic-tac-toe pattern. Instead of using circles and X's, use X's and hearts on the tic-tac-toe board. Make a line of three hearts running diagonally, horizontally, or vertically on the board. Then, write something like, "You won my heart!"[1]
- If you're handwriting isn't great, you can use stencil letters or print out the words and then glue them onto the board.
- Use a king or queen card. Take a king or queen card from a deck of cards. Glue it onto the front of a blank card. Then, write, "You're my queen" or "You're my king" on the card.[2]
- Pick cards that are the right colors for Valentine's Day, such as red or pink cards.
- Use a maze. Go online and print out a small maze. For an added Valentine's Day effect, try printing a maze in the shape of a heart. Glue the maze to the front of a blank card. Either on the inside of the card or on the front, write, "You are a-maze-ing."[3]
- You can add other decorations to the front of the card to make it a little more festive. For example, you could use a stencil or stickers to add heart shapes surrounding the maze.
- Stencil a key shape onto your card. Pick up a key stencil at a local craft store or simply trace around your own set of keys. Draw a key shape on the front of the car and color it in in Valentine's Day shades like reds or pinks. Then, write on the card, "You have the key to my heart."[4]
- As keys may not lie completely flat on paper, it may be easier to use a stencil than your own key.
- Stencil on puzzle pieces. Take two connecting puzzle pieces and lie them flat on card side-by-side. Trace around them using a pen or pencil. Color them in in Valentine's Day shades, like pink or red. Write on the cover or inside of the card something like, "We're a perfect fit!"[5]
[Edit]Adding Objects to Cards - Attach candy to cards. Candy is traditionally given out at Valentine's Day. Try arranging pieces of candy, still in the wrappers of course, into shapes or letters on a card. The recipient can then pluck the candy off to eat later.[6]
- For example, arrange heart-shaped candy into the outline of a heart. Inside the heart, you can write something like, "I Heart You!"
- Glue candles on a card. Take a few small birthday candles and glue them onto the front of a blank card. Draw little hearts puffing out of the tops of the candles like flames. Then, write somewhere on the card something like, "You Light Up My Life."[7]
- Choose candles with a Valentine's Day color.
- Add a race car. This is a great idea for young children who play with toy cars. Tape a toy car to the front of a blank card. Then, write something like, "You Make My Heart Race!" inside the card.[8]
- You can add extra decoration by drawing tire marks jutting out the back of the car.
- You can also glue or stencil on hearts, cupid bows, or other Valentine's Day shapes around the car.
- Glue letter magnets on a card. Take some letter magnets, which you can buy at most craft stores and even some department stores. Glue them on the front of the card to spell out the name or initials of the card's recipient.[9]
- Choose colors related to Valentine's Day, like reds or pinks.
- Add extra decorations, like hearts and cupid bows, surrounding the letters for extra decorations.
- Tie tiny toy animals onto cards. These are great for kids who love animals. Print out small, rectangle-shaped pieces of paper. Print out pictures of animals online and glue them onto the paper. Then, punch a hole in the corner of the card. Use a small piece of twine to tie toy animals onto cards. Tie animals onto the cards that have the same animal printed on them. For example, if a card has a lion printed on it, attach a small plastic lion to the card.[10]
- You can also write cute phrases on the cards, such as, "I'm Wild For You!"
[Edit]Using Eye-Catching Decorations - Make a pop-up card. Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half. Draw a small heart on the fold, so the fold forms a line in the middle of the heart. Then, draw another larger heart around the first one. Cut around each heart, but do not cut them out of the card itself. On the sides of each heart, leave a small space uncut so the hearts stay attached to the card. Take a second piece of paper. Use a glue stick to glue a border around the sides of your first piece of paper. Attach your first piece of paper to your second piece of paper and fold your card in half. When you open it, both hearts should pop out slightly.
- For an added touch, use paper decorated with hearts, bows and arrows, and other Valentine's Day patterns.
- Paint on a card with watercolor. If you're adept at painting, get some watercolors. Do some free form painting on the front of a blank card. You can paint an abstract arrangement of Valentine's Day colors and then write a message over it when it dries. You can also paint Valentine's Day shapes, like hearts or bows and arrows. When you're done, let the card dry completely before adding any other decorations or words.[11]
- Add felt hearts. Pieces of felt can give your Valentine's Day card a fun, fuzzy feel. Pick up some red and pink felt and cut out small heart shapes. Glue them onto the fronts and insides of cards.[12]
- A fun idea is to use a needle and thread to run a string through a line of hearts. Then, glue the ends of either string down onto the card and write something like, "You Have My Heart on a String."
- Make a jar of hearts. Cut heart shapes out of construction paper in colors like red and pink. Use a stencil to draw a jar shape upside down on the top corner of your card. Then, glue on your heart shapes. Have some of them inside the jar and some spilling out down through the card. Add letters as well, spelling messages like, "Love You."
- Glue ribbon onto your cards. Ribbons can be a nice touch. You can add them as a finishing touch to any of the card designs listed here. For example, tie a ribbon into a bow and stick it at the bottom of a card if you feel it needs a little extra decoration.[13]
- Add a glitter heart. Cut out a heart shape from construction paper. Use a glue stick to glue the full surface of the heart and then sprinkle on some glitter. Once the heart dries, glue it to your card to add some sparkle.[14]
- Glitter hearts can be used as decoration in the above designs if you feel they look a little bare.
[Edit]Sample Valentine's Day Cards - Some stores sell a packet with everything you need to make your own Valentine's Day card. They often include red, white & pink paper for the card and stickers as well.
- Make what you think the recipient will like and get creative!
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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