Valentine's Day is always fun with an Italian dinner party to celebrate! That's Amore' is one of my favorite themes for incorporating love Italian style. How perfect that you can serve something fancy or simple with this theme~ Italian food always seems to be a great crowd-pleaser.
Set the vibe with a table set with a white tablecloth decorated with gingham ribbon. The nod to the typical Italian tablecloth print will still be felt, but this is a more subtle take. I love the unique twist on a classic- and you don't have to commit to a new tablecloth if you want to stick with your basic white! The ribbon can also be used for other occasions and future gift wrapping, too.
With the white tablecloth and the red and white gingham ribbon, I wanted to pull in some green to give more of the Italian feel. The glasses that I added to the table have a green stem~ and then I tied thin red and pink ribbons to the glasses to add a Valentine's Day touch.
Another fun and easy way to add a little Italian amore to the table is with pasta, of course! But, don't just serve it to eat~ use it to create a place card for your family and friends. Here I used uncooked lasagna pasta and broke it in half. Using a Sharpie pen, I wrote each name on the pasta. I also tied a bow and then glued the bow to the pasta to add a little color.
In keeping with Italian cafes, I used tall glass bottles (found at Hobby Lobby) and added 4 flower stems to each bottle. These worked well for being taller than eye-level and the clear glass was perfect for reflecting candle light.
Votive candles work best for this place setting, but it you have a wider table and overall more space, a taper candle will look beautiful, too.
I had roses that were on their last day or two of looking their best, and so I used those to add petals to the table. It was fun to sprinkle rose petals over the table for an extra layer of interest and detail. It's amazing how beautiful a rose is layer after layer- and it is a perfect way to make use of flowers that are beginning to wilt.
For drinks and dessert, I dressed up our bar cart with a gingham tablecloth on the lower half of the cart. My tray comes off and then I was able to put the cloth on to look like a skirt.
I used ribbon and tied tulips to the ends of the ribbon~ and then hung the ribbon and tulips so that they were on the front of the bar cart. I like an unexpected detail that also adds some creativity to a theme.
A balloon garland fills the space above the bar cart and creates an instant party. This one is simple with pink mini balloons and six Valentine heart balloons. I also dotted in a few clear confetti miniature balloons.
The clear bottles with the simple flower stems work perfectly for the bar cart, too. I added Tuscan bottled water and water glasses to the cart and then gelato for dessert.
It's a perfect way to end the night! I sprinkled Valentine sprinkles from matchboxes on the gelato for a fun topper.
I hope you find an idea or two that you can use to celebrate Valentine's Day! You can keep it really simple and order pizza or try an Italian recipe like spaghetti and meatballs or Penne Trovatore.
Cheers, Friends! And Happy Valentine's Day!
Xo,
Lydia
MY FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPE
Freebie! Comes with a printable cocktail recipe card you could include with a hostess gift!
Set the vibe with a table set with a white tablecloth decorated with gingham ribbon. The nod to the typical Italian tablecloth print will still be felt, but this is a more subtle take. I love the unique twist on a classic- and you don't have to commit to a new tablecloth if you want to stick with your basic white! The ribbon can also be used for other occasions and future gift wrapping, too.
With the white tablecloth and the red and white gingham ribbon, I wanted to pull in some green to give more of the Italian feel. The glasses that I added to the table have a green stem~ and then I tied thin red and pink ribbons to the glasses to add a Valentine's Day touch.
Another fun and easy way to add a little Italian amore to the table is with pasta, of course! But, don't just serve it to eat~ use it to create a place card for your family and friends. Here I used uncooked lasagna pasta and broke it in half. Using a Sharpie pen, I wrote each name on the pasta. I also tied a bow and then glued the bow to the pasta to add a little color.
In keeping with Italian cafes, I used tall glass bottles (found at Hobby Lobby) and added 4 flower stems to each bottle. These worked well for being taller than eye-level and the clear glass was perfect for reflecting candle light.
Votive candles work best for this place setting, but it you have a wider table and overall more space, a taper candle will look beautiful, too.
I had roses that were on their last day or two of looking their best, and so I used those to add petals to the table. It was fun to sprinkle rose petals over the table for an extra layer of interest and detail. It's amazing how beautiful a rose is layer after layer- and it is a perfect way to make use of flowers that are beginning to wilt.
For drinks and dessert, I dressed up our bar cart with a gingham tablecloth on the lower half of the cart. My tray comes off and then I was able to put the cloth on to look like a skirt.
I used ribbon and tied tulips to the ends of the ribbon~ and then hung the ribbon and tulips so that they were on the front of the bar cart. I like an unexpected detail that also adds some creativity to a theme.
A balloon garland fills the space above the bar cart and creates an instant party. This one is simple with pink mini balloons and six Valentine heart balloons. I also dotted in a few clear confetti miniature balloons.
The clear bottles with the simple flower stems work perfectly for the bar cart, too. I added Tuscan bottled water and water glasses to the cart and then gelato for dessert.
It's a perfect way to end the night! I sprinkled Valentine sprinkles from matchboxes on the gelato for a fun topper.
I hope you find an idea or two that you can use to celebrate Valentine's Day! You can keep it really simple and order pizza or try an Italian recipe like 
Cheers, Friends! And Happy Valentine's Day!
Xo,
Lydia