Love it or hate it, you have to accept that Valentine’s Day is upon us, and you will have been spending the last couple of weeks surrounded by everything heart-shaped, red and pink, maybe even fluffy.

Whether you choose to celebrate the holiday or not, at the very least, it’s a brilliant excuse to spruce up your home following the post-Christmas / January slump in motivation. We’ve previously given some handy advice on what to do with your Christmas lights once Christmas is over, but we’ve got some more ideas on how to use your favourite decorations in the run up to Valentine’s, to create a cosy and romantic atmosphere in your home, ideal for those of you who’d prefer to stay in on Valentine’s Day.

Speaking of which, we surveyed 500 of you and discovered that 63%, that’s almost two thirds, would prefer to stay in for Valentine’s this year, rather than go out. We can totally understand why, with reasons given including:

• Prices being hiked up in restaurants and eateries for the holiday, and being too expensive.
• Valentine’s itself becoming far too commercial.
• Most places are too busy around Valentine’s Day.
• Not feeling the need to celebrate your relationship on an arbitrary day.

Our General Manager, Stephen Alty, when asked about the results said,

“We weren’t surprised to find that people prefer to stay at home rather than go out and spend money on Valentine’s Day. We’ve noticed a trend, in recent years, towards people creating a cosy environment in their own homes, using good food and romantic lighting and spending their evening focusing on each other. We hope that our tips will be useful to those wanting to get ideas about how to show their appreciation to their loved one, without breaking the bank.”

So, if you’re planning to stay in this year, whether you’re celebrating the day or just want to make your home feel a little more cosy for the season, here are a few of our top tips for doing so:

1. Line lanterns along your pathway, leading to the front door of the house, so that your partner will come home to a romantic surprise at the end of a long day.

2. Prepare a homemade meal, whether for your partner or as an activity together, including all your favourite foods. Dress up to look a bit fancy if you feel like it and make sure the table looks the part too by adding tea lights and a romantic fairy light backdrop.

3. “Hygge” is on trend right now, so create that cosy Scandi environment with warm, chunky knit blankets and a cup of hot chocolate. Then turn the lights down low, set out some LED flickering candles and put on your favourite film for the two of you.

4. Transform any room of the house into a romantic space by using lights, rose petals and a little bit of TLC.

5. Lost for words? Say it with lights! Our light boxes are the perfect way to express yourself and your feelings for your significant other.

If meaningless gifts on a random day aren’t your thing, save that money and spend it on an experience together. Whether you decide to book a trip to somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, tick something big or small off the bucket list, or even turn that experience into spending some time at home; crafting homemade décor for your Valentine’s night in, devoting time to each other is worth so much more.

We hope this post has inspired you to indulge in a little Valentine’s Day decorating, even if just for an excuse to spruce up your love nest. As always, we love to see your pictures, so share the love by sharing your photos of your Valentine’s lights on Twitter or tag us on Instagram, and make sure you use the hashtag #MyFestiveLights.