Valentine’s Day is not actually a public holiday but is considered a feast day in many countries across the world. It is customary for people to celebrate Valentine’s Day with expressions of love. This could mean buying someone you love flowers, sending or handing out cards, gifting chocolates and candy to friends and family, throwing a party, going out on a date, going to the movies, etc. The symbol of the day is the heart, and everything is centered around love, romance and friendship.
These days people really go all out for Valentine’s Day. I think because it is so fun to celebrate! Flower shops and restaurants are packed! Chocolate sales spike! Everyone is out and about, making sure the special people in their life know they are special. Valentine’s Day literally makes the world’s heart go pitter-patter. The heart shaped cards and chocolate boxes, bouquets of red roses, little cupids, conversation hearts with the adorable messages, Valentine’s Day inspired food and drinks, Galentine’s Day parties, romantic dinners, spa days, etc. Anything goes, as long as it is cute, pink, red, girly, sexy, fancy, and romantic!
Going back to the idea that Valentine’s Day is considered a feast day, I decided to create a cute sweet board to celebrate the day and most importantly express my love to family and friends. It was super fun to make! Sweet, charming and whimsical with reds, pinks and filled with hearts! A true representation of Valentine’s Day!
Because I had such a blast creating it and it really wowed my family and friends, I decided to do it again the next year! Why not! I was up for the challenge again!
Below are the two Valentine’s Day sweet boards I created:
If you are also looking to create a dazzling sweet board for Valentine’s Day, below are some helpful steps to assist you:
*First: Find your canvas: Look through your cabinets to find something you can place all the treats on! There are numerous possibilities! It could be a cutting board, a platter, a large plate, serving tray, an antique silver-plated item, a cake stand, butcher paper, etc. Go where your heart takes you! I used my melamine French country tray for both my sweet boards! This is because it is very feminine, so I thought it was appropriate for this endeavor. It also allows the colored sweets to pop against the rustic white background. When choosing your canvas, think contrast and what could make your treats stand out! This leads me to my next step.
*Second: Inspiration and Settle on the Theme/Mood: Brainstorm the type of sweet board you want to create to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Do you want something very feminine with lots of pinks, hearts and florals? Something cute and witty, one the kids will go nuts for? Something romantic? Classic? Upscale and elegant? To garner some inspiration, look at images on Pinterest, squares on Instagram, Google images, etc. Think about what mood Valentine’s Day portrays. Cute, sweet, romantic, fun, sexy, luxurious, and even calming. Typical colors are usually reds, pinks, pastels, whites, creams, and even browns.
For my sweet boards, the mood I worked to convey was traditional, cute and elegant. Traditional items included the heart-shaped box with the chocolates inside, heart shaped cookies and little heart shaped chocolates. For the elegance factor, mini cheesecakes, French macarons, hazelnut Pirouline cookies, fruit, chocolate covered strawberries and fresh flowers. For some added cuteness, conversation hearts, fun marshmallows and licorice!
Listen to your heart here and come up with the mood and theme you want to create with your sweet board. Below are some images you can use while brainstorming:
*Third: Create a Shopping List and Gather Supplies: Now that you have settled on your Valentine’s Day sweet board theme and have your canvas picked out, it is time to create a shopping list. This is where the Pinterest, Instagram and Google images come in handy. While looking at images to build your inspiration, also be sure to jot down the goodies and garnishes you see. Make a list of items you’d like to place on your board. These could be conversation hearts, chocolates, cookies, cinnamon hearts, mellow cremes, little cakes, pastries or donuts, chocolate covered strawberries, fresh fruit, pink marshmallows, etc. Garnishes could be fresh flowers, lace, ribbons or bows, hearts, a small cupid, little Valentine’s Day cards, etc. There is no limit here. Express what Valentine’s Day means to you with sweets and garnishes, you are the designer here. I used fresh flowers and a heart shaped cookie cutter to further enhance the look on my boards!
To assist you in creating your own masterpiece, below is a helpful shopping list for the Valentine’s Day sweet boards I created:
- Melamine French country tray: https://amzn.to/3PRN1QL
- Heart shaped cookie cutter: https://amzn.to/3J8nDT3
- Fresh flowers from local florist or grocery store
- Dove hearts – https://amzn.to/49pRRf0
- DeBeukelaer Creme de Pirouline Chocolate Hazelnut – https://amzn.to/3U7kWYk
- Brach’s conversation hearts – https://amzn.to/49spvk8
- Russel Stover’s mini heart box – https://amzn.to/43O7DiA
- Pink Lemonade licorice – https://amzn.to/49ttTzv
- Strawberry Twizzlers – https://amzn.to/3U5WpCH
- White yogurt pretzels – https://amzn.to/4aM1ben
- Pink and white marshmallows – https://amzn.to/4aNcoLL
- Hammond’s strawberry creme marshmallows – https://amzn.to/4aISLEt
- Trader Joe’s dark chocolate almonds – https://amzn.to/3J6ceTR
- Baker’s dipping chocolate – https://amzn.to/49oaXSF
- Blueberries from the local grocery store
- Raspberries from the local grocery store
- Strawberries from local grocery store
- Blackberries from local grocery store
- Favorite Day Macarons Assortment – Target
- Favorite Day Cheesecake Bite Collection – Target
- Favorite Day Sparkle Hearts Cookie Kit – Target
*Fourth: Assembly: Once you have your canvas, settled on your mood, and have all your supplies, it is time to fill your board/tray/platter with love! Literally! There is no wrong way to do this, let your heart speak to you here. Place larger items on the board/tray/platter first, as they are considered the anchor items. Then start filling in the other areas with all your sweets and treats. Fill the board and work to coverall gaps and spaces. The goal is to make your board/tray/platter look full. Full of love that is!
Add any necessary utensils or little dishes that may be needed. These could be little forks, scoopers, tongs, jars, etc. This all dependent on what you serve. Lastly, add the garnishes! Add the little elements (flowers, hearts, figurines, etc.) that will further amplify the look! Have fun with it!
Fifth: Love and Enjoy: Now that your masterpiece is complete, it is time to share it with loved ones. Your beautiful work of art will warm their hearts and fill their bellies. Be sure to take pictures before the feast begins!
Enjoy!
