Valentine’s Tiered Tray

Today I’m sharing how I decorated my favorite find – my tiered tray – with shades pink, peach and a few flowers. I really don’t decorate for Valentine’s Day and this color palette makes it versatile for more than just this sweet holiday.

If you’ve been following along, I bought this 3 level tray at HomeGoods a few months ago and I love it. It was in the clearance section because it’s missing a center plate but I bought it anyway. I did a post about how to style it for a few different occasions – a fall centerpiece, a dessert display for a party, as a plant and floral centerpiece, and as a pretty holiday display.

For this look, I used things I already had – except for the darker peach hydrangeas. I bought 2 stems from Michael’s to go with the lighter hydrangea one I already had.

I gathered all different items that had similar colors. I went with pink and peach, along with some natural and whites. These items can be anything you want. Here’s what I used:

• Candles – I loved the idea of using candles since they remind me of Valentine’s Day. Plus I feel like we all have tons of candles laying around. And they don’t have to match – the ones I chose are all very different styles but similar colors.
• Faux flowers – I don’t usually like to use faux flowers but these hydrangeas are so pretty. And those colors. Real flowers in this arrangement wouldn’t last too long. You could opt for small potted plants. I just saw the cutest pink and green plants at our grocery store.
• Greens – I think greenery – faux or real – is a great way to add life to this piece. And with all that pink, peach and white, the earthy greens really give this piece a grounding effect. I used 2 different types of greenery – small and large. This gives the centerpiece a good visual variety.
• Mini frame with simple imagery – I painted a watecolor heart and added it to a frame I had. You can also download pictures or clip art online for easy art work.
• Small vases – I did a post on how to recycled glass food jars for a pretty centerpiece. Check that post out here. I love these jars and have used them several times. Just a little cleaning and some paint is all you need.
• Small detail pieces – I used rocks and small shells. I also had a LOVE magnet that I really wanted to incorporate but just couldn’t find a spot.
• Any other items or decorations that would go with your color palette or theme. Heart shaped trinket boxes, mini vases or dishes, an initial, small sign… the options are endless.

Instructions:

1. I needed a plate for the middle tier so I used one of my white everyday plates. Then I started with the top tier. This tier is rather shallow so my options are limited. But I knew a pretty peach hydrangea would work perfectly. I added a green leaf at the end.

2. For the middle tier, I started with the lighter hydrangea and placed it off-center. If you stagger your similar items, it makes your centerpiece more pleasing to look at. Then I added the other larger pieces: the candle, the peach vase, and the frame (the center or main focal point). I just tried to balance them visually and spread out the colors and shapes evenly. Then I tucked in the two different greens so they filled in any open spaces.

3. For the bottom tier, I used the darker hydrangea – and placed it on the opposite side from the one above. Alternating sides balances things. Then I added in the candles, the shell and the rock. I love all the textures in this tier alone: copper, marble, shell, rock, hydrangea, and the white creamy candle. Add the greens again to fill in the open spaces – and look at how much better it looks!

That’s it – my pretty Valentine’s Day-ish decorated tiered tray!

I added a paper table “runner”. I didn’t have a runner that would really go and this centerpiece needed something to sit on so a roll of specialty paper worked great. You can also use a piece of fabric, a placemat, or a round charger.

Some extra tips:

Your items should be crowded. They should overlap or be a little bit obstructed. This way they really connect and create a cohesive piece.

Gather things with an open mind. And try different options. For example, my simple white candle wasn’t anything special but it really adds a nice touch to that bottom tier. And shells in February? But the color is perfect for this! That mini peach vase was originally used for a fall centerpiece. Go figure?

Like I’ve said in my revious posts, even if you don’t have a tiered tray exactly like this, any piece that you love such as a cake stand, a bowl, or tray can have many purposes and be used more often. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create something meaningful and beautiful. Enjoy!