As I learn more about how to merge mine and Mike's interior design styles together, I've been finding new ways to get creative with vintage decor. One thing that's hard to locally acquire is vintage Valentine decorations. Most of the design styles out are just not our vibe, so trying to DIY Valentine decor was the best option for us. Luckily, I had a lot of tea cups and tea time accessories from my Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop themed bridal shower (Harry Potter, for those not in the know). So, after a deep-dive on Pinterest, I created my own vintage-inspired Valentine Cloche!

Cloche's are wooden stands with plastic or glass bell-shaped caps that help encapsulate decor. I got super into them last year when looking up Easter/Spring decor ideas. A couple of weeks ago, I managed to grab one from Target made with a plastic bell cap. I originally got this do to Spring decor, but I think it would be really fun to see how I can utilize this for Valentine's Day!

What You'll Need

Cloche
Tea cup (preferably vintage or secondhand)
Floral foam ball (mine was 2.4")
Moss
Scrapbook paper & 3D stickers
Scissors or die cut machine
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

How to DIY

Your entire project will depend on the size of your cloche and the size of your teacup. Make sure that your tea cup fits in the cloche with the cap on. Sometimes, you can get lucky enough to where your matching saucer will fit in the cloche, as well. I happened to have a small tea cup that just perfectly fit inside, but the saucer went back in storage for the time being. I used a floral ball and cut off just enough from one side to make it sit a bit inside the cup under the rim. Since I wanted to be able to use this cup in the future, I shaved just the tiniest bit off the opposite side so it would sit inside without needing to be glued.

I took a bit of moss from my variety pack to glue onto the flat area of the floral foam. I wanted the moss to look more like the color of tea with cream, so I opted for the tan rather than the green moss this time. I also added just a tiny bit on the sides so no foam would show if I decided to use this as a table centerpiece since the foam was a bit smaller than the cup. This particular moss was attached to a few sticks. I used one of the sticks to act as a holder for my little Valentine card.

Using my Silhouette Cameo, I created 2 scalloped hearts; one I cut at around 4" width on white linen paper, and one with detailed cutouts on red paper at around 3.5" width. You can click here to download the Silhouette file or click here to download the PDF for use as a template. I glued the hearts together and used some vintage-style stickers from my local craft store to decorate. These are some good similar ones! I placed one sticker on the front, glued the card to the stick, and placed a sticker on the back to cover the stick and the glue. As a last-minute addition, I added a tiny spool of thread from a pocket repair kit and some leftover roses that I had from another project. I used my Distress Ink kit to age the paper a bit. You can replicate this by dipping the card into coffee or black tea, or by lightly sponging on brown paint that has been severely watered down.

I absolutely adore how this piece came out! It ended up going in kind of a different direction that I had anticipated, but I still loved it. A lot of vintage Valentine cards I'd seen online had the classic gold cupid with red roses, but they're hard to find on a budget. Creating my own was super simple and very budget friendly. I'll be using the remaining scrapbook paper and stickers from the back on another project to help make sure that nothing gets wasted (or unnecessarily hoarded)!

Tips & Tricks

Vintage tea cups are super easy to find at Salvation Army stores and local thrift shops. I've found that Goodwill stores in my area don't really keep them in stock. If you're looking to buy a really nice one for this project alone, check sites like Poshmark, eBay, and Etsy. Lots of people are selling them and some are willing to sell them outside of bundles if you ask nicely.

Cloches can be purchased at the Dollar Tree, Target, Walmart, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Amazon, and more. From plastic to glass covers and plastic to wood bases. What you'll find is entirely dependent to where you look. While I found mine at Target, I was fully intending to purchase mine from my local Marshall's that always has a ton on hand.

Buy either your cloche or your tea cup first, and build your found objects from there. I got lucky, but I also have a fairly big collection to choose from. Don't pigeon-hole yourself into a specific look or direction. Take your time and let the project kind of lead itself.

How Will You Make Your Vintage-Inspired Valentine Cloche?

What kind of objects would you use to decorate your Valentine cloche? I almost didn't do the tea cup! My original idea was to just have a more elaborate style card and mossy base, but I'm so glad things didn't work out that way. Let me know in the comments below what you would use, and tag me on Instagram with your creations!