Ahh, Valentine’s Day. You’ve promised your significant other a romantic day, and you want to impress them with your decorating skills. The only problem? You have no idea where to begin.

If you’re trying to maintain an eco-friendly track record while doing your best to embody the charming lead from your favorite rom-com, we’ve got you. Here are the best Valentine’s Day decorations to try in 2023.

Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day Decorations to Try

1. Sustainable Confetti

As many event planners may know, confetti is anything but eco-friendly. Conventional plastic confetti can be swept by rainfall into storm drains and infiltrate local water sources. It can even harm aquatic life if an innocent animal happens to mistake it for a nice meal.

That’s why it’s so great that sustainable confetti, like Ecofetti, is the new craze these days. Biodegradable, water-soluble, and environmentally friendly, the rice-like confetti is perfect for your stress-free Valentine’s Day plans. It also comes in an array of colors, from “watermelon” red to “seafoam” blue-green. 

You can also make your own sustainable confetti in minutes from leaves or flower petals for your sustainable celebration.

2. Houseplants

Why decorate with big bouquets of roses when you can decorate with houseplants that will live on for years to come? They can instantly elevate the overall “feel” of a room. There’s even a Hoya Heart plant (shown above!) that’s made for a Valentine’s Day display. You can also get creative with planters, DIYing options that match your theme.

Plants are also great mood-boosters. Just being around them can promote feelings of relaxation and tranquility, while increasing creativity. Ready to woo your Valentine with a spontaneous sonnet for the perfect, romantic mood? Just get a pothos plant and you’ll be good to go!

3. Heart-Shaped Decor

When looking for Valentine’s Day decorations, you’ll likely spot heart-shaped everything. Mostly in the form of plastic items that are so cheapy-made that they might not even make it through the entire celebration. Womp, womp.

This year, get crafty with your heart-shaped decor by utilizing leftover scraps lying around the house. Or, invest in higher-quality pieces you’ll be able to use for years to come.

For example, maybe you spotted a nice heart-shaped wood cutting board. You can use it to display snacks on Valentine’s Day and on any future date night. Or, decorate with heart-shaped cookie cutters that can be used to make fun treats whenever you’d like.

4. Upcycled DIY Decor

It’s estimated that the United States generated 293 million tons of waste in 2018, or 4.9 pounds per person per day. To reduce the amount of garbage you’re sending to landfills, get familiar with the art of upcycling—especially around the holidays. 

It’s easy to upcycle what you have into fun Valentine’s Day decorations. For example, this wreath from Refresh Living was made from a deck of old playing cards and only takes a few minutes to wrangle together. With some cardboard, glue, and your trusty X-ACTO knife, you too can become a thrifty DIY-er!

5. Festive Food

Why not decorate with treats you can snack on during the festivities? Extra bonus: It basically cleans up itself!

Make heart-shaped cookies, or go the savory route with heart-shaped mini sandwiches. And don’t forget to load up on Fair Trade Certified chocolate! (If you’re looking for chocolate recipes, we have plenty of them here.)