My Funny Valentine Party

for Couples, Singles, Adults or Kids

By Phyllis Cambria

Invitations:

Reproduce a recent photo of you and your honey and use as your invitation stock. (If 8x10 prints are out of your budget, use color copies instead, even if it’s a black and white shot.) Affix to a cardboard heart .

Find photos or postcards of Hollywood's best-known on-screen or off-screen couples -- Bogie and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, Astaire and Rogers, Rhett and Scarlett or current couples and use the back of the picture to send the party particulars. This is particularly fun if it's not a couples-only party. Use the postcards as a "casting call" for a new male heartthrob or leading lady.

Invite guests to come dressed as their favorite romantic duo.

For a heart-felt invitation, send out your Valentine invitation in a loving heart-themed frame.

Send the invitation in a Valentine's mailbox Just insert the invitation, seal, label, and take to your post office to mail.

Atmosphere:

Create a table filled with hearts and flowers-patterned paper goods .

Roll out a red carpet from the street to your front door.

Line your walkway with luminarias you created from red snack bags, sand, votive candles and a heart-shaped paper punch

A variety of hearts perk up this napkin, plates and cups designer ware.

Let them know they arrived at Cupid Central with a Valentine welcome banner at

your front door.

Illuminate the night with all the red and white candles you purchased at the after- Christmas sales.

Wear your (illuminated) heart on your sleeve or anywhere else you choose.

Dangle hearts over your dining table or from your chandelier.

Drape your space with hearts and cupids

Tack big, red, hot (mylar) lips to your walls, ceilings and doors and flash your kissing heart light to get your guests in the mood for amore.

Play around with your heart strings (beaded hearts on a string) by spreading them on your tables for color and fun.

Activities:

Greet each female with a lighted silk rose that shines with your admiration. Give the men a blinking heart to wear to prove your heart is in the right place.

A sweetheart of a Photo Op favor. Pose your guests behind a Photo Stand-in for a take-home memento of the party.

Or take digital or Polaroid photos and present in themed frames.

See the above frames, Stand-ins and more here.

Gather the gang to sing sentimental or silly movie songs like "Abbadabba Honeymoon" at double speed.

Nothing sets the mood for romance better than a collection of love songs and here is a list of music you can dance to from now until next Valentine's Day no matter what your favorite music style is.

Here's a game that will bring grins. Get into a circle and start a ball/balloon going around from player to player keeping the ball/balloon in the air at all times. However, before someone can toss the ball to the next person, they must say a the title of a love song or romantic movie (no repetitions, please). If they stop moving the ball within 2-3 seconds, they're out.

Unwrap My Heart is a fun game which you do by wrapping a heart-shaped box of chocolates in 9 or 10 layers of gift wrap or tissue. Sit everyone in a circle and play music and pass the box around like a "hot potato." When the music stops, the person holding the package removes one layer of wrapping. Their "reward" for getting a chance to unwrap the present is that they have to perform a trick, sing a song, dance, tell about their first kiss, or something silly like trying to whistle with a mouthful of crackers. Repeat until the last layer of wrapping has been removed. The last person keeps the present.

For folks who want to "get a little closer," you can't miss with Pass The Orange. Line your guests into two or more groups of 4-6 people. (Alternate sexes if you want.) They must pass an orange from person to person, without using their hands. It's generally done, chin-to-chin. A variation on this is to pass a balloon from person to person without using their hands. That's generally done chest-to-chest or occasionally chest-to-legs or legs-to-legs.

Need some inspiration? Pop in a selection of love stories in your DVD or VHS.

Up for a dramatic reading? How about reading aloud, The History of Love and Valentine's Day? Phyllis has put it together for you.

Printable Valentine's Day Games
Start personalizing and printing these games instantly!

Click on the title link for information and to order.

Printable Valentines Games Collection

Our entire collection of over 50 printable games is included in this collection! Print as many copies of as many games as you want.

How To Say I Love You

How many ways can you say, "I love you?" Learn how to say it in foreign languages as they race to match up the words "I love you" translated into other languages. Answer key included.

Valentine Picture Bingo

Bingo made for the youngest players! All squares have pictures so even the little ones can play bingo.

Little Notes Stationary & Blank Game

This game comes in three styles with unlimited uses; perfect for any Valentine's Day activity. Play Friends & Neighbors or write Little Notes to a favorite family member. Game instructions included.

Finish My Phrase, Dear

Who is the best mind reader? Find out as players try to finish your phrase! You'll get lots of laughs as players try to guess what you might say when asked to finish a phrase such as "Sweet _______." Was it Sweet Heart, Sweet Dreams, or maybe even Sweet Tooth? !

Refreshments:

Use Valentine cookie cutters to cut bread for hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches or sugar cookies to keep your guests (or kids) in a sweet mood.

Serve bite-sized treats in red or white heart-shaped pails and you can feed each other with fingers.

Tie white napkins with red heart-shaped beads

Pull cloth or paper dinner napkins through Valentine cookie cutters.

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, you'll love trying out any one these dozens of made-for-love Valentine's Day recipes from Food TV.

Give your guests their own etch-a-cup and let them create their own personal greeting and ID. Give a prize for the cleverest saying. A great way to help guests easily locate their own cup.

Party Favors Finale:

Let them take home your heart with a heart-designed cello bag filled with treats.

Sparkling heart tattoos add glamor to any guests face, shoulder, arm or who knows where else?

For romantic memories, they'll love a pretty pink scented candle or a Blinking heart ring or pin or a lush pair of wax lips! (Search: Valentines Day)

Souvenir photos in theme-design frames make a picture-perfect favor.

Love books? Love to cook? Then you'll love this FREE gift to keep or share. It's "Cooking by the Book" and it contains 50 scenes and recipes from 50 books from 25 writers around the world (including Phyllis Cambria's "Easy and Elegant Country Chicken Kiev" which would be perfect for a romantic dinner anytime). You can read more about the book and download it here

If you love to give away love stories, here is a collection you won't want to miss. Don't forget the romance novel aficionados with this assortment. These titles are perfect for sports lovers, while pet lovers will purr over this group chosen just for them.

Mattie meant love--and peace and goodwill towards every man. This incredible child, who died just this year was only 9 years old, when he wrote the two books of poems that have taken the country by gentle storm. Oprah featured him on her program and his books sold out! Either one would be a fantastic Valentine's gift--for a loved one of any age. They will change the way you see life. Mattie Stepanek's Heart Songs,

Now for more gifts.....

Why send only a Valentine Card when you can send a PattyCakeGreetings??

Petite-cakes microwavable for a sweet treat and a mini-celebration.