How to Make Inexpensive Decorations to Welcome Spring

In winter we did Crafts Using Pine Cones but now, after a long, cold winter, with the first signs of spring it offers us a breath of fresh air and new fun crafts ideas.

The trees start sprouting leaves, the flowers start blooming, and the sun makes more and more appearances. For those who love to watch nature renew itself (and those who can't stand freezing temperatures), it's certainly cause for celebration.

If you're looking for a way to welcome this beautiful season, one thing you can do is decorate for it. You can find some beautiful spring décor in your favorite store or catalog, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to welcome spring properly. These inexpensive yet lovely décor ideas will fit the bill nicely, and creating them will help get you in the spirit of spring even faster.

# Decorate with garden items. Watering cans make wonderful planters or vases, or they can be incorporated into centerpieces.

# Make a simple yet elegant spring wreath. You can buy inexpensive grapevine wreaths at craft shops or dollar stores. Adorn them with dried flowers and pastel-colored ribbons, and hang them on your front door or wall.

# Buy some ivy garland and wrap it around the bannisters of your staircase or front steps. If you're using it indoors, add some tissue paper flowers every few feet. You can make them as follows:

Tissue Paper Flowers

What You Need

* Tissue paper in one or more colors
* Scissors
* Chenille stems or florist wire

Instructions

1. Stack eight pieces of unfolded tissue paper on top of one another, and cut them in half.

2. Take one stack of the tissue paper and fold one of the shorter edges down ½ to 1 inch from the edge. Make another fold the same size, but fold it back. Continue to make accordion-style folds until you've reached the other edge.

3. Use the scissors to round each end of the folded tissue paper. If you like, you can also cut a slit in the middle of each end.

4. Wrap a chenille stem or piece of floral wire around the center of the folded tissue paper, and twist to hold it together.

5. Very carefully, separate the layers of tissue from the ends to the center. Fluff as needed. Arrange some of your tissue paper flowers in a vase, glue them to a grapevine wreath, or use them to create a pretty centerpiece.

These easy-to-make spring decorations are great for welcoming the season without spending a lot of money. By creating your own décor, you can get your home all decked out for spring for less than you would pay for one or two ready-to-use items. So instead of going on a shopping spree, get creative!