Spring Decorating Ideas

February 13, 2011

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Cherry Blossom Display

Blooming for just a few brief weeks in spring, cherry blossoms are famously ephemeral. Unless, that is, you craft artful renditions of them from glassine or vellum, in which case they'll deliver year-round pleasure.

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Magnetic Flowers

Put a little spring into your solid-toned tablecloths by embellishing them with a bunch of magnet-fitted flowers.

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Rope-Seat Stools

A plain pair of wooden seats gets a bright new look from simple coils of rope.

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Place Mats for Two

Place Mat How-To

Table runners are often decorative, but they can also be practical. Arrange them horizontally across a table to turn them into place mats shared by diners seated across from each other.

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Hankie Valance

The tailored look of men's handkerchiefs can add punch to more than just pockets. Turn a set of new hankies or pristine vintage ones into a valance.

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Golden Passionflower-Vine Tabletop

With a nod to chinoiserie furniture, passionflower vines, pressed and sprayed gold, top a Shaker tray table painted a high-gloss royal blue.

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Lattice Frames

In the garden, latticework is assembled into trellises to form an attractive armature for climbers such as roses, clematis, and morning glories. Indoors, these crisscrossed strips of lath look just as fitting when they are used to make jaunty frames for pressed flowers.

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New Bed Skirt

It's hard to decide which is the bigger eyesore: an exposed box spring or some of the froufrou dust ruffles currently on the market. One easy, low-cost solution is to cover the box spring with a drape of rectangular fabric.

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Origami Nesting Boxes

Gentl and Hyers

A tower of folded boxes -- the largest is 1 1/2 inches tall -- are perfect for storing jewelry, organizing paper clips, or presenting gifts. Enclose a card in a coordinating envelope. We made our own paper on a color copier.

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Custom Doormat

Welcome guests -- and reassure them that they're ringing the right bell -- with a mat displaying your house number.

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Milk Pail Garden Pots

Old-fashioned enamel milk pails, available at flea markets and farm-supply stores, have a rustic charm. Place sword ferns (Nephrolepis obliterata 'Kimberly Queen') or similar plants in 10-inch pots inside large buckets (above); consider ferns in 4- to 8-inch pots for smaller pails. If the bucket is too deep, put an upturned plastic pot inside, and stand the plant on top. Remove plant to water.

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Jasmine-Vine Folding Screen

Flowing jasmine vines, with chartreuse gradations and crisp silhouettes, recall richly painted textiles in this folding screen.

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Spring's Natural Vase

An oversize eggshell filled with flowers unites two symbols of spring in a single arrangement.

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Floral Pillows with Petals

Store-bought cushions spring to life when adorned with pretty, handmade Ultrasuede florets.

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Spring Awakening

Nests are among the season's most powerful and poetic signs of rebirth. Bring their gentle presence into your home.

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Paper Dogwood Flowers

Four-petaled paper dogwood flowers offer a way to enjoy spring year-round. Making them calls for basic folds and cuts -- no pruning required. Stamp on the details, affix to a branch, and display in a vase or on a table as an everlasting centerpiece.

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Bright Batik Table Linens

Give table linens the look of patterned Indonesian textiles by using fabric markers and stencils in spring's favorite colors.

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Grass Candles

Celebrate spring by bringing some greenery indoors. Embellishing pillar candles with blades of grass highlights a plant that's rarely appreciated up close -- and unifies an assortment of candles.

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Bird Embroidered Quilt

Wake up with spring's prettiest birds every morning with this handstitched cover for your bed. 

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Napkin-Folded Pillowcases

Pillowcase How-To

Brighten you porch or patio with these cheerful pillows -- made from cotton napkins. 

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Seam-Binding Lampshade

Liven up an ordinary lampshade with colorful stripes.

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Decorating with Yellow

Try this sunny shade on a piece of antique furniture (like the tag-sale chest at left), you'll be surprised at the pure joy it will bring you this spring and beyond. 

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