DIY spring facelifts for the home

Around February we start to wonder if we’ll ever see the sun again. And with as much time as we’re spending indoors, brightening up our living space has tremendous impact on our mood and well-being.

All the decluttering that could possibly be decluttered has been done due to the pandemic? Not if you haven’t yet used the Marie Kondo method! Repeatedly choosing what sparks joy and discarding what doesn’t creates light and space in the home. Plus, her online course will improve your Japanese.

Bring elements of nature to the walls. Use real flowers to make 3-D botanical frames. Super-fast and pretty framed burlap stencils can feature birds, eggs, or any symbols of new life. Use spring-themed wrapping paper or print out images to make these easy wall hangings. Bonus tip: all these wall art concepts work with any theme, providing easy seasonal home facelifts throughout the year.

Photo collages are another flexible way to update rooms. The images can be personal, of family and friends; objective nature shots within a seasonal theme; or abstract, centered around the same color. Choose from a collection of 8×10 frames, a geometric photo display, or a hanging picture collage. Online print services offer many creative printed collage arrangements or order standard prints and use the refrigerator as the ultimate canvas.

The brightness and beauty of seasonal flowers in a vase will do great things for both the table and the spirit. Forsythia, pussy willows, snow glories, daffodils, and crocuses bloom in March. Potted bulbs can be forced to blossom early indoors with good natural light. If blooms are reluctant to arrive, make an arrangement of budding twigs with moss for a spring centerpiece. Give a lift to baby’s breath with pastel painted mason jars. Move an arrangement off the table with these ideas for hanging vases.

Put early color in the garden by painting stepping stones.

For the front door: a wreath that’s not a wreath pulls together in about five minutes (don’t tell Martha).

Think of windows as the last word in framing. It doesn’t get much more spring-y than the natural beauty of returning birds. Choose one of these DIY birdfeeders and strategically place it to maximize bird watching potential. The birds will be grateful, and you can watch something far more uplifting than the news with morning coffee.