DIY A Custom Spring Decor Showstopper With Some Cardboard

Spring is the perfect time to add a hint of custom decor to your interior. Consider giving your home a seasonal makeover that won't break the budget. Through the power of DIY, you can create a showstopping piece of tabletop decor that will keep your space looking fresh. Even if you aren't a DIY pro, this clever craft is easy enough for anyone to complete. After the popularization of Barbie-style decor and retro touches, vintage-inspired floral details are a spring home decor trend that will be huge in 2025. Lean into these joyful trends and design a cardboard-based, flower-shaped vase. If you're wondering how to decorate your home with flowers when you don't have a green thumb, this is the craft for you.

The first step is to cut out two cardboard flowers. However, you want these flowers to be reminiscent of the "flower power" symbols from the late 1960s and early 1970s. These specific flowers look like cartoon daisies. Make sure to cut out a hole in the middle of each two-dimensional flower. Next, you're going to bend and curve 3- to 4-inch strips of cardboard and glue them around the perimeter of one of the flowers. This will allow you to join the two flower pieces, creating a hollow center. A hot glue gun, like the Gorilla Hot Glue Gun Kit, is essential for ensuring a strong hold. Bend another piece of cardboard to create a cylindrical shape and join the "hole" portion of the flower. After you have your structure, it's almost time to get started on the papier mâché portion!

Before you create your mixture, cut a hole in the top of the three-dimensional, cardboard flower to turn it into a vase. Papier mâché involves dipping strips of newspaper into a mixture of flour and water. Start by blending 2 cups of cold water and a ½ cup of flour. Then, bring 2 additional cups of water to a boil. Add the thick flour and water mixture into the pan with the boiling water. After you let it cool, you can start dipping the newspaper into the thick liquid. Apply the strips all around the cardboard flower sculpture until it is completely covered. Let the structure dry before covering it in a structure paste like the Liquitex Professional Modeling Paste.

There are tons of ways to customize and modify this funky spring DIY. If you don't like the raw, white plaster look, you can paint your flower vase in the color of your choice. Another way to customize this tabletop decor is to fill it with your favorite greenery. From Pampas grass to artificial poppies, you can decide on a vase filler based on your interior aesthetic. If you really want to make a crafty statement, you can even DIY your own paper flowers. You can also use your leftover newspaper to create buds. Cut out petals of different sizes and glue the smaller petals together in the center, followed by slightly larger petals as you work your way outward. Beyond the cardboard vase concept, you can also DIY adorable spring home decor with Dollar Tree items.