I love to decorate my home and make it lovely. Fresh flowers are too expensive for this frugal gal. I prefer to bring nature inside and “force” it to be part of my frugal decorating program. Cutting branches from spring blossoming trees, putting them in a vase with warm water, and waiting a week will force the blooms. The end result is this vase full of pretty, cherry blossoms.
This is how the mantel in my living room looks right now.
It is actually a sunny day in February and these cherry blossoms are being tricked into thinking it’s spring!
My neighbors left a bucket of these cherry branches in their front yard to share. If cutting branches to force in your home, use very sharp tools.
Decorating your home is easy and inexpensive when all of your treasures come from garage sales, dumpsters, and estate sales. Nothing pictured here was purchased new, except the fabric on the cushions and window coverings. I sewed those. Sewing your own home furnishing will save you lots of money decorating your home. Sewing is easy and I’ll share my sewing techniques with you here.
These were leftovers from someone’s garage sale. Free? Yes, please.
This iron fence topper used to be attached to a fence that someone tossed in the trash near our former home in Washington, D.C. The smaller object is…well, I’m not sure. A spool of some sort?
Honestly, this head took a long time to grow on me. I like her now, except when she shows up on my pillow, which she has been known to do. Not funny.
The cherry blossoms really make the room. They’re a good reminder that spring is right around the corner.
What is your favorite way to decorate frugally? Do you like to “force” nature to decorate at your home? Do you like to decorate with second-hand-treasures?
Go Gingham related links:
A little home office in our dining room
How to decorate a mantel for Halloween
Homemade Halloween decorations – sewing tablecloths for Halloween transforms a room quickly
A tray table with a slipcover – because tables need slipcovers, too
Pretty lanterns – perfect for a backyard or a wedding celebration
Using nature to decorate your home – frugal and fancy decorating
How to arrange flowers – this was my first attempt, too!
What newly-weds need to know: How to turn a house into a home
Go Gingham 
Hi Sara! I LOVE to decorate frugally. It just makes sense these days to recycle and save as much money as possible. I have one flowering houseplant (a cyclamen) and I occasionally buy flowers. I also love dried hydrangeas and I have them as well. Love how the flowers look on your mantle.
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Thanks for the comment and compliment, Cheryl! I love dried hydrangeas as well but my poor plant is so small still, I don’t get too many blooms. The plant was too close to the soccer field (otherwise known as our front yard!) and took some abuse. I’m hoping this will be the year it really takes off!
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Some families decorate with holly for christmas. (I know ours does! Pine boughs too.) But cherry blossoms have always been a favorite in my family. We set them everywhere, the mantel and the coffee table, everywhere! But I didn’t know you could force blooms! Our living room looks as festive as possible. Thanks!
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I love that the head shows up on your pillow sometimes. How reminiscent (vaguely) of “The Godfather”! I could just see that being a running gag in your family. “Alright! Who put this head on my pillow again?” heh heh
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Sounds like you’re familiar with my pranksters! That’s exactly what happens with the head. We also have a little, wooden ghost who make the rounds from time to time. Thanks for the comment, Liana!
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I follow a similar idea with pussywillow branches, only they last for years! I cut long waspy pussywillow branches in early spring just as they are budding and fuzzy and put them in a vase for a nice tall verticle & contemporary decorating idea. They look like the day they were cut. I usually cut extra and share every spring with family and friends. Make sure to cut them before they start going beyond the fuzzy bud stage, or the buds will fall off.
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Jennifer, that’s another great idea, especially since I just had to get rid of my cherry blossoms. They were lost all of their blooms and had started to grow new leaves. I have something else on my mantel now to “force” but I’m not even sure what they are. Yellow and pretty but not forsythia….thanks for commenting.
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