8 Cheerful & Fun Craft Projects for Spring

By: Country Living Staff

So long, winter! These simple projects will infuse your home with a breath of fresh country air.

1. Convert a Colander Into a Planter

Wrap one colander handle tightly with a half-yard of twine, pushing pieces together as you go to avoid gaps. Once covered, tie off and add a dab of glue to secure. Knot a yard of twine at each end of the handle. Repeat entire process with opposite handle. Next, line the colander with sheet moss and fill with potting soil and seasonal plants. (We used ferns and pansies.) Tie four lengths of twine together and hang. Photo Courtesy of Brian Woodcock

RELATED: 11 Totally Genius Trash-to-Treasure Craft and DIY Projects

2. Make a Bird Feeder Out of Dinnerware

Drill a ?-inch hole in the center of a melamine dinnerplate, bowl, and salad plate. Thread a piece of ¼-inch-thick rope (the length will depend on how high you want to hang the feeder) through a peg-style clothespin, leaving about 3 inches of rope below the pin. Thread the opposite end of rope through the salad plate, bowl (both should be right-sideup), and a ?-inch-wide by 10-inch-long copper pipe. Next, thread the rope through the dinner plate (the plate should be upside-down). To finish, thread a second clothespin directly above the dinner plate and shimmy the pins toward the plates to snap bird feeder into place. Photo Courtesy of Brian Woodcock

3. Gilded Vases

Upgrade your picnic table with gilded DIY vases and votives. Use a foam brush to apply adhesive to the outside of a mason jar in small, irregular patches. When the sticky substance turns clear—in about 30 minutes— press on sheets of gold leaf. Then, rub away excess flecks with a paper towel for a lovely weathered patina. (Speedball gold-leaf kit with leaf and adhesive, $10.97; dickblick.com) Photo Courtesy of Alison Gootee/Studio D

4. Bandanna Napkin Ring

To fit standard dinner napkins, cut a bandanna into 6- by 9-inch strips. Fold each strip in thirds lengthwise, then fold in thirds widthwise. Sew a button on one end, about 1 inch from the edge. (Choose any colorful loose buttons you may have on hand; they don’t need to match.) Then cut a corresponding buttonhole on the opposite end of the strip. Photo Courtesy of Wendell T. Webber

RELATED: 11 Adorable DIY Dog Beds

5. Stenciled Animal Mugs

Look no further than the nearest pasture for inspiration to dress up plain dishware. To duplicate these mugs, print and cut out the animal shapes. Use these templates for Cow, Sheep, and Pig shapes.

Place each shape atop a small piece of contact paper and outline it in pencil. Cut out with a craft knife; then discard the paper inside the outline. Peel away the backing and affix the stencil to a clean, dry mug, making sure to center the image. Following the package directions, use a soft brush to fill in the outline with dishwasher-safe PermEnamel paint ($3.49 for two ounces, joann.com); let set for a few minutes. Carefully remove the contact paper, clean up any edges with a damp cotton swab, and allow the paint to cure for 10 days.
To fashion this pretty piece, print out our template, sized to fit an 11¾”W ×16”H mirror ($19.99; kmart.com). Trim the template as directed and place the resulting hand-mirror shape atop contact paper. Outline; then cut out. Peel away the backing and center the shape, sticky side down, on the mirror. Spray the mirror’s surface with a coat of no-prime acrylic paint — we used Montana Gold’s Bazooka Joe ($6.83 for 13½ ounces; dickblick.com). Let dry for 30 minutes; then peel off contact paper.

6. Dress Up a Plain Mirror

To fashion this pretty piece, print out our template, sized to fit an 11¾”W ×16”H mirror ($19.99; kmart.com). Trim the template as directed and place the resulting hand-mirror shape atop contact paper. Outline; then cut out. Peel away the backing and center the shape, sticky side down, on the mirror. Spray the mirror’s surface with a coat of no-prime acrylic paint — we used Montana Gold’s Bazooka Joe ($6.83 for 13½ ounces; dickblick.com). Let dry for 30 minutes; then peel off contact paper. Photo Courtesy of Kate Mathis

RELATED: 9 Crafty Ways To Repurpose Teacups

7. Replace a Pantry Door With a Screen Door

This switch adds eye-catching country character to the kitchen. For an even bigger impact, paint it a cheerful hue (try Byte Blue by Sherwin-Williams). The small surface area requires only a sample-size pot of paint to get the job done. Photo Courtesy of Brian Woodcock

8. Pocket Board

Transform a flea-market picture frame into a pretty—and practical—pocket organizer with some mat board. Once suspended, the wall display lets you show off favorite photographs, postcards, or notes. Gardeners can even store seed packets or colorful keepsakes. Photo Courtesy of Andrew McCaul

More from CountryLiving.com:
10 Smart Space-Saving DIY Projects to Cut Clutter in Your Home
14 Ways to Perk Up Your Garden Shed
The 5 Biggest Mistakes You Make When Painting Furniture