Decorating Your Yard Inexpensively for the Summer Holidays

Many times a year I unpack, decorate and repack decorations for various holidays. The whole procedure can be somewhat exhausting. Summertime can be one big relaxing holiday from Memorial Day, followed by Flag Day and the Fourth of July and wrapped up with Labor Day.

Decorate your yard and outdoor family spaces to show your patriotic spirit all summer long. There are numerous ideas for decorations that will cost you nothing or very little, depending on what kind of pack rat you are.

Old Bicycle-You may have one in your garage, but if not, check out the local yard sales in your area. Someone is always selling one. Spray paint the entire bicycle, either red, white or blue, including the tires and seat. You will begin to see the beautiful transformation almost immediately. Attach an old bicycle basket to the handle bars or if you don't have one, use a regular basket and wire it to the handle bars. Clay pots filled with summer flowers and placed in the basket are the crowning touch. If you want to add a little more to your masterpiece, weave red, white and blue ribbon or strips of fabric into the spokes and tassels stuck into the handle ends.

Large Wreath-Use what you have. If you don't have a large wreath, consider these ideas. A bicycle tire or rim, large picture frame, straw hat or part of an old trellis. Leave them natural or paint them a patriotic color and festoon with flowers, ribbon and small American flags. Instead of hanging them on a door, lean them against a tree, fence or decorate a garden gate.

Summertime Display-Paint an old wooden kitchen chair and cut a hole in the seat. Plop in a pot of flowers. Paint a cupboard door that says "In The Good Ole Summertime" and lean against the chair. What's more American than baseball? Prop a baseball bat against the chair and hang a baseball mitt on the back of the chair.

Candlelight-Paint an assortment of jars red, white or blue and with a contrasting paint color, stamp a star on the side of the jars. Drop in a tea light candle and line them up in a row or scatter them around your yard.