How to Make a Spring Vintage Sleigh Centerpiece

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One of my favorite things about decorating with vintage items is how you can repurpose things many times.

When you’re out shopping at a flea market or antique mall, don’t pass up a cool find just because it’s out of season or you can’t use it for its original purpose. 

Instead, think outside the box! With just a little creativity, you can make your own unique home decor with these types of finds.

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How to Turn a Metal Sleigh into a Spring Centerpiece

That’s just what I did with an old metal sleigh I found at a flea market recently. The vendor selling it had it left over from Christmas, so it was marked down a good bit. 

I’m sure many people passed it up since it’s springtime now; who needs a Christmas sleigh in the spring? 

But when I saw it, I knew it could become a great spring centerpiece with the right accents.

Follow along to see how easy it was to pull together and how you can recreate this same idea with your own flea market find!

Materials Required for Spring Sleigh

• Spanish Moss
• Empty egg cartons (save your own to save money!)
• Faux flower picks and faux greenery branches or twigs 
• Burlap fabric of netting
• Faux eggs
• Shredded sheet music or other paper
• Hot glue gun and glue

Step 1: Line the Sleigh

I went to work first lining the sleigh with a thick burlap craft ribbon. This acted as the base of the display and kept all the other elements from falling through the cracks of the sleigh.

I layered it a bit —ribbon first, then some of the dried Spanish moss, then more ribbon and more moss—to give it some height and visual depth. 

If you like, you can use regular burlap or any other fabric you already have on hand for this part. 

Step 2: Add in the Twigs or Greenery Branches

I purchased some faux berry bushes from the craft store for this project, so I added those next. 

One of my favorite tips for working with faux greenery bushes is to separate them into individual branches. Buying just one bush and pulling it apart costs less than buying several smaller floral stems.  

You can use wire cutters to snip apart the individual branches or bend each branch back and forth until the wire snaps.

Once the individual pieces were pulled off the bush, I poked them through the burlap in various places, some draping out through the metal.

This helped fill out the display a bit and provided another layer of visual interest.

Step 3: Make Egg Carton Nests

I had been saving my empty gray egg cartons for a while now, so I had several on hand for this project. 

I decided to use them to create individual little “nests” to add to the sleigh centerpiece.

Thinking about the scale of the arrangement, I cut each carton in half using a pair of scissors. A smaller “nest” would fit better inside the sleigh.

Another thing I keep on hand in my craft drawers is shredded sheet music.  It’s easy to find piles of old sheet music at estate sales or thrift stores; I suggest grabbing it whenever you come across some. 

I package up and sell some of what I find in my booth, some I keep and shred for filler.

I took a small bit of shredded sheet music, wadded it up into a ball in my hand, and then gently separated it out with my fingertips in each egg carton.

It makes the perfect little nest!

The last step is to use hot glue to attach 2-3 faux eggs into each music sheet nest.

Step 4: Finish with Flower Filler

I wanted to add a little more height and color, so I used the flower stems as the final accent.

Like the berry bush above,  I pulled it apart into separate pieces. Then, each piece was stuck down into the center and edges of the arrangement.

Here is the final product!

A Christmas flea market leftover is now an Easter garden!

See how you can turn items that may be “out-of-season” into something truly special?

I’m really happy with how it turned out!

I hope this post inspires you to think outside the box the next time you see a discarded item at a flea market. Making your own customized decor is one of the best ways to express your creativity and create a beautiful home on a budget!

You may enjoy these other home decor projects!

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