Bird Centerpiece

• Seeing the first robin is a sure sign of spring. Make a centerpiece featuring a nest full of little robins, or make it half-full and add some pretty little blue unhatched eggs. Use a small twig or raffia wreath for the nest and set it on a circle of cardboard or a plate. Arrange a silk leaf garland around the outside of the wreath. Spray some blue malted-milk eggs with lacquer to preserve them, and add purchased baby birds and the mother.
  
  For a larger centerpiece, surround the nest with more plates or cardboard circles filled with silk flowers and leaves.
  
  

Butterfly Centerpiece

• To make a large butterfly, use two white-coated wire hangers. Remove the hook from one hanger and set it aside. Bend the second hanger into a butterfly shape, using the points as the tops of the large wings and forming the smaller bottom wings from the straight piece. If you're unsure of the shape, look for simple butterfly pictures online or in coloring books. Use pliers to bend the wire if you find it difficult to shape with your hands. Attach the second hook next to the first one and straighten them to resemble antennae.
  
  Glue fabric to the butterfly frame. For an airy look, use sheer or semi-transparent fabrics such as organza, chiffon or voile in pastel shades. For a dramatic effect, use metallic fabrics or jewel-toned satins in solid colors or vibrant patterns.
  
  Cut small butterfly frames from cardboard and cover them with fabric. Glue the bottoms of the butterflies to thin dowel rods of varying heights that have been painted to match the fabric. Arrange the large and small butterflies in a clear vase filled with glass marbles.
  
  

Spring Garden Centerpiece

• Make a garden with flowerbeds, paths and a pond. Use a shallow rectangular cardboard box and map out your "garden" by drawing features on the inside bottom. Fill each section according to your plan. Use real or artificial plants. For artificial plants, fill the flowerbeds with sections of Styrofoam cut to fit. Insert individual flower and greenery stems, then fill in the gaps between plants with crushed marble chips or pea gravel. For live plants, use containers that fit your design, or design your garden to accommodate your containers, and fill them with potting soil and vermiculite. Place the plants in the containers and water them, being careful not to overwater because there is no drainage.
  
  Make paths between the flowerbeds with crushed marble chips, pea gravel, decorative glass marbles or pine-bark mulch. Make a pond by removing a round mirror from its frame and applying a blue or aqua glaze. Allow it to dry, then place it in the "garden" and cover its edges with potting soil or one of the pathway materials.
  
  If your centerpiece is small, paint a white picket fence on the outside of the box. For a large centerpiece, purchase garden fencing and glue it to the sides of the box.