There have been many wonderful decoration ideas throughout the years. From the very elaborate to the very simple yet effective. Here are just a few of the more simple ideas to stimulate some thoughts.

Here's an classic idea that is still pleasant to look at. If made out of sturdy cardboard or lightweight plywood they can last for many years. Any drawings that appeal to you can be used and with computer scanners and copy machines that can enlarge, making patterns have gotten much easier. It will take enlarging separate segments and then taping them together to make a pattern. If that seems to cumbersome for you there is still the old graph method. Simply take the drawing and grid it off as shown in the sample. Then you will need to determine the approximate size you want your finished cutout and then draw a light grid on your cardboard or plywood. You may wish one square to equal one inch, three inches, or one foot, depending on the desired finished size. In the example to the right, if you grid off your cardboard or plywood in three inch squares, your finished size will come to 21 inches in width by 33 inches in length. Then simply copy, square for square, what you see in the gridded copy onto your cardboard or plywood.

You can make a detailed drawing or a simple silhoutte. You can even dress them with material. How easy or how detailed is up to you.

Cartoon Decorations

Go through your past issues of square dance magazines and enlarge your favorite cartoons. Mount them on a stiff cardboard and hang them around the room. Small cartoons can be glued onto cardboard so that they stand up and placed on the refreshment table or at tables provided for the dancers.

Pocket Banners
Here's an interesting idea I recently saw. The size was about 8 feet long and probably the width of the bolt of material. There were nine pockets in each banner. There were six of them that hung side beside on the stage behind the caller though they could have easily been placed around the room on the walls.

While these may be a bit larger than necessary it seems that 6 feet (2 yards) of material is a good length. The size and placement of the pockets are completely up to you. The pockets should be sewn on so they do not sag too much when filled.

Don't be fooled by the picture to the right, you can put anything (lightweight) you want in the pockets. Lightweight silk flowers and greenery of all kinds. Metallic ribbon with the wired edges that can be twisted lightly. Anything that is lightweight and reflects the season or the theme you are decorating for.

Another good thing is that they can be folded or rolled up and packed away easily.

Ever wondered how to make those balloon arches or other ways to decorate with ballons? This page had to be done separately as there are a number of graphics. Please wait for them to load.

The most important thing to remember is that if you don't have much it's best to group it in one spot, preferably a spot the dancers will look at often like the stage or the snack table. One striking display is more eye pleasing than spreading it around and losing it in a big room.

Easy, cheap, and abundant vases
Ever had those shrimp and crab cocktails that come in small glass jars and found in the seafood section? Those make wonderful little vases that are easy to fill, can be placed around in abundance, and are short enough to not interfer with the guests at the table. Not recommended for an "elegant" table but great for an informal affair!

Spring is the cheapest time to decorate!
Any time a good garden pruning is needed is a great time to decorate. In spring, however, you get the most wonderful choices. The common fruitless plum produces a profusion of cherry-like blossom before the leave sprout and can make a wonderful large arrangement (with just a cutting or two) for a corner of the stage or other noticeable spot.