The first spring craft material in Utah Valley shows up in late February, and it is in your own yard: the swelling buds on forsythia, flowering quince and fruit trees. From there the supply comes in a set order. Free seeds at the library in March, the first local flower market in April, orchard blossoms late in April, and garden centers stocked for planting in May. This page follows that order, with the rule that decides what you can gather at each step and the local place to get what you can't.
One rule runs through all of it. The canyons above Provo and Orem run into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and spring is when people are tempted to bring a branch home. Read the canyon section before you take clippers up Provo Canyon.
Late February and March: force branches you already own
Forcing branches is a simple, old spring project: cut budded stems, put them in water indoors and let them bloom weeks before the tree outside does. It costs nothing if you have a flowering shrub, and it turns a gray March table into a vase of yellow or white.
Iowa State University Extension's timing works here:
- Forsythia and pussy willow can be cut as early as late February and bloom in one to three weeks.
- Apple and crabapple are better cut in March and take two to four weeks.
- Magnolia takes three to five weeks.
- Flowering quince and cherries force too.
Look for fat, round buds (narrow, pointed ones are usually leaf buds), cut 1 to 2 feet from the tips with sharp shears, and take only stems that won't spoil the shrub's shape. If the branches were frozen when you cut them, soak them in water for a few hours. Then stand them in a tall container in a cool room around 60 to 65 degrees, mist them a couple of times a day, change the water daily, and move them to a brighter spot once the flowers open.
Three ways to turn the branches into a craft:
- A blooming centerpiece in a thrifted vessel. A tall jar, crock or pitcher holds heavy branches better than a florist's vase, and thrift stores around Provo and Orem are the cheap place to look for one.
- A branch "tree" for spring decorations. Bare forsythia or willow stems hold paper eggs, small felt birds or tags. Making Space Thrift at 475 North Freedom Boulevard, a thrift store built around craft supplies, is the cheap place to look (shoppers' reviews mention felt and ribbon); it is open Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday until 8.
- A forced-branch timeline. Cut one stem a week from late February and line the jars up on a windowsill. Children see the buds open in sequence, and you learn which week your own shrubs force best.
What you can't cut in the canyon
Pussy willow along a creek in Provo Canyon looks like free material. On the national forest, it isn't. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest's permits page says cutting, removing or damaging "any timber, tree, or other forest product" without a permit is prohibited, and its list of forest products includes Christmas trees, live plants, cones, bark, boughs and rocks. The page tells you to contact the ranger district office about forest products; the Utah County district it lists is Spanish Fork, at (801) 798-3571.
The forest's plant-collection guidelines are stricter in certain places: outside approved scientific, restoration or cultural use, no seeds or plants may be collected in wilderness or recommended wilderness, developed recreation sites, the Central Wasatch management areas and a few other named areas. Utah State University Extension, summarizing the agencies' rules for gardeners, puts state parks plainly: "All plants in Utah State Parks are protected and collection is prohibited."
So the practical sources for spring stems are your yard, a neighbor who is pruning anyway (ask), and the flower growers below. For wildflowers, take a camera and a sketchbook instead of clippers; our guide to wildflower hikes in the Wasatch covers where and when.
March and April: seeds from the library, then the freeze line
The Provo City Library runs a Seed Library behind the first-floor reference desk at 550 North University Avenue. No library card is needed. The library asks families to take no more than three seed packets, and because it runs on donations, the selection is whatever has come in recently: vegetables, herbs and flowers. When your plants go to seed in the fall, you can bring seeds back in an envelope labeled with the plant and the year.
Seeds make two good spring crafts:
- Paper seed starters. Roll newspaper around a can to make small pots, fill them with soil, plant the library seeds and set them in a sunny window. They go straight into the ground, paper and all.
- Painted pots for the porch. Terra-cotta pots take acrylic paint well; seal them before they go outside. Garden centers stock pots and starts. In Orem, Cook's Farm & Greenhouse (1645 West 1600 North) was listed as open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun River Gardens (1248 North State Street) as open daily including Sunday afternoons, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in October 2026. Spring hours may differ.
Mind the freeze. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Provo BYU station put the median date of the last 32-degree night of spring at April 18, with a 10 percent chance of a freeze after May 5. April still averages about four nights at or below freezing. That date decides when the painted pot can hold tender annuals outdoors. Our vegetable garden guide has the planting calendar if the craft turns into a garden.
April: the first local flowers you can buy
The Utah Flower Market is the valley's flower source for crafters who want stems grown here rather than imported. It sells flowers from Utah growers every Wednesday at Grove Station, 273 South 2000 West in Pleasant Grove. In 2026 it ran April 1 to October 14, with florists buying from 9 to 11 a.m. and the public from 11 a.m. to noon. The selection changes weekly as different flowers come in. Our Utah Flower Market guide covers how the hour works.
What to make with a bucket from the market:
- Pressed flowers. Thin petals press best. Lay stems between sheets of plain paper inside a heavy book, add weight and leave them for a couple of weeks. Pressed spring flowers become cards, bookmarks and framed pieces for Mother's Day, and you can save some for winter projects.
- A Mother's Day arrangement. Mother's Day falls in May, well inside the market's season, which makes a Wednesday trip the week before an easy way to get local flowers for a handmade arrangement.
- A flower crown or wreath. Spring weddings and graduations make these useful.
Late April and May: blossoms to look at, tulips to learn from
The blossom weeks are a craft season of their own, but mostly for drawing, painting and photography, because the trees are not yours to cut.
Rowley's Red Barn orchards, Santaquin. Rowley's (901 South 300 West) opens its cherry and apple orchards for blossom viewing free of charge whenever the barn is open; check in with employees at the barn first so they know how many people are out, stay in the designated areas, and don't climb the trees. Timing moves with the weather: in 2025, the farm said full bloom in the cherry orchard was the weekend of April 25 and 26, with apple blossoms better early the following week. A sketchbook and watercolor set, or a phone for reference photos you paint from later, is the craft here.
The orchard also shows what a spring freeze can do. In 2026, Rowley's announced that spring frost damage had wiped out its apple crop, and it canceled its fall u-pick and Harvest Festival. Blossoms are beautiful and fragile, which is a good reason to paint them while they last.
Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival, Lehi. The 2026 festival ran April 6 to May 16 at Ashton Gardens (3900 North Garden Drive), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sundays, with more than 1 million flowers. You don't pick, but the festival sells craft classes. In 2026 the list included a spring centerpiece floral design class on April 17 for $160 and a pressed-flower class with Flowers of the Press on May 2 for $120 (frames not included), both with festival admission. Watch the festival's page for next year's class list. Our Tulip Festival guide covers tickets and timing.
- Garden sketch journal. Pair a free orchard visit with a paid festival day and fill a small journal with both. Artist Corner at 380 South Orem Boulevard carries watercolor paper and supplies (weekdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday until 5).
When May rains: indoor backups
May is the wettest month of the year at the Provo BYU station, with a normal 2.01 inches of precipitation, more than any other month. Spring craft plans need an indoor version.
- Borrow a Cricut. The Provo City Library lends three Cricut cutting machines for one-week checkouts to cardholders (bring your own materials). Paper flowers, spring banners and graduation signs are one rainy afternoon each. The Cricut itself grew out of a Provo company; our history of Provo Craft and the Cricut tells that story.
- Library creator kits. Each month the library offers a themed craft-supply kit you borrow from the first-floor reference desk and use inside the library. The theme changes monthly (October 2026's was 3D paper pumpkins), so call 801-852-6661 to ask what spring's kits are.
The spring boutique season
Once you have made something, the spring boutique season is where local makers sell it and where you can see what others make. The spring markets and the craft booths at early-summer festivals are covered in our year-round makers' markets calendar, and our craft nights guide lists the weekly places to work on spring projects with other people. If you are clearing out a craft room as part of spring cleaning, our guide to thrifting craft supplies covers where to donate and where to restock.
Related Guides
- Spring in Provo and Utah Valley
- Craft Stores in Utah Valley After JOANN
- Kids' Craft Ideas for Snow, Red-Air and Heat Days
- Easter and Spring Break Week in Utah Valley
- Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut pussy willow or other branches in Provo Canyon for a spring arrangement?
When should I cut branches to force indoors in Utah Valley?
When is it safe to plant painted pots outside in Provo?
Does the Provo City Library really give away seeds?
When does the Utah Flower Market open for the season?
Can I pick tulips or wildflowers for pressing at the Tulip Festival or in the canyons?
Where can I see cherry and apple blossoms to sketch or photograph?
Where do I buy terra-cotta pots and plants for spring crafts in Orem?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Permits (forest products, Christmas tree cutting, plant collection), USDA Forest Service, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Provo City Library: Seed Library, Provo City Library. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Crafting: creator kits, Cricut machines, kids' sewing machines, Provo City Library. Checked October 19, 2026.
- How to Force Branches of Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Collecting Plants on Public Lands for Utah Landscaping, Utah State University Extension. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Utah Flower Market (hours and 2026 season), Utah Flower Market. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Blossom Festival, Rowley's Red Barn. Checked October 19, 2026.
- The Harvest Festival and Pick Your Own (2026 crop loss notice), Rowley's Red Barn. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Tulip Festival 2026 (dates, hours, classes), Thanksgiving Point. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Monthly climate normals 1991-2020, Provo BYU (USC00427064), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Annual/seasonal climate normals 1991-2020 (freeze dates, annual snow), Provo BYU, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Google Places listings (addresses, hours, reviews): Making Space Thrift, Cook's Farm & Greenhouse, Sun River Gardens, Artist Corner (Oct. 2026), Google Maps. Checked October 19, 2026.
