Let's show the Tour de Yorkshire a warm welcome! 8 tips for decorating the town

During the Tour de Yorkshire last year, Beverley made a great effort to decorate the town, turning it into a sea of blue and yellow in the days leading up to the race. 

Thanks to that effort, this year Beverley has been chosen to host Stage 1, a great opportunity to show the riders, teams, sponsors and visitors from elsewhere the warm welcome that Beverley provides.

The Town Council and Chamber of Trade, as well as the Fire service and working group members have already begun rallying round to start the preparations to turn the town blue and yellow. 

Need some help with decorating your shop front, offices, homes and gardens? Check out our tips below.

• Paint an old bike or wheel. Raid the garage for any old bikes and wheels. Painted bikes were really effective last year and fun to spot around the town! There are many good causes they can be donated to when the celebrations are over.
   
• Show your team pride. Are you part of a cycling team or perhaps you have a great collection of jerseys? Take a leaf from Cafe Velo's book and display your jerseys in your window.
   
• Petal power - create floral displays with blue and yellow flowers. Fill a painted wheelbarrow if you prefer a one-wheeled option.
   
• Look up! There will be full TV coverage of the race, so think big, perhaps with a roof display or large images made on playing fields that will look really impressive from the helicopter.
   
• Wave the Yorkshire flag. Hoisting the white rose emblem high along the route will guide the cyclists to the finish line. For a homemade flag, print out or draw your own flag and tape one edge of the paper to a skewer or lolly stick.
   
• Not keen on paint? Get knitting instead! Yarn-bomb a bike or knit little yellow jerseys.
   
• Blue and yellow bunting. Bunting is easy to make and you can use almost any material. We think bunting looks great draped around garden fences.
   
• Get the kids involved. Make banners and flags with handprints. Old bedsheets can be written on and coloured in, then hung in windows or on hedges and rooftops. 

Do you have any other ideas for decorating? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!