Patio – And Then Home

How To Upgrade Your Patio on a Budget

christine — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 02:40:53 +0000

Are you ready to give your patio a fresh, new look? All you need are some trendy pieces placed in the right places, it doesn’t need to be an expensive endeavour. You can find some great items at your local dollar or department store, so what’s to loose? Our front porch was definitely in need of an upgrade, after a trip to the store it quickly became the perfect area for a morning coffee! If you want to know How to Upgrade Your Patio on a Budget, keep reading.

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The main feature of this patio upgrade are the crates and potted plants. I also love the shear curtain hung in the background, it really gives a breezy, relaxing feel which is exactly what you want while enjoying a coffee or beer.

Before the upgrade I had only a iron bistro set on the porch. Since this set is timeless, it fit right in with the new look. At the store I picked up a few items that I thought looked nice together, both trendy while sticking to my style. Between the dollar store and department store the whole upgrade only cost $50 and it took less then 45min to put together. The longest part was installing the shear curtain because I had to screw them into the wood. Here’s a quick list of materials that made my upgrade look amazing!

What you’ll need for your DIY Patio Makeover, How To Upgrade Your Patio on a Budget

Three artificial plants in pots
Shear curtain
Curtain rode (check your patio out and choose the right type of fixture: pressure mounted, magnetic or bracket style rod)
Large circular placemat (table decor)
A utensil holder (table decor)
A carpet for the floor
A large tin bucket
Wall art
Two wooden crates
Other small decor for the table/wooden crates

It might take some time to place the items where they look best, but you’ll get there. I moved the decor around a lot before I finally chose how I wanted it to look. You can also add to the decor as you go, so don’t worry about getting all of the materials in one trip.

Finally, let’s see how to put them all together…

I love how this patio makeover turned out. It didn’t take long to complete and certainly didn’t break the bank. Therefore, you have no excuse for not transforming your patio into an oasis this summer!

Need more patio ideas? This DIY Vintage Serving Tray is the perfect addition to a patio makeover. Another idea, if you’re looking for a project to make the patio a comfortable place to read a book…this Colour Pop Pillow Cover by Champagne and Sugarplums is a the perfect solution.

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. There may be a small commission made by our recommendations, and/or link to products mentioned or services on this website. Any potential purchase you make will help us continue to bring you amazing content, step-by-steps and product reviews. Products are not exact to what we use, be sure these materials are right for you!

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Antler Beer Can Cozies using Felt

Vicki — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 05:35:24 +0000

A cozy (or Koosie for our American friends) is a cute little sleeve that wraps around your beer can to keep it cool and make it easier to hold if it’s wet from sitting in ice. One of these handy gadgets seemed perfect for this week as we are rapidly approaching…. Father’s Day! We all know that Dad’s are notoriously difficult to shop for but whether your Pop drinks beer, cider or soda, this project is perfect because they could all use one of these cute antler beer can cozies. Still need inspiration for Dad? Check out our list of last minute ideas.

Luckily, this no sew project is super simple. The hardest part is drawing the antlers, so if needed, don’t hesitate to grab a template from the internet to make things easier. Also, this project can be adapted in so many designs – flowers, birds, Star Wars, Disney. Really the possibilities are endless. For now though, let’s get started with a naturally inspired design.

What you’ll need:

Felt
Embroidery thread and needle
Scissors
Glue
Ruler and pen

Measure out a 4″ by 8″ rectangle of felt and cut it out.

Use the embroidery thread to stitch the sides together, making several large x’s along the edge, and be sure to measure the size against the can to make sure it’s a tight fit before stitching the edges together.

Use the same thread to stitch decorative lines along the top and bottom edges of the cozy.

Draw and cut out antlers to fit onto the cozy. I made two cozies – one with deer antlers and one with moose antlers.

Glue the antlers in place on the cozy and this is easiest to do after slipping the cozy over a can so the placement is easier to see.

And that’s it – now sit back and enjoy a cold one with your new beer can cozies! Happy Father’s Day and Happy Crafting.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. There may be a small commission made by our recommendations, and/or link to products or services mentioned on this website. Your purchase will help us continue to bring you amazing content, step-by-steps and product reviews.

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Coulourful Triangle Tablecloth

Vicki — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 18:50:33 +0000

This past weekend found me outside scrubbing winter dust and dirt off of our patio furniture. As I sat in my now cobweb free chair, taking a small break from the cleaning, I started to picture how to spruce up our patio set for a brand new season. While contemplating this, my eyes landed on our patio table. It’s a fine table although a bit….boring. The solution? A new triangle tablecloth!

Perfect, now the design. Something colourful is a must, something exciting and trendy would be great. I googled for a while (my little break quickly turning into an extended break) and found it. A geometric print tablecloth, covered in colourful triangles. A fun, easy design. So I got started. I will admit that this project wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Making the triangles does require some concentration, I had some misses that I needed to fix up. And then painting the triangles…. I won’t lie, it takes forever. But the end result is 100% worth it!

What You’ll Need:

A plain tablecloth or some fabric
Ruler and pencil
Lots of colourful fabric paint
Paint brush
A cartload of patience

Decide how big you want your triangles to be, I did mine at 6”. Measure 6” intervals along the edges of the cloth. Use a yardstick to connect the lines diagonally in both directions. Then draw a line across the lines horizontally to divide the lines into triangles.

Paint in the triangles, one colour at a time in a random pattern. You may need to let some sections dry before moving on with this step.

Let dry and you’re done! Although there are only two steps to this project it does require a time commitment. Don’t forget to share your photos with us and let us know how this project worked for you.

Looking for more DIY summer crafts? Certainly take a look at this Beach Decor – Flip Flop Hanger or these Beaded Wind Chimes Craft for Kids by Champagne and Sugarplums or our Tie Dye Tea Towels. Happy Crafting!

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DIY Wooden Porch Pumpkin Home Decor

christine — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 20:47:25 +0000

So, the time has come again….summer fun is fading, the days are noticeably shorter and the weather is cooler. BUT, this means we can welcome all of the fun fall decor!! Fall could be one of the best time for crafters and DIY’ers because we get to use materials, colours and themes we wouldn’t usually. Today I’m cracking out…and at some wood logs that I conveniently got from my neighbour. You can use any wooden log for this craft as long as it has a flat end to stand it on. On that note, let’s take a look on how to create a DIY Wooden Porch Pumpkin Home Decor

As I was saying, any log will do if it can stand by itself. The sturdier the better, so it doesn’t fall down easily, especially if you intend on having it on your porch like mine. You also want to pick a log that has bark that will peel off easier, this just makes life easier and also won’t damage the underlying wood. Removing the bark is the hardest part of this project and the most tedious. Once the bark has been removed, it’s a matter of sanding down the rough parts. Any knots are good because it gives the project a natural look, which is nice. When the log is smooth and sanded you can begin to paint it. I used an orange paint because…Fall. I actually used three different colours for this project to create some depth and character but it would look just as nice with one colour.

Read on for the DIY Wooden Porch Pumpkin Home Decor tutorial!

What you’ll need:

Three wooden logs, bark removed
A small branch cut into three (2-3inch pcs) to use as stumps
Glue
Sand paper
Chisel or Flat head screwdriver
Orange paint (one to three shades)
White paint
Paint brushes
Finishing spray
Embellishments (ribbon, burlap, etc)

Step 1.

First step is to peel the bark off of the log. A chisel is best for this (although I only had a flat head screw driver that worked nicely too). The bark can be a little stubborn so be careful! Also, it’s a lot messy so be prepared for that too.

Step 2.

Sanding. Sand all the areas down so it’s smooth, a little time consuming but worth it.

Step 3.

Now to paint. Paint each log orange first. You can use different shades for each log, or the same like I did. When the orange paint has dried completely, add a layer of white. Once the white paint has dried, take your sandpaper and gently rub it over the log. You will see that some of the orange paint starts to peak through. Rub as little or as much as you’d like!

Step 4.

Glue your small ‘stumps’ onto the top of each log. This will create the pumpkin stump and give a finished look to the project! It really does make a difference.

Step 5.

Sealer. I used a spray sealer with a little shine to it. Give it two coats, allowing them to dry in between.

Step 6.

Add some twine, string, ribbon or burlap to the top. You can also add some metal pieces, a trend we are seeing this year is different types of materials being used in fall decor!

Ta-Da! Your DIY Wooden Porch Pumpkin Home Decor is finished.

That’s it! Your fall decor is ready for your front porch, mantel or office. This DIY fall home decor project is definitely one of my favourites, it was fun to make with a bit of a challenge to it. Taking a piece from a raw condition and creating a decor piece was definitely worth it.

Looking for more decor for your home this fall? Check out these Rustic Painted Pine Cones and Acorns, for another hot trending craft idea.

Happy Crafting!

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