My Five Favorite Ways To Decorate Outdoors

Today, with spring finally here and summer not too far off,  we are posting about our favorite ways to decorate an outside space. I am about to take on a HUGE outdoor DIY project that my family is so excited about, and with it, some fun changes are coming to our deck too. I can’t wait to share it all with you! In the meantime I thought I’d talk about some simple and inexpensive ways to spruce up an outdoor space without breaking the bank. As you will see I take full advantage of natural “decor” in the warmer seasons!

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BRING ON A SPLASH OF CHEERFUL COLOR

Is there anything quite like overflowing, flowering plants to bring cheer to a space?

A roll-out awning came with our house, and although I might not have chosen these colors, the awning is absolutely amazing in the summer!!!! It covers 3/4 of the deck and makes the space enjoyable even on the hottest of days. I am a big fan of a monochromatic color scheme; to coordinate with the red stripes in the awning I planted tons of red petunias, double impatiens and a couple of reddish-coral hibiscus, they were gorgeous all summer long into the fall!

{Check out this quick tip for finding deals on plants!}

{Have you seen the before and after of our deck and backyard? Hard to believe it’s the same space!}

PLANT HERBS IN PRETTY POTS

If you love to grow herbs outside in the summer, upgrade them from the plastic pots they came in to a colorful or interesting container and make them part of your outdoor decor.

“Marshall’s Boutique” & Homegoods always have great garden containers. Local friends, one of my fave places for beautiful and inexpensive glazed pots around Massachusetts and Rhode Island is Ocean State Job Lot! They have a huge selection and are so reasonable!

{Check out this post for tips for planting herbs in containers.}  

{Wine cork herb markers}

SPRUCE UP YOUR ENTRY WITH PLANTS AND LIGHTING

If you use a backyard entry a lot more in the summer, give it a little love at the start of the season. Before I could paint my back stairs a couple years ago, this gorgeous mandevilla that I had left in a pot at the bottom climbed on up. So lovely and welcoming – what better outdoor decor could I possibly add to our deck? 

I installed a stepping stone path and little garden from our driveway to our deck a few years ago, and at the beginning of the outdoor season I clean up the edge the garden (I use an old-fashioned human-powered edger, it’s a bit of a workout but does the trick just fine!)  I love these glass solar lights for the garden – I stuck three in this little garden and was surprised at how pretty they are at night.

(Mine are green but I’d rather the clear.)

Look how much the ornamental grasses grow over the course of the summer! They are super low maintenance as long as they get a lot of sun, and they come back year after year and create this big show. I love them!

OUTDOOR PILLOWS, OF COURSE

This goes without saying, because I’m a blogger and you know how bloggers are all googly-eyed about the power of pillows to change up a space, but seriously, PILLOWS!

I bought these pillows in indoor/outdoor Tommy Bahama palm fabric from this Etsy seller last year to work with the colors of the awning. They bring some fun pattern to our deck and make lounging at the table so comfortable. And they are a steal, on sale for 2/$30.60!

 

You’ll be seeing more of these when I share our outdoor space in the near future.

 

CREATE A BEVERAGE STATION

I saved my favorite way to decorate outdoors for last. Do you remember the baby changing table that I upcycled into a beverage cart for the deck? It was fantastic as a self-serve drink station for the kids and especially when we entertained. I ended up selling it due to lack of storage space, but have another idea for a built in beverage station for the deck that I’m hoping to do this summer.

Having a designated spot for guests to help themselves to a drink is so nice, particularly when you’re busy getting food prepared and served. (Can you believe I found that glass drink dispenser at a thrift store for next to nothing? It’s perfect for iced tea or lemonade for the kiddos, or Red, White & Blue Sangria or Pineapple Infused Vodka for the adult crowds!)

The DIY mercury glass shelves were really easy to make and gave this beverage cart a bit of sophistication (and made it feel a lot less like a baby changing table!)

Wishing you and yours many happy times enjoying the outdoors this spring and summer!

 

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For more inspiration on beautifying your outdoor living areas, check out my amazing co-hosts…..

Kris @ Driven By Decor

Pam @ Simple Details

Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

and our special guest,

Julia of Cuckoo4Design!

A big thank you to Julia for joining us for this month’s My Five Favorites!