9 DIYs to Cozy Up Your Backyard

Set the scene for summer gatherings with these stylish updates.

Centsational Girl
Hang Outdoor Curtains
Flowing fabric panels soften the straight lines of a pergola and offer protection from the sun. Centsational Girl made these sailcloth-style curtains from a surprising source: Painter's tarps.

Get the instructions at Centsational Girl »

Tiny Sidekick
Bring a Chandelier Outside
Corey at Tiny Sidekick converted a wired chandelier (previously used in her dining room) into an outdoor fixture. The candles give off a lovely glow that'll set the mood for your next get-together.

Get the instructions at Tiny Sidekick »

Bower Power Blog
Incorporate an Outdoor Rug
A rug makes a furniture arrangement feel unified and defined. It can be difficult to find a rug that fits your outdoor space, so a DIY option is your best bet. Follow the lead of Bower Power Blog and combine two (or more) outdoor carpets for a "custom" fit.

Laura Gummerman & Sarah Rhodes
Paint a Rug
Add some whimsical color to your patio area by painting a your own backyard "rug" directly onto the concrete. This DIY from A Beautiful Mess uses vibrant neon colors to create an entrancing geometric design.

Today's Nest
Plant Your Cocktail Table
This table does double-duty: Not only is it a great place to put down your drink, but it hosts a rock garden full of native plants. Today's Nest created this table from pallets and fence pickets.

Read the full how-to here »

The Merrythought
String Up a Hammock
Give your visitors a place to get away by DIY-ing your very own hammock. Sure, you could buy one from a store, but it won't have the same handcrafted comfort and appeal as this homemade project from The Merrythought.

Read the directions here »

The Lily Pad Cottage
Add Color with a Window Box
Think of a window box as a "permanent" floral arrangement. Though the blogger at The Lily Pad Cottage added one to each window of the front of her house to stunning effect, a backyard window box creates a stunning focal point that adds ambiance to your patio entertaining space.

Get more ideas at The Lily Pad Cottage »

Francois et Moi
Make a Custom-Sized Tray
Unless you've got an outdoor kitchen, you'll need to find a way to carry your guest's drinks from inside. This simple dual-handled patio serving tray from Francois et Moi is the perfect complement to a sunny summer Saturday.

The Horticult
Turn Your Yard Into a Movie Theater
Have a large space you need to fill? Turn the whole thing into a movie theater for endless summer screenings of your favorite happy flicks, like this stunning garden space from The Horticult.

Next
14 Gorgeous Dining Areas Perfect for Alfresco Meals

By Jamie Wiebe

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We're Obsessed With This Floating Lightbulb

Image
Flyte No magic, batteries, or wires here: Swedish designers Flyte promises to "set the lightbulb free" with its new concept — a bulb that hovers over its base thanks to magnetism and air induction. Hand-crafted in Sweden from sustainably-sourced oak, ash and walnut, Flyte turns on and off by a tap on the electro-magnetic base. If you don't need the light, the base can also transform into a wireless charging station for your phone. Yes, it's expensive, starting at around $$$, but considering the LED bulb is rated for 50,000 hours, it's a conversation piece that could last a lifetime. Flyte And don't worry about a curious cat or grabby toddler: The shatterproof glass won't break if Fluffy knocks it over. And since you don't need to plug it in, it's the ultimate kid-proof lighting solution. No tripping on unwieldy wires! Interested? Back Flyte at its Kickstarter page. Flyte Flyte More from House Beautiful: • 5 Reasons to Get Excited for Denmark...
Read more

Every Day Is Chrismas at the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska

A post shared by Timothy Wang (@ttttimwang) on Dec 26, 2014 at 3:00pm PST In the tiny town of North Pole, Alaska the celebration of Christmas doesn't just happen on the 25th — every day is fair game for wearing red and green, and much of that is all thanks to Con and Nellie Miller. You see, back in 1952 they opened up a trading post in the newly named city and, in honor of Con's tradition of dressing up as Santa at every Christmas, they decided to give it a very special name: The Santa Claus House. It started off as a spot to grab necessities (think: a grocery store and post office combo). But as the community grew so did the store, and they added Christmas treasures, a new wing, and the world's largest Santa that stands 42-feet-tall. Today, thousands of people visit the store every year and millions have ventured to North Pole since they've opened. Looking for a festive photo opportunity? You've come to the right place. This holida...
Read more

"Fredagsmys" Is the Swedish Way to Make Your Friday Nights Extra Cozy

Image
Getty While the Danes have hygge , Swedes have mys , which basically translates to “coziness.” While the two concepts are similar—they both come from Scandinavian countries with extremely cold winter weather, for one — mys has a particular focus on eating delicious food that comes to a head on Friday evenings with the tradition of fredagsmys . Fredagsmys translates roughly to “cozy Fridays” and became embedded in Swedish culture in the 1990s when a marketing campaign for chips encouraged people to relax at home on Fridays and indulge in junk food after a long week of eating well and working hard. While fredagsmys can look different whether you’re a family with kids or a group of friends who get together every Friday night, the key ingredient “is easy meals for which everyone is the master chef,” according to the book The Swedish Kitchen . “Finger food and snacks are preferred to cooking and cleaning a pile of dirty pots ...
Read more