Free is good right? That's what I thought when I spotted an old chair outside of a thrift store with a sign that said FREE. I kind of felt guilty taking it because I didn't purchase anything there that day, but I had great plans for that chair and couldn't help myself.> Posts > > > Well Flower Planter From Old Wooden PalletsDesign Milk / A Beautiful Mess / A Beautiful Mess / Ana White This Amazing Aluminum Chair You can use this tutorial to easily makeover lawn furniture you already have. Check it out here. This Incredible Hammock Chair Step 1: Get porch. Step 2: Make Hammock. Step 3: Never leave. Get the full directions here. See how to make them here. This Genius Rolling Cooler We may not have thought of it, but we’re definitely going to make one. This Recycled Rug Ottoman This Terra Cotta Table This Easy Wire Table This Succulent Pallet Table Because you can never have too many succulents. Or This Version With a Cooler
Learn how to make it here. These Old Chairs with a New Look Just make sure to use spray paint suited for plastic. Valspar, Krylon and Rust-Oleum all have good versions. Check out a good instructional video here. This Chic See-Through Pallet Table This Simple Summer Hammock Or This Two-Tone Version This one is a little more time-consuming. This Concrete Side Table Doubles as a planter. Get the DIY here. This Whimsical Stump Table This Adorable Animal Side Table Get the directions here. These Hand-Painted Chair Cushions This Recycled Tire Table These Cool Portable Milk Crate Stools Perfect for picnics, the beach or just loungin’ in your own backyard. Get the directions here. This Updated Patio Table Give an old umbrella table some love with this cool patterned re-cover idea. This Dreamy Day Bed This Organic Birch Lounger You will need some power tools for this one. These Fenced-In Log Benches
Designer Rebecca Cole made all this furniture in one day using fences, logs and a cent top. This Awesome Outdoor Bar Cart This Cool Metal Crate Bench This Concrete Chair Planter It might not be comfy, but it’s definitely cool. See how they did it here. These Stylish and Sentimental Side Tables This blogger made them with wood flooring from her great-great-grandmother’s home! See how she did it and read her story here. This Awesome Outdoor Rug Using masking tape and spray paint, you can update any old rug to go outdoors. Want awesome DIY tips in your inbox four times a week? Sign up for the BuzzFeed DIY newsletter! A bright, cheerful paint job may be all that’s required to breathe new life into faded wicker furniture. If your chairs, tables, or loveseats are in good condition and can still be used for their original purpose, spruce them up with paint in a variety of lively spring colors, or use some simple stencils to add a whimsical element.
Who says bedroom furniture doesn’t belong outside? This wicker headboard takes to the outdoors as part of a playful yet functional potting bench. Fresh white paint and a few hooks give gardeners an attractive place to hang trowels and other small garden tools. Dollar-store wicker baskets in various shapes and sizes create an instant, colorful outdoor container garden. Produce uniformity in mismatched baskets by spray-painting them in shades of pink, lavender, and lilac, then filling them with flowers in complementary colors. Looking for a practical but lovely storage solution for recyclable paper? This simple wicker basket becomes a traveling recycling bin with the addition of four furniture casters. Fill it up and roll it out! New outdoor furniture not in your budget? Use a vibrant palette of green, orange, yellow, white, and coral paint to pull together an assortment of mismatched wicker flea market pieces. A Victorian-style wicker bassinet charmingly cradles ferns on a veranda.
Leave it unpainted for a shabby chic look, and pair it with a rolling plant stand so you can move the greenery indoors at summer’s end. Sometimes outdoor furniture is simply beyond repair. Once the seats have given way, repurpose old wicker chairs or loveseats into planters for bountiful annuals. Fit a large container into the opening where the seat had been and fill it with your favorite flowers. Petunias, lobelias, and other trailing annuals provide a punchy hit of color and create a unique focal point for your garden. Upcycle an ugly old wicker trunk by painting it an eye-catching color and turning it into an outdoor storage unit for patio furniture cushions. No cushions to store? Line the trunk with plastic and fill it with ice to create a beer and wine cooler for outdoor entertaining. A series of cascading wicker baskets used as planters can transform a boring outdoor wall into a conversation piece. Requiring nothing more than rectangular baskets and colorful cord, this is an inexpensive, fun showcase for trailing plants, or even herbs, in outdoor patio areas.
When the weather turns cold, just bring the arrangement inside! Wild wicker doesn’t have to stay outside! Pulsating pink can turn an old wicker cabinet like this into a dramatic accent for an entryway or dining room. Beauty and functional storage—who could ask for more?Baby Jars of BudsBaby Jars of BudsLaura, the blogger behind Make Life Lovely, affixed nine jars to a castoff board with plumbing clamps to show off snipped buds, but it'd be just as easy to plant succulents for a longer lasting display.Get the tutorial at Make Life Lovely » A Steel StealA Steel StealWhen searching for an antique tin to mimic this pansy planter, don't avoid a bit of rust — it only adds to the charm, and a cleaner metal box will eventually discolor anyway.Get the tutorial at Nina's Apartment » 9 Lovely Plants That Can Stand Up to DroughtHow to Restore Outdoor Furniture Viewing Project in Outdoor Buildings & Furniture > Outdoor Furniture > Painting, Staining, & Waterproofing > Staining & Waterproofing
Well, spring is just around the corner and that's gotten me thinking about outdoor living. But when I took a look at my outdoor furniture, I realized well, it had taken quite a beating over the winter, so it's time to give it a face lift. Now this is a two step process. First I'm going to clean and brighten it, and then restore the color. Because the wood is very dry, I'm going to wet it, so the solution I'm about to apply will be absorbed more evenly and will not dry out too quickly. I'm also wetting down the patio to dilute any runoff. This cleaner and brightener will do two things. Remove accumulated dirt and restore the sun and weather darkened surface to something closer to its original color. I'm going to apply the material with a pump sprayer, starting near the bottom and working upward to avoid drips and streaking. After letting the solution sit for a few minutes, it's time to do a light scrubbing to loosen stubborn soil and sun damaged wood cells. For harder to reach spots, I use smaller brushes.
It's really the cleaner and brightener though that's doing most of the work. That's really evident when it comes time for rinsing. The old surface is washed away, revealing fresh, bright wood underneath. I've given the furniture plenty of time to dry. Now for a little light sanding with 100 grit paper. Both the weather and the water I've just used have raised the grain. The idea is to even out the surface a bit, but not over sand it. Making it too smooth could prevent the wood from adequately absorbing the finish. The tight spots, I sand by hand in the direction of the grain. You know, I'm just amazed at what a difference a cleaner and brightener can make on outdoor furniture, even though it may look really bad like this one did, to begin with. Now I want to put a protective coating on here and add some color back and I'm gonna do that in one step using not a liquid, but a gel stain like this one. Now one big advantage to this when you're using it on things that have a lot of slats, no drips.