Taking it Outside: Outfit Your Outdoors DIY

I love cool, creative outdoor spaces. Today I happened uppon an article at somewhatsimple.com on making a non-weighted, no-fly-away  tablecloth for an outdoor table. That's not the only good point about it; it's also plastic (but tasteful) so it's weather wearable, will protect metal or wood and definitely washable for easy cleanup.

So here it is! The No-Fly-Away Shower Curtain Tablecloth from blogger, This Present Life.

I really enjoyed reading how this cute number was born - pure spontaneity. Initially, she bought the table at Target for $34, but you could use anything you have, yard sale or  craigslist, etc. Anything that will fit under a shower curtain! Yes, that's what I said, this is made of a shower curtain!

"...I went in search of a cute tablecloth to add some fun color. I caught a glimpse of the shower curtain aisle and I thought to myself, "what if I used a plastic shower curtain instead? It's plastic, it can handle being outside, and surely there will be more designs to choose from."...

Now to spice up the rest of the patio.

Personally, I would add some patio-style throw pillows to make those chairs more welcoming using a lime green and/or hot pink or that bright yellow used in the tablecloth design.

(micah-williams.com)

Love the pink and lime green's in "Sally's House" by Micah (colourlover: micahrae224). You can sew a basic square or rectangle pillow at the beginner level of sewing. Here are some cute elements from Martha Stewart - Floral Pillows with Ultrasuede Petals. Ultimately, use whatever fabric you want. The suede won't ravel and doesn't require any edging. There are SO MANY books, websites, blogs etc for sewing pillows out there. I just bought a book for a general resource on sewing because I loved the layout, terminology and variety of things it covered. It has an EXCELLENT pillow section on different types of pleats, shapes, etc. You can do your own embellishments or applique if you wish too. The book is by Singer, The Complete Photo Guide to SEWING (on amazon).

(Somewhatsimple.com - Container Gardening Reinvented)

(plain and simple actually has a rad design)

Add embellishments like getting creative with your garden pots.

This is an extremely simple idea using black spray paint, white paint and a paint brush over an old clay pot. Add some hot pink flowers? PERFECT! Even doing black, hot pink or lime pots would be cool.

Other Painted Pot ideas:

Chalkboard Paint Pots from WeHeartThis.com - love this idea. (note: hardware stores and walmart carry chalkboard paint as a paint on. Usually by the quart (as well as a spray on). Buying it at the craft store probably cost just as much or more than a quart. I got some for $8.) If you need to paint a LOT of pots, here's an interesting resource for that from dannylipford.com - Painting Clay Pots. Here's one using a water sealant as well as paint by CasaCullen. A very classy, indoor version by MommyMovesAgain.blogspot.com. Lastly, this one is just perfect! Great Results! From LifeOnTheBalcony.com - Stylish DIY Container for the Balcony Gardener on a Budget.

Overall, a cute and very smart tablecloth with other useful decorative elements can make an adorable patio or back yard on a small budget to boot! If you're bad with plants I suggest you get some succulents (hen and chicks are wonderful) and certain herbs like lavender, rosemary and sage are both beautiful and hardy.