Backyard redo reveal!

Last week I mentioned we put a lot of work into our backyard over the three-day weekend. We’ve had a big backyard with practically nothing in it for the longest time; I just haven’t had the energy or the funds to do something really exciting. But a few months ago, I starting running across ideas on Pinterest and one day just started sketching up a plan. Most of it included DIY projects, and all we needed to purchase were 2 chairs, plants, and materials.

My master plan

backyard redo, backyard redesign, backyard diy

Don’t you love how professional my sketches are?

The before pictures

Before we did anything to the backyard, we had a plain picnic table that we bought at the Home Depot for under $100 and stained ourselves (a cheap alternative to patio furniture), a bench from Ikea (bought at a summer sale for $25), some old faded pillows, a tiny firepit floating in the middle of our uncovered patio area, and a flowerbed with no plants.

The big reveal!: The after pictures

The covered patio area now has new plants (impatients and jasmine) with a raised flowerbed (using old bricks laying behind our garage), hanging paper lanterns (from Target) and metal lanterns (Ikea), new pillows and cushions for the bench, and an oilcloth bunting.

I made the pillows from oilcloth (they match the bunting). If you’ve never sewn with oilcloth before, it can be very tricky and I recommend doing your research first. The great thing about these pillows is that they can just be wiped clean when they get dirty. The cushions on the bench were purchased at Target (on sale for end of the season for under $10 each).

Here’s my half circle bunting.

I purchased these old oil lanterns at a garage sale for $2 a piece. I still need to purchase some oil for them, so for now they are just pretty decor.

Our old firepit was transformed into this firepit “area.” I saw a tutorial on Pinterest for this DIY firepit and knew it would be easy. The best part was that my father already had these bricks in his backyard that he’d been trying to get rid of for years, so he let us have the ones we needed for free! We purchased the wicker rockers at Ikea (they were the most expensive pieces we bought for the backyard redo), and they are super comfy and our favorite place to sit on warm nights. The other chairs around the firepit were purchased at various garage sales. The table in the upper lefthand corner was salvaged from my neighbor’s trash pile. It’s old and beaten up, but that’s what I love about it. It is the perfect cover for all my daughter’s outdoor toys, which are shoved underneath. It’s also gives us extra table space when barbequeing and houses a collection of succulents.

We purchased this shade sail from HomeDepot.com to give us some extra coverage. This seating area is between the patio and the garage, so we had the perfect space to hang some sort of shade cover. The shade sail is weather and fade resistant and allows rain water to drop through so it won’t be weighed down by water. I love the extra shade it offers!

Here are the succulents I have sitting on the old table.

This old window on our back fence was salvaged from a house on our street that was replacing their windows. My crafty girlfriend, Michelle, grabbed a bunch of them and was nice enough to give me a couple.

The flowerpots are plain clay pots that I spraypainted (idea from Better Homes & Gardens on Pinterest). To hang them on the fence, I created wire rings from floral wire and hung them on a hook on the fence, then I set the flowerpots in the rings.

The patio lights at night

I still have some details I would like to add (I’m sure it will be a work in progress for a long time). I am on the lookout for an old bench to place around the firepit, and I want to create some sidetables from wood stumps, if I ever find any. For now, it’s a great living space that my family is really enjoying during this prolonged SoCal summer!

Link Parties:

My master plan

The before pictures

The big reveal!: The after pictures

The patio lights at night

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