As I was sitting down to put this blog post together I realized I never took a before photo of our patio space! Sometimes I get too excited to start a project and forget important steps, like before photos, this isn’t the first time. I can tell you I had to get rid of a few plants, weeds, a rotting wine barrel with ivy wrapped around and it took all day! Before this little nook off our back door wasn’t really useable, now it’s a little dining oasis. I cannot wait to start hosting summer dinner parties here.
I have wanted an outdoor dining space since last year but it was not in the budget after moving. This year I was determine to create a little dining space in a small nook off our back door. Since this project was still not in the budget, I needed to get creative! I actually book a day on set to make extra money, the whole time thinking, this is my patio set! Funny how motivation works.
I also included thrifted items to save money. I bought the gold pots above and gold candlesticks from my local Salvation Army Thrift Store as well as the lantern, which I painted. You can check out the DIY here. These items were still in my colour scheme, looked great and were affordable. The lantern was $8 and most I saw in store that were this big were $50 plus.
The outdoor rugs were a challenge. It was difficult to find an affordable outdoor rug. I ended up buying two to create a large space and define the dining area. I was lucky enough to find these rugs at Superstore. They were $29 each, so $68 total. Maybe that is not a deal, but I covered a large area and they fit within my nautical theme.
I wasn’t going to buy anything for the tabletop but then I found these plastic wine glasses above at HomeSense $9.99 for 4 and I couldn’t resist! HomeSense, you get me every time! They look really good and are plastic, so no need to worry about any breaking this summer.
We already had the patio lights up from last year. Honestly THE BEST INVESTMENT! I ended up finding these patio lights on Craigslist a couple years ago, and we keep them up year round. I had to replace a few bulbs this year, but they still look great. They really set a great mood once the sun starts to go down.
Let’s break down the cost of this patio makeover and see if it’s possible for you!
Everything else on the table we already owned.
For around $130 I was able to create a useable patio space. It is easily converted for more people, as the table expands, and we can move it out of the way when it is not in use. It is great to feel like our space has expanded for the summer. Dinner al fresco here we come!
One more thing! Styling your outdoor dining table! Get creative. Sometimes seeing styled shoots online can make me feel inadequate. Seriously! Then I have to remind myself these posts are most likely sponsored and the blogger has a huge prop inventory. I am all about looking at what we have on hand to create a table setting. For example, I had these white napkins, so I found some string and cut rosemary from our bush to create the setting. The greenery in the middle, I am pretty sure is a weed, and I was cutting it down anyway so decided to use it. Voila! A beautiful tablescape.
I hope this gives you some inspiration for your patio, or tips on how to creatively decorate your space.