Boy do I have spring fever! I have been on a mission, lately, to spruce up my back patio. I dream of an outdoor space where I WANT to unwind, a place where our family can spend time together and a place that I want to show off! Of course, I also want that space cheap:)
My first plan of action was to create an outdoor dining area. We love ourselves some cook-outs! We purchased a patio set last summer but I never did anything decorative with it.
***Many of you have sent emails asking where I got my patio set and we purchased it on-line at Home Depot. It is a Martha Stewart set and I LOVE it! It was shipped for free and 20% off! Check out the circulars in your Sunday paper because they run great deals on patio furniture!***
Back to the Chargers!
I love the look of chargers for a tablescape but the price tag on most of them busts my wallet, especially for outdoor dining! I had a vision and I went with it!
I picked some 1 x 12’s from my scrap pile and got to work!
I cut 6 pieces at 12″ (I might add that my husband was over-joyed for me to get rid of some scraps;)
I gave each piece 1 coat of Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
and followed up with 1 coat of Minwax Polycrylic.
That was it!
Seriously, that was it! Very little time and they were FREE!
I also cut one 1 x 12 at 24″ for a centerpiece and I love how it shows off my citronella lanterns!
Please excuse the mess, we are installing a pool right now (which is another reason I am ready to spruce up my outdoor area;)
If you don’t have 1 x 12 scraps laying around you can purchase one 8′ board at a hardware store for around $13. That’s less that $2 per charger! To make it easier, you can have it cut for you while you are at the store. From there, your only job is to stain and finish:)
I am so in love with these chargers! I love the natural look of them and I LOVE that I can use them for inside dining as well! Now, I’m off to set up my inside dining table!
~Ashley
LOVE this idea!!
I found you through Everyday Celebrating – and now I’m your newest fan!!!
Thanks Staci!!! So happy to have you;)
This is gorgeous. Hope to see you at My Dream Canvas!
First, I am so jealous of the pool! It is going to be so beautiful. The brown and greens of the table are beautiful. What a lever idea. Those lanterns are really fun. Enjoy it when it is all done.
Thank you so much Jacqueline! We are very excited too! I think I am more excited about decorating the backyard though;) Thanks so much for stopping by!
This idea is fabulous! So easy and I can see doing the chargers in a few different colors and glosses! Thanks! Linda
Thank you Linda! They are so versatile!!!
So cute. When I first saw them from afar, I thought you’d appropriated floor tiles as chargers for outside… and on that note I am thinking that would be another super cute weather tolerant charger- some pretty 12 by 12 tiles… On Craigslist you can often even get free tile when folks have just a box or less leftover…excited to do some work outside!
Great Idea Koren! Thanks for sharing!
Love your idea! Very creative and looks great on your table. Your green dishes are perfect for outside. I bet you can’t wait till the pool is finished! Please drop in for a Mikasa giveaway!
Thank you so much:)))
These would be fun if you painted them with chalkboard paint. After painting my kitchen backsplash with chalkboard paint, I want to cover everything in chalkboard paint. I hope you understand 🙂
Great idea!!!! I’ll be featuring on my entertaining blog! 🙂
Yay! Thank you so much Michelle!
Love how classic and simple your chargers turned out. And using scraps from on hand — awesome!
Thank you so much:)
I sure do LOVE your chargers!!!! How wonderful they are, especially for outdoors! I also love your patio set! I am on the lookout for a rectangular table….I ahve a round one right now that only seats 4. Thanks for the tip! XO, Pinky
Thank you Pinky:). Good luck in your search!
Such a great idea!! I will definitely be sharing this one with my readers!
Thank you Lorie! 🙂
How cute! And very creative! I like! Now it’s time for a cookout! 🙂
Those are sooo cool! Great job! We just moved from DFW to Northern OK and I have been trying out some of your fabulous DIY ideas in my new home! Thanks for the inspiration!
What a super fab idea!!! Genius!
Easy, Chic, and Fun! LOVE