Many Dallas-Fort Worth locals enjoy the outdoors — even if it’s something as simple as sipping iced tea on the porch. During the summer and fall months, DFW residents flock to their backyards or neighbors’ patios for grilling, swimming, and mingling. Looking for even more ways to enjoy your yard space? Try one of these outdoor DIY projects.

1. Transform Your Lawn Into a Game Space

Spray-painting grass with marking paint is a great way to bring beloved games to your own backyard. For example, you can use marking spray paint to create a temporary hop-scotch path or bases for a game of kickball.

One of many popular outdoor DIY projects sweeping through the Metroplex is using spray-painted circles on grass to play an outdoor version of Twister. With cans of blue, orange, red, and green spray-paint, you can easily make a temporary game for a family reunion or neighborhood barbecue. In addition to marking spray paint, in order to complete this project, you’ll need a large circular stencil (which you can create from the bottom of a hollowed-out five-gallon bucket) and a guideline (use a string pulled taut by yard stakes to form a straight line).

2. Get Creative with Chalkboard Paint

Want to let your artistic side run wild? Doodling doesn’t have to be an indoor activity. Use chalkboard paint (available at hardware stores and supermarket retailers in either spray or liquid form) to create fun and creative spaces outdoors. Simply designate a square- or rectangular-shaped portion of a shed or fence to be your artistic canvas, and paint it. (You can even paint a border around the chalkboard in a fun, bright color.) Once the chalkboard paint has dried, the board is ready for drawing and coloring.

3. Create Your Own Giant Jenga Game

Popular tabletop game Jenga involves stacking small blocks of wood into a tower shape. Players remove a block from the lower levels and place it on the top of the tower, while trying to prevent the tower from falling over. DFW homeowners have taken this game outdoors, replacing the tiny pieces with giant hunks of two-by-four-size wood. Popular local restaurants such as Twisted Root even offer outdoor Jenga-like setups on their patios.

To make this game, you need 48 pieces of two-by-fours cut into 10.5-inch lengths. And if that sounds like a hassle, keep in mind that most hardware stores will cut wood to your specifications on-site. After you cut the wood, sand down all rough edges. Some folks even paint the outer edges of the wood pieces in bright colors.

Outdoor DIY projects are a great way to bring family and friends together in DFW’s pleasant, sunny months. Before embarking on any project, make sure you know how to use all tools needed. Treat your yard for insects, too: Mosquitoes and fire ants are especially common in the Metroplex. Don’t let any unwanted visitors put a damper on your outdoor festivities!

Photo Source: Flickr

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