Many Dallas-Fort Worth area locals thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with family and friends outdoors. Whether it’s sitting on a porch sipping iced tea or grilling with neighbors, you can find people from all walks of life enjoying the outdoors during the summer, spring, and fall months. If you are looking for DIY patio ideas to spruce up your DFW home, the following are some easy and affordable tips.
Paint Concrete and Brick with Latex Floor Paint
Do you want to add some fun pops of color to your patio? Perhaps you want to cover drab concrete or brick. You can easily transform brick and concrete with latex floor paint. Whether you want bright, vivid colors like fuchsia and neon blue or more muted hues that complement your garden, latex paint is a great way to add a unique flare to your porch or patio. You could alternate square blocks of concrete with paint, or use painter’s tape to form designs for multicolored patterns. Valspar offers a popular exterior paint and it is available at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores.
Use a Galvanized Tub as an Outdoor Water Cooler
There are a multitude of ways you can use a galvanized tub in your backyard. Whether you want to plant flowers and ornamental grasses or use the tub as handy storage for bug spray and sunscreen, galvanized tubs come in many sizes. Moreover, you can spray paint them to match your patio furniture or leave them in their metal finish for a chic industrial look. Since it is metal, a galvanized tub makes a great outdoor water cooler. Simply fill with ice and the beverages of your choosing and your guests can easily grab a drink. You can find these tubs at places like Walmart and Home Depot.
Try Glow in the Dark Paint for Affordable Illumination
Did you know there is glow in the dark paint? It’s true, Rust-Oleum makes a spray paint form of glow in the dark paint. This paint formulation creates a glow effect for up to eight hours. Charged by sunlight, this paint can be used on practically any surface including plastic, wood, and metal. This means that you could spray clay pots or decorative lawn ornaments for subtle nighttime illumination.
Hang Decorative Outdoor Lights
Many folks associate strand lights with Christmas but there are many forms of decorative strand lighting. Ornamental strand lighting is a great way to enhance outdoor ambiance affordably and easily. Many major retailers like Target offer a variety of decorative options including lighting shaped like mini teardrops, butterflies, and lanterns, along with a variety of different colors.
These DIY patio ideas are not only simple; they are affordable. Small personalized touches to your outdoor space can really make a difference for you and your loved ones. If you need more inspiration, consider browsing the web or leafing through your favorite home and garden magazines.
Image Source: Flickr/Brian Kelley
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