The Decorated Patio

Before and after pics really tell the whole story, don't they? I have to show these first, so we can all remember where it started and really appreciate the pics I'm about to show you. The whole ghastly mudpit, eyesore that we call a backyard. Even my pretty little swing couldn't save it from the uglies. Then the lattice wall was added in March by my Dad. A slight improvement of things to come...and of course, I showed you all the patio project step by step here. And then it was time to decorate and decorate I did! It's been a fun few weeks since we got back from vacation.
I have been a very busy girl. Since I formerly had a porch and sunroom in Georgia, I had lots of left over things that I had packed away in the attic that I had hoped to bring back out for a screened porch one day, so it was nice to be able to use these again without buying lots of new stuff. This column and urn also came with me from Georgia, as well as the metal bunny. I've got ivy and impatiens growing in here. Still need to stain my new lattice wall, but I'll wait til it cools off a bit. It's been SO hot already!

The swing got a fresh coat of Java Brown spraypaint from Lowes. It needed freshening up anyway, so it was a good time to change it to brown.
Which happens to look stunning with my new outdoor fabric I picked up for this room.
I took pics on 2 different days and decided to go back and paint the swing brown, so you'll see in the next pics that the swing is still black, but I didn't want to retake all those pics, so just use your imagination. Tadaaa, the whole patio now! Wait til I show you what I've been up to. I've had a ball getting all this out and decorating our new patio space. We are really enjoying sitting out here now since it's finally pretty.
We just love it!

The swing sports a new cushion. This is a cushion I had in my sunroom and I found outdoor fabric at Hancocks last week (on sale too!). And, here's the big news....I sewed the cushions! Most of them anyway. My friend, Angie, let me come over and use her sewing machine until I can get mine fixed and we whipped these up in one afternoon. She sewed some and I sewed some and it was really very easy. I guess I did learn a little about sewing from my mama after all. I whipped stitched the back of the cushions together to finish them off by hand.
The little vintage planter that I found at the yardsale now holds a plant and some seashells. And iron bunny has been with me for a few years.
I fell in love with this fabric at Hancocks and it's really pretty vintagey fabric with a brown background and aqua, lime green cream & soft yellow. I backed it with another outdoor fabric in aqua that was on the clearance table.
And I found the perfect lime green piece also on the clearance table for a tablecloth. All of these are outdoor fabrics, so should wear well. I don't plan on leaving them out all the time though. I'll bring them in most of the time.
This bunny candle was a yardsale find from ages ago and I bought these citronella candles hoping to keep the pesky mosquitoes away. They haven't been too bad out there, but I want to try these anyway. I just picked up this set of candle holders at a yardsale over the weekend, so wanted to show you these too...they were $1 and yes, I was happy to take them. Love the leaf design on the glass. So you can see I have plenty of things out here now.

I found this beautiful iron and wood lantern on clearance at Homegoods and it's perfect over the table. This is the only accessory I bought for out here. This and the fabric is all I bought. Everything else I already had.
The 25 cents yardsale clock was painted aqua blue. And all of this hanging on the lattice was yardsale finds too from all my trips out there thrifting.
Table and chairs. I have added some teak oil for the table and chairs since these pics, but it really didn't make that much difference. They are sort of a blonde and gray mix and that's just fine with me. I will probably just let them weather anyway.
Here's a close-up of the fabrics. I just love them!

Those old shutters came with me from Georgia too and used to be on my parent's house. I may hang them somewhere, but I like them leaning for now. Wish I could put the hose away, but we use it too much, so it has to stay.

Yardsale welcome birdie and candleholder hang on a column.
Yardsale teacart and candle holder. The other pieces I've had for a long time too.
I have two of these bunny heads that I got years ago at House Parts in Atlanta.
And that cute glass and rusty metal butterfly from a yardsale for $2 hangs nearby now.

I found that pretty chippy green planter last year at a yardsale for $2 and I'll be putting some flowers in it too.

There you have it...the patio is decorated and we are loving it AND using it! I sat out in my swing yesterday reading and napping...heaven. Hope you got some ideas on how to beautify an ugly space of your own. It was SO rewarding getting this big project out of the way. Now on to something else!