When I was in high school and college I loved ivy. I even had white bedding with pillows that had an ivy print on them and forrest green carpet. When Shane and I married I was determined to have ivy plants all over our apartment. You guys, I could have paid the rent at least one month with the amount of money I spent on buying those poor plants. I researched and found out they needed filtered light so I bought sheer curtains so the light would be just right. I am not sure why, but I can not keep an ivy plant alive! But I kept trying for the first 3 or so years. It was like the really hot guy you date but he is dumber than a box of rocks. You want it to work out so bad because he's so pretty, but you just can't do it. Once I gave up on the ivy fixation, I had more success which gave me more confidence.

After almost 17 years of buying and having house plants, here are my favorites that are also easy to care for.

Bird's Nest Ferns

This is probably my all time favorite house plant. The first time I saw one I didn't know what it was called and there wasn't a tag with it so I bought it on a whim and hoped for the best. I nicknamed it the lasagna plant since the leaves curl on the edges like lasagna noodles. I later looked up online and found out the name. Luckily for me, they are easy to care for. I am obsessed with ferns, but they are hard to grow here in dry 'ole Utah. This one requires less watering and is okay with the low humidity.

There is another variety that doesn't have as skinny or as ruffley of leaves but it is still awesome. With both plants I love watching new leaves uncurl from the center. Speaking of the center, when you water these plants, avoid watering directly on the center part (the rosette) since it could cause it to rot. Water the edges of the pot instead.

Pothos

Pothos are an excellent starter plant. I have never killed one, even in my newly married days. I am a serial plant relocator. I like to move them around as I rearrange other home decor accessories and even when I move one and forget where I put it  for a month or more, it is still kicking. It may look a little limp, but I water it and it perks right up.

The other cool thing is that if you accidentally break off part of it or you just want another one of these plants, if you stick the cut part off in water, it will grow new roots. Plant it in a new pot and keep it watered well while the roots take hold and you have yourself a whole new plant! I usually wait until the new roots are a few inches long before repotting.

There are different variations of the pothos plant. I have a spotted one and a golden yellow one. Both are growing in my wall planter in the hall.

Philodendron

This is the other plant I recommend for beginners. It is often confused with the pothos above, but has a more heart shaped leaf. It is just as easy to care for as the pothos.  Both are vines and will eventually drape or climb if given something to climb up. I like how it hangs in this beaded planter!

Believe it or not this is also a philodendron. It's lacey leaves may throw you, but it really is! It will eventually need to be staked as it gets taller.  My kids call this the dinosaur plant because they leaves are pretty big and it looks like something they would have eaten long ago.

This is my newest houseplant addition so I have had it less than a year. So far so good!

Bamboo

I do not currently have any bamboo but it was one of the first plants I bought after my ivy phase. I had a neighbor in our second apartment that was obsessed with them and got me on the bamboo bandwagon. It is SUPER easy to care for and is commonly sold. We moved a lot in those early years so not all my plants made it in all our moves. I had to give some away. I need to go on the hunt and find a big plant like the one pictured here.

(Photo Source)

Cactus

Again, I had some early on but ended up getting rid of them as we started having curious toddlers. The kids and I were just talking the other day about how we can finally get some as long as we put them up on tall surfaces or in tall planters so Kevin, our dog, won't get poked. There are so many variations that it would be fun to get several and group them like this picture!

(Photo Source)

Dracaena

I have two of these. One is all green and one has white stripes. One I have had in my hallway for a few years and one was a gift from this past summer.  The one I got as a  gift, I put it on my office prop shelves and  forgot I had it. I think I spaced it because I didn't lovingly pick it out, buy it myself, and name it (kidding...). I "found" it later, much later, and it has a few brown crunchy leaves at the base but all in all, it looked pretty darn good.

When they are young they are bush and as they get bigger some variations can get woody trunks and resemble a ponytail palm.

Spider Plant

I threw this one in here even though I have never had this plant because growing up I swear everyone had one! They were the "it" plant of the 70's and 80's. They were (and are) popular because of how easy they are to care for and because they are non-toxic unlike most other houseplants. The little baby plants at the end of the vines can even be repotted for new plants!

(Photo Source)

Aloe Vera

It wasn't until the last 5 years or so that I could appreciate the more architectural plants like the aloe vera. I had been more drawn to the more full and lush plants.  I think it is good to have a mix of styles not just in home decor, but also in plants. This is a plant that is recommended by many as a good plant to have in your bedroom since it puts off so much oxygen. It is suppose to help you sleep better.  Plus, this one comes in hand if you get a burn!

Plant stand tutorial

Norfolk Island Pine

I bought this one several years ago because my kids thought it looked like a mini Christmas tree. They wanted it in their room. You guys, if you want to talk about forgetting a plant, THIS guy right here get neglected more than any other plant we own. My boys never water it. I never even remember we have it since it's usually at least partially covered in dirty laundry. This little guy is a trooper. He only gets watered about once a month and he is still going strong. He has not had a lot of growth. He would probably grow more if we actually took care of him.

Succulents

As I have gone around speaking at home shows or at events promoting my book, Natural Accents, I have heard more than once that people buy succulents because people say they are fail proof, and then they end up killing them. I will admit to killing some myself. There are certain types I can not keep a live. See the spiky one in the white bowl? I have bought three and the longest one lasted was 6 months. I do better with thicker ones.

I have found through talking with people that the common problem is over watering. Water it enough that the soil gets wet and don't water it again until the soil dries out.

They need a lot of sun. Try putting them in a sunny spot (south facing away from the window or right by the window east facing).

There are SO MANY varieties and they are all so different! That is what is so fun about them.

Z Z Plant

Z Z, easy peasy. I know this whole list is "easy to care for plants" but some are even easier than others. This one, my friends, can withstand neglect and very low light. If you have a room that doesn't get a ton of light, this is your plant. It is so shiny and rubbery that it almost looks fake. Some say this is a slow growing plant but I have found that they grow pretty fast. In this photo by the typewriter I had only had it about a year. Now, a few year later, it is 2 ½ feet tall.

Remember the laundry room I did for my friend? I bought her a ZZ plant because the laundry room only gets natural light when the garage door is open. This was back in July and it is so tall now that it doesn't fit on her shelf. It is on her table and has about doubled in size. And for the record, my friend swore she had a black thumb.

Swedish Ivy

This was another plant I bought on a whim because I had never seen one before and I thought it was pretty. I lucked out again because it is very easy to care for. It resided in my laundry room for about 3 years and I always forgot to water it. It would occasionally drop some leaves but it always remained bushy and pretty. This is another plant that you can propagate (cut off and put in water to grow new roots).

Snake Plant

This guy is in the same category as the ZZ plant as far as neglect and low light. I swear it is indestructible!  I have had two of these guys for several years and just bought two more for my office closet. Yep, a closet. You can put these guys just about anywhere!

 Tree Stump Planter

Air Plant

Such a fun and funky plant! I had not tried one out until a couple of years ago but love them! They literally do not need any soil. I just soak them in lukewarm water every couple of weeks for about 20 minutes. If you live where it is humid you could get away with soaking them in water every 3 or 4 weeks.  The downside is that your kids will want to play with it and they may lose it. I still can't find one of mine! He is probably still alive....

Hanging air plant

Air plant bookend

Ficus

Remember in the movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days when they had a love fern? Well, Shane and I had a love ficus. Even before the first ivy plant, we had a ficus tree. I can't even remember if we bought it or if it was a gift, but it was our first plant together. We had it for seven years. It survived grabby toddlers who constantly picked off leaves and tipped it over. Buy sadly, it did not survive our move in the back of a moving truck across the desert. I should have packed it in the minivan, but hey, we had a lot of good years. I really need to get another one!

(Photo Source)

I would love to hear what plants you have had luck with! Are any of your favorites not on the list? List them off in the comments :)

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Let me know if there are any tutorials, gardening tips, or any other things YOU would like to see on the blog this year.

To start off, let's review last year's goals.

#1. Gardening Shed

Nope.

I stated that this was an expensive goal and probably would not happen. I was right. The one I want is large and custom and I am not willing to cave and get a cheap small one. Our garage will have to continue to double as a shed for now.

#2. Add Storage to Our Attic

Yes!

We added a pull down ladder and finished a fourth of the attic which is about 11x14 feet. It has been SO NICE to have all that extra storage. It has been one of those "Why the heck did we not do this sooner?" kind of projects. It took a long time to finish just that one corner (We had to sister 2x6's on all the ceiling joists and add blocking before we could even add OSB as a floor) so we plan to on doing one section each year until the whole thing is done.

#3. Turn the Garage Attic into a Playhouse/Fort

Yes!

This attic makeover was a favorite project this year and the boys have really loved having it. It makes me wish we would have thought of this idea when they were all littler, but at least we got it done :)

#4. Finish the Garage Curb Appeal Project

Partly...

We finally painted the back eave and did some landscaping, but there is still one more project that I didn't do. And that I haven't told you about yet.... Plus we added a project to our list for the other side of our garage. I'll add that to your list for this year.

#5. Finish Down Bathroom

Nope.

This year was weird and our focus ended up being more outside then in. But we may or may not have started this one now.... #staytuned

#6. Refresh up Bath

Yep!

It didn't take much to completely change the look of the up bath and I love it.

#7. More Room Makeovers for Others

Partly.

Well Covid really screwed this one up for me. I squeezed one in at the beginning of the year for my nephew before the world was put on pause. But hopefully this year I will get the chance to decorate some new spaces for others.

Goals for 2021

Down Bath shower

Again, we basically have most of the supplies. So this should be pretty easy to complete soon. I still am undecided on the size of the nook and what tile to add to it. Colorful? Fun pattern? More plain? Ugh. It is crazy how one little thing can hold you back from moving forward.

More Attic Storage

Like I mentioned before, we want to add a new section every year. The boys had fun helping their dad up there so I don't think getting them on board this year will be too hard. They like wearing headlamps and hammering :)

I also still need to share pics of the pull down ladder and the storage we have now. It is pretty cool!

Privacy Wall in the Backyard

This one is kind of hard to explain, but I designed a "wall" system of sorts to give us more privacy in the areas of our yard where there is a two story house next to us. Shane and I both grew up in very rural areas with few neighbors so we want our backyard to feel more private. We also want to add more trees at the back of our yard. Operation "Privacy" will commence in the spring when the ground thaws. I am SUPER excited for this one!!!

Garage Makeover (Part 3)

I have a couple more projects for the outside of the garage. I want to do some more painting (I'm keeping it a bit of a secret), and I want to fix up the south side that os currently a garbage pile. A fence, and a few other things to finish it off.

More Room Makeover for Others

Since Covid made it a bit harder to go into other's spaces for most of 2020, I am hopeful I can do more room makeovers or home projects for friends and family this year. I love doing kids spaces the most, but am open to whatever. My niece is building her first home and her little girl has already requested a rainbow unicorn room. A tad outside of my comfort zone as a boy mom, but I like a challenge!

Blog More Often

When I started this blog I posted 6 days a week. Then after a few years I went down to 4-5 and held steady at that pace for a long time. A couple of years ago, I realized my oldest would be leaving the nest soon(ish) and wanted to cut back on work and focus a lot more time on family and having adventures with my kids. I over-corrected a bit and went down to one day a week. I want to find a happy medium and post a couple days a week and slowly work up to 3 days a week. Even though I only post one day a week, it doesn't mean I don't work everyday. Between emails, social media, doing the projects, planning, etc, I still work at least part time hours daily. But I think I can push a little harder and get more content on the blog without it effecting time with kids.

Blog Makeover

This blog needs an overhaul. It needs to be redesigned so it is easier to find things and it needs a fresh look. This is the longest I have gone in-between redesigns. I am looking forward to a facelift!

The VERY Back of the Yard

Behind the planter box fence is about 25 feet of nothing. It is dirt, weeds, and firewood. It is where we park the trailer and pile up yard waste that either turns onto compost or eventually goes to the dump. Shane and I would love to clean it up a bit and put down some gravel. I also want to add better compost bins.

These pics are from two years ago when our neighbor flattened a hill back there. Imagine a billion weeds and then you know what it looks like now.

I'm hesitant to add more to my goal list because if 2020 taught me anything, it is that it is harder to plan ahead when there's a pandemic. There are much larger projects that I am omitting due to the uncertainty of our budget. Like lots of new concrete poured... I guess if they do happen, it will be a bonus :) If not, there's always next year.

Do you set home goals? I love to hear some of the projects that YOU want to accomplish this year!

Fold Down Desk

My room makeover for my nephew was super popular. All the posts from that room made it into my tops posts. The most popular (thanks to at-home school) was the fold down desk. Thank you to all of you who built it and sent me an email. I love seeing your projects!

Easiest Way to Paint Walls

The PaintStick is such a fun tool to use. It made painting my nephew's room so easy! You all seemed to really love the color I used. NYPD by Behr is such a great color because it's not too dark but gives the room a bit of a moody vibe.

Woven Leather Headboards

Since I was doing this room on a budget, and there were two twin beds, I opted to make the headboards. I used faux leather to keep the cost down. You can see the full tutorial HERE.

The Final Room Reveal 

There were a lot of DIY projects in this space, night stands, the frames, the basketball hoop, the night stands, and later I added under bed drawers.

Yellow Card Catalog Makeover

My mom gave me some metal drawers from her garage that were in need of a makeover. I went with a mustard yellow and I love how it turned out! I created it for the boys to store their treasures in the new garage attic playroom.

Garage Attic Fort

Speaking of the fort... This was such a fun project to do with my boys. We spent all of quarantine this spring working on it. It went from wasp nest filled mess to a bright, vibrant playroom.

Backyard Landscaping

This was a personal favorite as well so I am glad it landed in the top 10. The landscaping paired with the concrete fountain I made, really helped make this space a retreat while we were stuck at home this spring and summer.

Outdoor Planters

This was a quick project using scrap wood. I love free projects! It solved the problem that the older (smaller planters) tipping over in the wind. These planters much more sturdy!

Home Office Makeover

New flooring led to me painting the cabinets which led to a new rug. Covid led to Shane working from home and us setting up another work station. I even revamped the giant wall of shelves. You can see all the changes HERE.

Bathroom Refresh

This was one of my more recent projects. I got cabin fever and wanted to refresh the bathroom. A strip of wallpaper and some paint was all I needed to do a little makeover.

What were your favorite projects that you accomplished this year? Please share in the comments!

Here are my top 10 favorite thing from 2020!

Favorite Things

#1

This 100% cotton Green Throw Blanket is perfectly cozy and comes in many other colors. It is huge and when all the way unfolded, it is thin and perfect for warmer months. When folded in half it is still quite big and super warm for those colder days.

#2

This garden auger changed my gardening life! It combines my love of gardening and my love of power tools. I first used it to plant tulip bulbs last fall because I have always hated having to dig such small but deep holes for so many bulbs. Especially since our dirt has so much clay here. Then this spring I used it to plant all the small veggie plants and onion bulbs. Holy cow! It went by so much faster. If you garden or have flowerbeds, you NEED this tool. Plus, it is fun :) It would make a great Christmas gift for the gardener in your life!

#3

I discovered Sugru this year and am obsessed. I have fixed or altered probably 20+ things in my house so far in just the past 3 months! You can read my whole post about it HERE. My favorite thing I have used it on so far is to add a little ledge to my rowing machine so I can watch shows while exercising. So many uses!!!

#4

I hurt my ankle very badly back in April and was stuck in bed with it elevated for almost a whole month. During that time I started watching makeup tutorials for the first time in my life. They are surprisingly addictive even for someone who wears very little like me! I fell down the rabbit hole watching one lady talking about skin care and she swore by this stuff. It was so inexpensive that ordered this Rosewater Toner right away and have really liked it. I put it in a little travel sized spray bottle and spray it on my face after I shower.

#5

When I was doing my bathroom makeover, I spent a long time looking for a hanging planter I liked. I found these Hanging Planter Baskets and not only were they adorable, I got 2 for $20! Such a great deal and now I have another one for my bedroom! They have other color options as well.

#6

My blogger pal Michael from Inspired by Charm told me about these erasable pens and I ordered them right away. I have to hide them from my kids :) I prefer to write in pen so it is so nice to be able to erase!

#7

I rarely buy myself clothes. I still have things from college in my closet. And if I do buy something, it is usually in the 10-$15 range. I have plenty of T Shirts. None of them are particularly flattering. Comfy, yes. Made me feel good about my body? Not so much. This one goes in at the waist just enough to give you some shape, has sleeves that come down a bit more than a regular T shirt, and is long. In other words, it checked all my boxes! I'm pretty sure you all need this gray striped shirt.

#8

I was at a conference for work and was given a little gift basket by one of the sponsors. It has a very small bottle of this lotion. I adore anything citrus scented and this was the most amazing smell ever. I used it sparingly since it was a small tube and I wasn't sure where to get more. When it ran out I was so sad that I started googling. I found a large tube on Amazon. This Citrus Crush Lotion is the best smelling lotion EVER.

#9

We were introduced to this game at a family reunion. We ordered it as soon as we got home. It has since become our families FAVORITE game in the history of games. My kids could sit and play round after round for hours while we were stuck in quarantine. It literally saved my sanity. We have played it with other family members and friends and they have all ended up buying their own. Cover Your Assets is my favorite card game EVER. If I could only have one game, it would be this. It would make a great stocking stuffer :)

#10

I love stripes :) Its my favorite pattern. I saw these while at IKEA and snagged one for the boys' garage attic fort. I liked it so much I went back and bought 2 more for our family room. These IKEA Striped pillows are classic and would go well with any design style!

Make sure to check out my best blogging friends and their favorite things.

1. Chris with Just a Girl

2. Rhoda with Southern Living

3. Myquillyn with The Nesting Place

4. Brooke with All Things Thrifty

5. Sarah with Thrifty Decor Chick

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Just as a reminder, this is what the bathroom looked like before.

I liked the blue. I just wanted something warmer. Plus, I always knew the shibori wallpaper was temporary. It was time for something new!

The Reveal!

If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories, you saw me unwrap my new wallpaper. I saw it on etsy and instantly fell in love. I love nature and as a mother of all boys, this was perfect for us. I grew up collecting insects, rocks, leaves, and everything else I could find outside. My kids have been the same. When I showed my kids they all agreed, we needed this wallpaper.

While I know not everyone wants bugs on their wall, it makes me smile. It was a little darker than it showed on Etsy but I actually liked the more muted colors in real life.

I painted the blue boxes a pretty olive green that was slightly darker than the new wall color.

P.S. I'm OBSESSED with this Juniper counter spray and soap from the Joanna Gaines line Magnolia Home at Target. I can't find it anymore in Utah and I'm kicking myself for not buying more of it the first time. It only ships to certain zip codes and mine isn't one of them. If you see some at your Target, I will buy it from you! Seriously....

I painted the walls green and at first I didn't like it. I have a rule though. I have to live with it for at least a few days before making a final decision. Sometimes it is such a big change that it is kind of a shock to the system. After a bit I loved it. It helped when I added in all the other elements.

I previously has pressed ferns in some blue frames and I added the ferns to the new wood frames. While it was nice, it was a bit too matchy matchy sime I have potted ferns in the space. I made these prints by painting the backside of leaves and stamping them onto cardstock. If you follow me on TikTok or instagram you can see a video of me making them. It was really fun!

It is hard to see, but I kept the same saying in the hooks - Hang up your dang towel

This shot. It is the one that made me put off the photoshoot for so long. It is so hard for me to shoot directly at a window (with a mirror reflecting that light) and not have the image be hazy. I finally gave up and turned on the lights. It is frustrating because it doesn't do the room justice. It doesn't show how well the rug goes with the wall color. But at least you can get an idea. I wish I had better photography skills. Either than or that you could come see it for yourself :)

Aside from the arch over the tub, the sliding mirror is probably my favorite thing. If you remember from the bathroom reno a couple of years ago, I really wanted a round mirror, but didn;t want to give up the storage space of a medicine cabinet. Especially since it is such a small space. I came up with this idea and am so glad it has worked so well these past years.

So what do you think? Am I nuts for having bug wallpaper? Is the green too much? I'd love to hear what you think of the space now.

Also, did you get the itch to change things in your home while in quarantine or was than just me?

This post is sponsored by Rug Pad USA but all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.

Create A Home Office

I think the best home offices have a nice desk area that is kept clean of clutter, lots of storage, a great view (natural light baby!), and is cozy. If you are going to spend HOURS of each day in that space, you want it to look nice and be comfortable.

The layout of the home office is pretty much the same as before. I offered my desk to Shane but he didn't want it. He has a small laptop and said he would prefer to have something else. Since my computer is large, it made sense to keep it on the bigger desk.

I am still in love with the olive green color I chose for the filing cabinets!

Since Shane wanted a smaller desk for his home office , I bought up the the hairpin leg desk I made that was being used for the keyboard in the boys' music themed room.

Shane's view from the window is the Secret Garden.

Part of the makeover was choosing a new rug. The previous rug got moved downstairs so we have been without one for a while. I found one I really liked on Home Depot's website. It is the perfect warm gray and has a fun pattern. The one thing I didn't have, was a rug pad.

RugPadUSA offered to send one over that would fit my new rug perfectly. It is called Superior Lock and is made from recycled felt and natural rubber. I actually bought one for my living room room rug several months ago from RugPadUSA before they contacted me so I already knew I liked this type of rug pad.

In the past I had a very cheap, thin rug pad that left a dull, sticky residue on my old floors. When we got new flooring last year, I knew I wanted to get a nice, soft, quality rug pad. I did some research and decided to go with the Superior Lock 7/16". It is great for medium to large rugs, helps soundproof, and is non-slip for high traffic areas. It is so cushy too!

Kevin takes most of his naps in here while we work and it is definitely Kevin approved :)

If you use the promocode STACYLOVES, it is good for $50 off orders of $200 or more, which you can also apply on top of their existing 20% Overstock Sale that they are running now through the weekend.

My wall of shelves got a refresh as well. I painted some of the boxes to better match the green cabinets. I used three different shades of green from sage to olive.

It is my prop shelf and storage for all the random things that don't have a home. Things like cloth napkins, candlesticks, small home decor items, vases, and other things I use to stage photoshoots.

It was a challenge to store as much as humanly possible without it looking too cluttered or busy. If I had styled these shelves to just be pretty, they would look different. But these shelves really need to function as storage since we have such a small house.

I painted all the doors in our house a new color recently. Instead of charcoal gray, I went with a lighter gray this time. It is called Barnwood and is by Behr.

This space also functions as a mudroom, so the crates hold shoes and the hooks behind the door are for jackets and backpacks. My kids were at school the other day when I did the photoshoot, so it is a bit sparse, but normally it is filled with things.

The boys wanted the bench I built to go in their room so they confiscated it for their space. But I may just bring it back up!

The barn wood shelves I built years ago do help with storage but I don't feel like I have to fill them to capacity and can style them for fun.

How has this year affected your or your spouse's work situation? Any tips for Shane that might make working from home a bit easier?

Like I said in my instagram stories, I was torn between going all out like it was a room in my house and also realizing that this is a BOYS' FORT in a garage. It was hard to reign in sometimes and I probably did more than was necessary, but it was a fun project that the kids got to help with and I am happy with how it all turned out.

BEFORE

There were some loose boards that were laid out across the ceiling joists that had a tarp over them. It did not cover the whole area, but it was enough to store a few things up there. Things we rarely used.

The roof on the north side was in okay shape but the south side was Swiss cheese. Because of the holes, wasps had taken residence for years. Luckily it was March when we cleaned it out so the 50-ish nests were empty.

This is the view from below looking up at the loose boards acting as the floor.

The first thing we did was to re-enforce the ceiling joists so we could add OSB boards for a floor. The existing joists were 2x6s so we might have been okay to leave it as is, but it wasn't a big deal to add more support just in case. After the OBS boards were added and an opening for the stairway, I went to work patching the holes in the roof.

Once the patch work was done, we covered the roofing tar with hardboard. After the panels were done we caulked along the edges. This process took so long!

On either end, there were gaps between the boards. I lost count of how many tubes of caulk we went through, but it was a lot!

Shane also added a window to one end. It is a window that was original to our house. I like that we could reuse it :)

Lots of light coming through the gaps!

I used a sprayer to prime and paint the walls and ceiling. Originally I was going to do black or gray so that if there were any water leaks, you wouldn't see brown water stains. But there is limited natural light in this space so I didn't want it to be too dark. After priming it and seeing it all white, I decided to go with a bright white paint.

We have had a few big rainstorms and so far, no leaks!

We decided to go with sheet vinyl for the flooring. It was the cheapest option and would be pretty fast to install. The pieces were large, heavy, and a bit awkward to move into place once the glue was down, so Shane helped out with that. It took all afternoon, but looked like an actual livable space after it was all down.

I had an idea as we were adding the OSB boards down for the floor. Instead of a skylight (I didn't dare cut into the fragile roof) I added cutouts in the floor right above the garage windows. This allows light to come up into the attic from below. Since they are along the edge, you would have to lay down and scoot or roll over to even lay on them. Even though it would be very hard to hurt the thick plexiglass windows because of their location, I added a "bumper" along the edge for safety. A 1x3 on its edge all around the perimeter to stop toys or little scooting bums :)

The opening for the floor window. You can see the garage window below.

Let's start the tour of the finished space!

The Reveal of the Garage Attic Makeover

Fun facts: The attic space is 17 feet by 21 feet. The highest point it 5 foot 8 inches so my youngest 2 and I can stand but the others in our family can't. The garage is 82 years old.

The stairs! I didn't want my kids (and the neighborhood kids) to have to climb a ladder to access their new fort. I wanted nice, sturdy stairs. I spent extra to get metal stringers. I ordered them online at Home Depot and had them delivered along with the other building materials. In order to have it so you entered the attic at its highest point (and avoid hitting your head) We needed to split up the stairs and add a landing. It took a bit to figure out since the cement garage floor is cracked and anything but level. But these stairs are very sturdy! We do need to add a little hand rail for safety still, but other than that, we are good to go!

I told the boys they were be responsible for cleaning the fort so it was up to them to decide if they wanted to take shoes off before they went up. They hate sweeping so they opted for it to be a shoe free zone. I made a mat to serve as a reminder. I spray painted a plain doormat.

Remember those metal card catalog drawers I painted this spring? This is where they were meant to be! Filled with all sorts of boy treasures.

The one thing my boys asked for was a small desk where they could draw or tie flies for fly fishing (which is their latest hobby). I made a VERY simple desk out of the old attic floor boards.

This darling green chair was Shane's grandma's office chair. When she passed, this is one of the items we picked. It is perfect for this colorful space.

Here is the main area!

You can see the floor windows along the edges

They mostly play games and read up there. I like that it is an electronic free space. We even do family scripture study up here occasionally.

Because heat rises, and it gets really hot here in the summer, I bought a small AC unit that is on wheels so they can move it where they need it most. Now that it is cooling off for Fall, they can probably get away with a fan.

Recycled Furnishings

I went over my (small) budget when building the space so I really wanted to make sure I didn't spend much on decorating it. The storage bench used to be in our office, the yellow love seat was free and once went in our living room, the chairs we use inside and out as needed when we have guests, the rug was in our living room at one point, and the coffee table/game table is the old dining room table top that we out grew. Remember I built a new top?

The only things I ended up buying for the space were the string lights, a couple of faux plants from the local online garage sale site, hairpin legs, and 2 IKEA pillow covers.

It has been very rainy here so it was tough to get a good bright photo, but luckily the string lights help. Aren't string lights so fun?

It has been a big hit with the kids. They even had a small party with neighbor kids. We also have an air hokey table the kids bought with lawn mowing money for the space that gets stored along the edge where you can't sit or walk. We take the legs off and it is completely out of the way!

I think my favorite thing about the garage attic makeover was the work involved in actually doing it. The kids learned new DIY skills and we had a lot of fun working on it together. I think our quarantine project was a success!

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Supplies:

Melamine Boards

Screws

Caulk (*optional)

Concrete Mix

90 Degree Metal Conduit Tube

Shower Flange

Spray Paint

Fountain Pump

River Rocks

PVC Pipe

Rubber Mallet

Drill

L Brackets

Video & Photo Tutorial

When Shane and I were making the fountain, because we used quick set concrete, we had to work fast. We set up my phone on the tripod to film but didn't have time to stop and also take photos. So all of the photos of the concrete process are all screen grabs from the video. It really is easier to understand the process by watching the video, but I also know that some people prefer not to watch videos so I added the photos as well.

DIY Concrete Fountain

I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of articles and decided that the best material to use for the forms was melamine. It is relatively cheap and the concrete won't stick to the slick surface. I built the form for the fountain back and two boxes for the trough base out of this material. I ordered it online from Home Depot and had it shipped to my home. You could also get it by curbside pick up. I order a combination of 4x8 sheets and  smaller pieces meant for shelving.

The DIY Concrete Fountain Back

I built it to be 2 feet wide by 4 feet tall. I wanted a border so I added a melamine board in the center. I wanted everything to be smooth so the rough, unfinished edges of the center melamine board got a layer of caulk. I also puttied where the screws were so you wouldn't see an impression of a screw head in the finished fountain.

I wanted the corners to be rounded so I added caulk around the whole thing and added extra to the corners.

I measured and marked where the holes needed to be for the pump tubing. I cut small pieces of PVC pipe that I knew would be large enough for the electrical plug and tubing to fit through. When Shane started adding cement mix to the form, I held them in place until the concrete was smoothed and held it on its own.

As we were adding the cement mix, I spread it evenly and hit the sides of the form with a rubber mallet to ensure that there weren't any bubbles.

Once it was all filled and was 4-5" thick, I pressed a PVC pipe into the back in between the two pipes. Then I removed the long pipe. This created a channel on the back for the pump tubing to press into. Since the fountain was going to be pressed up against the garage wall, I didn't want to risk the tubing getting squished.

Once it had dried overnight, I unscrewed the form and tapped the form off of the cement.

Getting the center board off required a crowbar and some tugging.

I used a saw to cut the excess pipe off the fountain back so they were flush with the concrete.

You can see how the caulk made the edges softer and rounded. The kids helped me pick it off. Any residue got sanded off with a 220 grit sandpaper.

The DIY Concrete Fountain Trough

I wanted my fountain to be roughly the same width as the window so it ended up being 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. I built the outside box to those measurements and then since I wanted the sides and bottom to be 4" thick, I built the inside box accordingly (40x16). I screwed the large box together really well since it would have a lot of concrete poured in it and I wanted it to hold up to the weight.

I did the same caulk trick to ensure the edges and corners were rounded.

The inside box didn't need to be as structurally sound. I also needed to attach it from the inside so I could disassemble it when the concrete dried. I used L brackets.

Once we had about 4" of cement mix in the largest form and I had hit the side to level it well, we put the smaller form inside and began adding more cement mix in to form the sides. I constantly hit the sides with the mallet to release the air bubbles and help level the cement.

When the cement was dry, I unscrewed the forms and tapped the pieces off. The bottom piece of the smaller (box) form had to be chipped out. It did not come out easily! If you have any ideas on how to get that piece out more easily, I'd love to know! Tell me in the comments :)

The DIY Concrete Fountain Spout

I started looking around for a fountain spout and all of them were well over $100. Of course my DIY brain kicked in and decided to try and figure out a way to just make one. I ended up using 90 degree angled conduit with a shower flange. A little spray paint and there you have it! I used Liquid Nails Fuse It since it was recommended for metal and concrete.

Moving The Concrete Fountain

The back used five 50 pound bags of concrete mix and the trough used sixteen bags. This fountain is HEAVY!

If it was good enough for the pyramids, it is good enough for my garden fountain. We did the 'ole rolling it into place trick using PVC pipes. It actually went really fast! And by "we", in this case I mean my handsome hubby and sons. By this point I had sprained my ankle and wasn't much help other than filming.

I love the look of the fountain and I like hearing it as I relax on the patio or as I'm weeding the garden. The kids are trying to convince me to take out the pot and add some small fish. We'll see.... I do think it might be fun to add a few small water plants. But then again, I am always in the mood to add more plants!

If you missed the whole reveal, make sure to check that post out!

What outdoor project are you hoping to tackle this summer?

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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot & Vigoro but all ideas and opinions are 100% my own.

BEFORE:

This cement pad was poured by the previous owner and we have been baffled as to what to do with it. I don't want a shed that small or that close to the house. Up until now, it has only served as a place to put the picnic table while we mow.

Backyard Landscaping Process

We decided to just get rid of it. Shane rented a jackhammer from Home Depot back in early March and within an hour he had the whole thing broken up!

Even though it was still a bit chilly, they boys had fun clearing away the chunks. I found a recycling center that takes concrete so it isn't going to waste.

We filled the hole with Vigoro soil. My favorite trick when filling a large area is to lay out all the bags and then slit them open. All you have to do it flip the bag over! It goes really fast! We figured this out when doing our paver patio a couple of years ago.

Once it was raked smooth and stomped down, I added Vigoro grass seed. It ended up getting snowed on several times (Utah weather is crazy!) but still came in nice and thick. My youngest loved checking it every day and reporting back to me how much in had grown in a day.

I had cleared out the area a little bit by the garage earlier in the year but still needed to get a nice clean edge. I used string to create a line and dug along it to ensure it was straight.

One of my new favorite things is this no dig edging! I have three type of edging already in my yard, and so I have experienced how long it takes to dig and then make sure as the edging is going in that it doesn't go all bendy and wonky. It is a pain! This was edging from Vigoro a breeze to install. And it is super sturdy.

Vigoro has a huge selection of plants at Home Depot. I picked out some not only for this area by the garage, but also for around the chicken pen.

You can order online and have any of these Vigoro items shipped to your house, or you can buy online and pick it up curbside. I have done both! One of the other things I had delivered, was mulch.

Ever since I put black mulch in my front yard last year I'm obsessed. I weeded ONCE last year and it was only a few dumb morning glory weeds. I didn't even put landscape cloth down or anything. Plus the dark color makes such a stunning contrast against the plants. It comes in other pretty colors, I'm just partial to the black.

The edging will help keep the mulch in the flower bed.

The Reveal!

We started this process in early March. Weather, Covid-19, and a sprained ankle drew out the process a little longer than I would have liked, but the end result was totally worth the wait!

One of my favorite parts of this project though is the fountain!

Shane thought I was crazy at first that I wanted to MAKE the fountain. But I had a vision. I knew from watching videos online that it was best to use melamine boards. The concrete doesn't stick to them and it creates a smooth surface. So I ordered some from Home Depot after drawing up my plans. Check out this post to see how I made it!. For now, let's just admire how good it looks surrounded by the new plants and mulch!

The planter and the stones were also delivered by Home Depot. I like that the planter ties in the white window. White and greenery always looks good together! And the large, round gray stones are PERFECT in the bottom of the fountain!

I'm a sucker for rows of anything. I love looking at my vegetable garden because of that. So I'm kind of digging the single row of salvia plants from Vigoro with their purple blooms. They are pet friendly too so if my chickens, ducks, or bunnies get out, it won't hurt them if they nibble on them. But fingers crossed that they won't!

We covered the PVP pipe spigot with some cedar and stained it to match the shutters on the garage. I think it looks so much better!

You can kind of see where the concrete pad was (in person) because the new grass is still a little brighter than the rest of the lawn, but in the evening when the sun is going down it blends in nicely! It will continue to darken as the summer goes on. It is so soft!

I'm so happy with how the backyard landscaping turned out. It took a long time due to crazy Utah weather and then my sprained ankle, but thankfully I have very helpful boys who will do just about anything for a snow cone.... even in chilly April!

Vigoro products are exclusively sold at Home Depot. They have everything you need for transforming your yard. Gravel, rocks, mulch, plants, grass seed, fertilizer, soil, landscape cloth, weed killer, edging, trellises, plant hooks, garden twine, and more!

What type of outdoor projects do you have this year? Tell me about you plans and ideas in the comments below :)

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15 Annual Flowers That Are Easy To Grow

Zinnia

Zinnia flowers are one of my all time favorites! They are colorful, very easy to grow, and there are a ton of varieties. They do well in planters and window boxes as well. They do best when sowed directly in the ground versus transplanting seedlings. Make sure to plant them after all threat of frost is gone.

Cosmos

These flowers might look fragile, but they are hardy and usually reseed themselves each year. They can even grow in poor soil. I love their feathery leaves! They can get pretty tall and make great cut flowers.

Petunia

Everyone knows about petunias! They are a great container plant and smell amazing. They are heat tolerant and like the sun, although they can tolerate some shade.

Sunflower

While you can grow varieties that are shorter, my favorite kind to grow are the ones that grow 6-8 feet tall. The flowers are the size of dinner plates and the seeds are edible too! There are a range of colors from white to yellow to orange and red. They are best planted as seed directly into the ground. They don't transplant well.

Alyssum

Sweet Alyssum and great in planters and as a border to flowerbeds. It is a low growing plant with tiny little blossoms. In some regions this can be a perennial but in most places it is a really hardy annual.

Verbena

This annual comes in white, red, purple, and pink. It is another one that does well in containers. It is heat tolerant, pest resistant, and blooms all summer.

Snapdragon

These were always a favorite of mine as a kid. I loved pinching them to make them "talk". They come in so many colors and heights. Snapdragons prefer full sun. They are a great addition to any flower bed.

Image Source: Burpee

Impatiens and Sunpatiens

Impatiens love shade so if you have a north facing flowerbed these will do great there. They need moist (not overly wet) soil. If you love the look of impatiens but want them in the sun, Sunpatients are for you!

Nasturtium

This was the first flower I ever grew. When I was little my mom gave me a packet of seeds and a little corner of your flowerbed. I think the round leaves are just as interesting and pretty as the flowers themselves! Both the leaves and the flowers are edible. They actually do better in poor soil so don't fertilize.

Lantanas

Lantanas flowers have a similar look to verbena. They have a long bloom time and come in a variety of colors. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies. They prefer warm weather so don't plant until all threat of frost is gone.

Dahlias

I just ordered some Dahlias and am so excited to plant them this year. In the past I had the not planted them (even though I am obsessed with them) because I thought that they were hard to grow. But friends who grow them told me that is not true so I'm giving it a go! There are so many varieties, colors, and sizes.

Ranunculus

Because Of where I live, I have never had success with planting these as bulbs. It's too cold here. But I have bought them as small plants from a nursery and they have done well. If you live somewhere warmer, plant them in the fall for spring blooms! They are a great cut flower.

Coleus

These next two annuals, while not necessarily a flower, are great additions to flowerbeds or planters. Coleus plants come in different varieties and colors. Their leaves are stunning! Some are suited for shade while others like sun, so no matter what, there's one right for you!

Sweet Potato Vine

This a favorite for planters and window boxes due to the trailing. It over hangs in such a beautiful way and really fills out a planter. I have seen it in flowerbeds as well. They like the heat so plant in a sunny spot.

Pansies

Who doesn't love pansies? They do well in cold weather and struggle in the heat. Plant them in the fall and enjoy them into the spring as well!

Do you have any annual flowers that are easy to grow that you would have added to the list? I'd love to hear what you think!

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The overall theme for the room was "baseball" and I thought that not only are these woven leather headboards super cool, but they give a subtle nod to baseball mitts. They are also super easy to make!

Supplies For DIY Woven Leather Headboard

2x2 Boards (4  8' boards)

Wood Stain (Optional)

2 ½" screws

Faux Leather (2 yards per headboard) 

Rotary Cutter

Yardstick or Ruler

Staple Gun + Staples

How To Make A Woven Leather Headboard

Step 1:

Build the simple frame for the headboard. I built mine 39" x  44". I attached them together using 2 ½" wood screws and counter sunk them so they were less noticeable. I stained them with Early American by Minwax. One coat.

Step 2:

While the wood stain was drying on the frame, I started cutting the fabric. I was able to snag the fabric when it was 60% off. If you don't happen to catch it on sale, use the Joann Fabric 40% off coupon from their app. I used a large piece of hardboard as my work surface but a work table or cardboard would work too.  I decided since I had so many to cut out, it would be easier to make the strips of fabric be the same width as the carpenters square I was using. So instead of makerking each one, I simply used the ruler as a guide and straight edge for using the rotary cutter to cut the fabric.

Each headboard had 15 across and 15 down for a total of 30 strips of faux leather.

Step 3:

I stapled the fabric strips about ½" apart.

Step 4:

Once I had the horizontal strips stapled in place, I stapled the vertical strips along the top. Then I was able to start weaving them.

*Tip:

When stapling, don't pull too hard on the fabric or it will curl and distort the fabric strips.

To mount it on the wall, I simply screwed it into studs on the wall. I placed it so the screws would be hidden under the leather. You can see the full room makeover HERE.

So what do you think? I wouldn't mind a headboard like this in my own room. I think a woven leather headboard would go with a bunch of different design styles! 

If you don't want a headboard but like the look of woven leather, I also made a leather pillow using the same technique! Check that tutorial out too :)

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This post is sponsored by HomeRight and contains affiliate links :) All opinions and ideas are 100% my own.

The BEFORE

I love a blank slate and this is exactly what the room started out as.

You might recognize the bed. It is the same type as the one in my niece's room that I made over. They were part of a bunk bed set. Since there was only one, and we needed two beds in the space, we decided to start from scratch.

Last month I shared how I painted the walls a nice grayish blue color. They have such a large window that faces south east so I felt like I could go a little darker with the walls.

The REVEAL!

I'll be sharing even more details, tutorials, and a source list later this week but today is the REVEAL!

My nephew was using an old broken dresser as a desk. Even though there is a respectable 54" from the end of the bed to the closet, I decided to build a fold down desk to save some space. He didn't have and shelves to display trophies or collectables so I made some to go above.

His older brother is in college and stays at home some of the time so we needed to keep the second bed in the room.

Since his older brother was also a ball player, we printed off some 16x20 prints of each of them playing to hang over the beds.

Since they were using a tote and a step stool as their side tables, I knew I needed to find them a better replacement. I couldn't find two that were similar enough and within our budget so I built two very simple tables with drawers. Part of being able to keep your room clean as a kid is having a place where you can shove all the miscellaneous things quickly. My kids each have a drawer dedicated as their "treasure" drawer (that's a nicer way of saying junk drawer). Headphones, cords, gum, baseball cards, etc will all fit nicely in these two deep drawers.

After I built them, I pulled out my trusty Finish Max Super to get them painted! Luckily I still have an unfinished corner in my basement to work since it is so cold still in Utah. I painted one coat on each table in less than 3 minutes!

This teen bedroom makeover on a budget was so fun to pull off! My favorite part of any room makeover is seeing how happy the person is with their new space. My nephew is thrilled and has already added his own touches to the room like LED lights and action figures to the the shelves. I love it! Of course I take styled shots for the blog, but it makes my heart happy when people make it their own when I am gone.

The GIVEAWAY!

Do you have a space you want to makeover? Or maybe just a piece of furniture? I'm giving away my favorite painting tool to help one of you get your DIY projects done faster. The Finish Max Super will give your projects the smoothest, most even finish ever!

You must be at least 18 years old to enter. You must be a resident of the USA to enter. The giveaway will go from January 28, 2020 until February 4, 2020. A winner will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen. The shipping of the prize is the responsibility of the company, in this case, HomeRight.

Enter below using the Rafflecopter Widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finish Max Super

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Why I Re-landscaped the Front Yard

Our house is orange. There, I said it. Terracotta if you want to get fancy. Having such colorful flowers against the orangey brick only accentuated it. I tried to like it. Heck, I kept it that way for 12 years! I wanted so badly for it to look like a wildflower cottage. But when I knew that I was going to be changing things up in my secret garden and that those flowers would need to be re-homed, it kind of spurred this project along too.

A More Neutral Palette

I decided that having greenery and white flowers was the best move. My secret garden was all white flowers and I loved the look. I hoped that by having a more neutral color palette that it would downplay the orange tone of the brick.

I kept it simple. I planted some white peonies, boxwoods, and snowdrop anemone. The peonies and boxwoods will get taller than they are now. The snowdrops are as big as they will get and form the perfect border. They, like the peonies, will bloom in the spring and will even give a bonus bloom in the Fall.

I transplanted my white bleeding hearts (that were in my old secret garden) to the north side of the house. You can't see them all, but they line the whole side of the house.

I also wanted some more dramatic height and more texture. I planted two junipers. One on either side of the porch. They will get quite a bit taller and I am really excited!

Mulch and Edging

I decided to use mulch for the first time. Before, the flower spread and were so close that using mulch didn't make as much sense, but since these plants won't spread and are spaced out, I wanted to do something to help with weeds. I added a layer of Preen before putting it down.

I followed my friend Donna's tutorial for edging. It turned out so well! I used a half moon shovel to get nice clean lines and then made a trench all around the border.

Sorry for the poor quality cell phone pic.

Then the trench got filled in with much but not as much as the flowerbeds. It creates a bit of a mound effect and is suppose to help the grass from growing into the flowerbed.

This is the shovel I ordered. I love it! (affiliate link)

Rounded Edging Shovel

The Finishing Touches

I also added little boxwoods along the path to our door. They are the variety that stay small. I am going to try and clip them to be more round once they get a bit bigger.

The ivy I planted 3 years ago is finally getting tall enough to cover most of the mailbox. I have always hated out mailbox so I am so excited to have the swirly metal things covered. Next year it should be completely covered!

The window boxes that I painted blue last year, are filled with annuals like petunias, lobelia, and asparagus ferns.

Last year when we got our new roof, Shane painted the eaves of the house tan to match the tan brick and the foundation. It also helped tone down the orange. In fact, since then, I have had a few people come up and ask me what we did to our brick. They wanted to know if we sandblasted or put some kind of a wash on it because it looked lighter. They may not have realized it, but that was a huge compliment (for lack of a better word).

Once I have our garage made over (coming soon!) I will finally have the front of our house exactly how I want it. It only took me 12 years :)

Do you like the curb appeal of your home ? Do you have any projects that you want to do to improve it? I'd love to hear about your front yard and exterior projects!

Why?

I need to rewind a bit and explain why we moved our bedroom upstairs to the office space for those of you who may have missed it in a previous post. We used to have the boys all in one big bedroom. We decided that since the boys were getting older, we would have two kid bedrooms. The plan was to finish the unfinished part of the basement, turn it into a new bedroom for Shane and I, and then separate the boys. I got really excited about designing kid spaces and jumped the gun. I moved the kids into our old room before the basement was even started. So Shane and I were camping in the unfinished part of the basement.

Two things prompted the move to the office. A.) I hated it down there. There isn't a ceiling with insulation yet. We heard every single sound above us. There are also no windows so the only light was coming from the bathroom next door. I felt like a vampire. B.) I do not have a workshop so the basement has been my workshop during the winter. Our garage is tiny and is full of things in storage. We moved the bed upstairs so I could again work on things like my sister's kitchen cabinets.

Soooo.... I have come to the conclusion that we can't do the basement until I get a shed. Then I can move the stuff in the garage to the shed and use the garage as a workshop. Then that frees up the basement to be a bedroom. Whew! All that just to show you these photos of my clean (temporary) bedroom :)

My Bedroom in the Office!

I've been crushing on moody shades of green like sage and olive green for a long time and knew I wanted to add more to my home. This was the perfect space to do that!

I knew it was going to feel weird having a large piece of furniture sticking out where nothing was previously so I wanted the bedding to be light and bright. Something dark would have been too heavy. This bedding was perfect! (affiliate link) The green pillow is from H&M Home and the gray pillows are from IKEA.

The cabinets are painted in Global Green by Behr.

I painted the previously white cabinet olive green and I LOVE it! Shane (as usual) was a little hesitant for the change. As soon as the room was all put together and styled, he said liked it better than before.

There is only a couple of feet of empty space on either side of the bed. A bit tight! So we added wheels to the bed so if we need more room on one side, we can easily slide it over.

I love the light in this space! It is west facing which means the morning light is soft and subtle and then by mid day it is sunny clear until sundown.

The shelves will forever be one of my favorite things I have built. Made from old fence pickets, they are also drawers! I store paperwork in them and photos that need to be filed or scrapbooked. It is fun to change up the decor too. This room has gone from turquoise, to more neutral, to green!

The rug in this space was not intended for this room. It was just an extra that I threw in here when we moved our bed up so that our feet would have something warm to touch when we woke up. I don't love it, but it works okay for now. When we install new flooring next month, I will get a new rug.

I almost didn't share this post because it isn't a finished room. I also hate having to give a long explanation of why we are sleeping in here. Shane and I feel a bit like we are living in an apartment all over again.  But I thought that maybe those of you who have downsized, those of you renting, those of you who's living arrangements may have changed, or those of  you who might want to add a guest bedroom to your office, might find value in this post. We lived with just a mattress on the floor for a month and I finally said "I know this is temporary, but I need this space to be cute and actually feel like a bedroom!" Just because a situation is temporary, doesn't mean you can't make it feel like "home".  I still think it is worth putting forth effort to make it your own space. Shane and I may be in here for another 6 month or even longer. I wanted to love my room :)

P.S. The other wall of this room still looks the same as before. I need to paint some of the boxes or bins green and restyle them so they fit this new space better. I will share when I get it done!

So what do you think? Have you found yourself in a similar situation? I love to hear about it! Please share in the comments.

A long time ago I built a bench for Shane’s brother and his wife for their new home. I liked the design I came up with so much that I decided to use it for these chairs. I liked that the bench was deep enough that adding a pillow didn’t make you feel like you were sitting on the edge of the seat. And since it’s made from 1x4s and 2x4s, it’s very sturdy and won’t blow away every time it gets a little windy.

Cut list per chair:

(11) 18” 1x4s – slats for seat and back

(2) 22” 2x4s – front and back connector

(2) 38” 2x4s – back legs and back

(2) 17” 2x4s – front legs

(2) 15” 2x4s – finishes off sides

(1) 18” 1x3 – caps off top of chair for a finished look

(1) 15” 1x3 – added to back of chair

DIY Outdoor Chairs - Assembly

Step 1:

I started by cutting two pieces of 2x4 to be 38 inches high and two pieces to be 17 inches high. The 38-inch boards will be the back and the 17-inch-high boards will be the front legs. Then I cut two 22-inch boards. These will connect the front and the back and determine how deep your chair is. If you don’t plan on having pillows and want it a bit shallower, 18 inches would be a good depth too.

Step 2:

I wanted the back slightly slanted so it would be more comfortable. I measured and marked the center of the top of the back 2x4s, then used a straightedge to draw a line down to the bottom where the seat will be.

I used my jigsaw to cut along the line, then sanded it after cutting.

Step 3:

Now it’s time to attach all the 1x4 boards. I cut 11 boards to be 18 inches long, attached the front pieces first to the leg pieces as shown below, then added the back piece.

By adding the front and back pieces of the seat first, you can then fill in the center and make sure the gaps are all equal. I eyeballed it, although the measurement will be about ½ inch.

Step 4:

Once the seat boards are attached with wood screws, you can start the back. I started with the lowest one. Instead of having it flush against the seat board, I made a ½ gap.  I added the top back board next so I could then fill in the middle like the way I did the seat.

Step 5: (*optional)

Now that the chair is basically assembled, it’s time to add some boards that will give it a more finished look. Cut a 2x4 board to fit inside the legs and attach one to each side.

I added a 1x3 to the top and to the back of the seat like shown below.

DIY Outdoor Chairs - Finishing

The chair is completely assembled! It is really a pretty easy build. I built all four in one day.

Step 1:

Once the chair is done you will want to use a hand sander to remove any inked-on text from the wood, then hand sand the whole chair. 1x4s have a waxy feel and won’t absorb stain well unless you sand and open the pores. Wherever you used the hand sander, make sure to hand sand after really well or you will be able to see the circular marks made by the sander when you begin to stain. Start with a 100 grit then finish with a 150 or 220.

Step 2:

Dust the chair off and you are ready to stain! I used the same color that I used on my planter box fence last month. I loved the look of Thompson’s WaterSeal Penetrating Timber Oil Semi-Transparent in Walnut.  The color is dark and rich, but still allows the wood grain to show through.

To apply the stain, I used a brush that is designed for use with oil-based paints and stains. Using a brush made it easy to stain the ½” gaps between the boards.

Allow the chairs enough time to dry before using them. The can recommends letting the stain dry for 24 hours to cure completely.

They fit around our firepit nicely!

Once they were dry, we were able to test them out. Someone who shall remain nameless (*cough cough Shane*) ate the marshmallows before we could roast them, but hot dogs for dinner is always a hit.

Do you have enough outdoor seating? What type of outdoor seating do you have?

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