Hi Friends! Today I’m sharing how I squeezed at least one more season out of my old and faded, porch decor!
Let’s start here:
How sad is this? This is one of two planters like this. They were both faded, but this one had a big crack in the side as well.
As I was gearing up for my Summer Home Tour, I really wanted to freshen up my entry area.
I decided to start by freshening up these two planters with a little paint and…sisal rope!
They really do look so fresh and new, right?
I love the sisal rope detail. It fit perfectly in this band in the planters:
I purchased the rope ages ago, but I think I found it at the Home Depot.
To freshen these babies up, I started by washing them well with dawn dish detergent and warm water.
After they were completely dry, I spray primed them…
Then gave them two to three coats of Heirloom White in satin…
I attached the sisal rope with hot glue to start, then added a daub of glue here and there as I wrapped it around the planter.
And tada…so simple!
The mate to this one sits on the other side of the steps:
They look so pretty on either side.
Next I freshened up this guy:
I used the same primer and paint, then sanded the details just a bit. Much better!
I purchased these flowers from my local nursery. They are always huge!
I was really all about updating for as little money (and time) as possible this year.
Finally, I redid this little rusty lantern…definitely the saddest of them all. My hubby was going to throw it away! (And I almost let him!)
A coat of Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze saved its life!
I removed the glass first of course as well as the old candle. It unscrewed from the bottom.
I replaced it with another candle I already had and layered the bottom with a few shells:
It looks like new again! To think my hubby almost threw it away!
My entry looks so fresh and inviting now…
The door and the frame, and the double doors all started out the same color, but have definitely worn in different ways. Figuring that out is my Hubby’s job this Summer!
I made the shell wreath you see on the door recently also:
Pottery Barn Inspired Shell Wreath
I pulled the color for the planters from the starfish.
You can see my Summer Home Tour here if you missed it:
Here is the view of my courtyard area from my front door:
That little bistro set to the right got a new coat of Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze just before I shared my Christmas Courtyard.
The settee is next on my list! The cushions are definitely ready for a new outdoor cushion covers, and I have enough oil-rubbed bronze spray paint left for the frame!
These simple updates are perfect for out Get Your DIY On theme for June…Outdoor Décor!
If you’re a newer follower, I host a monthly link party with four other fabulous ladies, on the first Sunday of each month. Each month has a theme and we invite other bloggers to add their projects to our party, creating a ton of inspiration for you!
Here’s what my awesome co-hosts created for this month’s theme:
Coastal Summer Wreath by Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog
DIY Nautical Rope Outdoor Coasters by Krista at The Happy Housie
Summer Deck Refresh by April at House by Hoff
Mason Jar Summer Décor by Mandy at The Hankful House
The party fun starts this Sunday, June 7th, at 7:00pm EST.
Bloggers, we want to see what you’ve been busy with outdoors, so we can inspire our readers!
How about you guys? Got any sad outdoor pieces that could use a little updating?
XO,
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
Email * Facebook * Pinterest * Hometalk * Twitter * Instagram
I love to share at some of these great parties:
Home Stories A to Z Not Just a Housewife Kammy’s Korner The Happy Housie Design Dining and Diapers Liz Marie Blog Funky Junk Interiors Savvy Southern Style Tatertots and Jello DIY Show Off Redoux Interiors Between Naps on the Porch The DIY Dreamer Oh My Creative Little Miss Celebration Just a Girl and Her Blog Sand and Sisal Interior Frugalista House on the Way Addicted 2 DIY I should be Mopping the Floor Miss Mustard Seed
Vanessa D. says
I went a little crazy spray painting pots this spring, but I love your rope wrap. With the price of replacing planters, painting them is more than worth it.
Christy K. James says
I agree! Why do they have to be so pricey? A few dollars for some spray paint is such a great alternative! 🙂
Sue Farmer says
Looks great Christy!! I was thinking the other day that I needed a new trash can for our back covered porch. Then I remembered a can or spray paint I had purchased because I loved the soft green color. Sprayed the can and lid and it looks like new. I even thought “Christy would be proud of me”. LOL Thanks for all your posts. I love seeing what you do and getting inspiration.
PS The flowers are beautiful
Christy K. James says
Yay!! I AM proud of you ha ha! It feels so good to give new life to old things. 🙂
Kim says
Amazing what a lil paint and some time can do eh? Looks wonderful!
Christy K. James says
Yes!! Thanks, Kim! 🙂
Heather Luth says
Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing the ideas – I was eyeballing some older planters the other day, and this is the perfect solution. If you don’t mind sharing, what type of flowers are in your pots? Those are amazing and look like something I need at my house!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Heather! I passed on two really cute planters I saw at a yard sale a couple of weekends ago because they weren’t the right color…duh! It never occurred to me then to paint them, and they were only #1 each. Oh well. I usually buy petunias, but my nursery had a ton of these and when I looked to see what kind they were, they only had a generic tag on them that said something like, “Summer Perennials” and the care instructions, no specific name…sorry!
Linda D. says
Just beautiful! Amazing what paint can do!
Now, for us newbies, can you explain a bit about how you sand your painted items? Do you hand sand or power sand? Use several different grits? Rotary or belt sander? Different methods for wood or metal? Well, you get the idea – I’d love to try some of your projests and I’d like more info please. Thanks so much for inspiring me by sharing all your wonderful adventures!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Linda…and yes paint is awesome! To sand I almost always do it by hand. For distressing, I buy sheets of 150 and 220 grit sand paper. Then I cut them into four rectangles and wrap one around an old foam sanding block to sand my pieces. 150 grit for more distressed, and 220 for medium to light distressing. Hope this helps! 🙂
Marie@The Interior Frugalista says
Beautiful updates Christy – they all look fresh and new again. Love the idea of wrapping sisal around the pots – very beachy!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Marie! I think I can get a few more years out of them now and I just bought my fabric to cover my cushions today! That’ll be this weekend’s project. 🙂
Rose says
Just another great idea.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Rose! Ideas just flow when you’re trying to save a buck. 🙂
Catherine says
Sorry if I missed it in your post….are these a vinyl or plastic planter or ceramic? Love the wrapping you did, with the new paint it gives them a whole new look! You could use any color you want for both or either, to match the colors on your porch. We have a dark hunter green and white so I could see doing one of each and mix and match with the rope color. Thanks for the great idea, I know what I’ll be looking for on my next thrift store jaunt!
Christy K. James says
Hi Catherine! These are plastic. I didn’t mention that in my post. I bet these would look great in your colors too! I usually do more greens and browns outdoors, but this year I wanted my planters to coordinate with the shell wreath I recently made. They can easily be changed up again next year…I may never get new planters. 🙂
MaryJean says
I’m so glad you didn’t let your hubby throw out the lantern. They are so easy to spruce up I don’t know why people throw them out. My son is a landscaper and he brings me poor, sad looking items that he thinks I might like to rescue from his customers who throw them away and sometimes he brings plantings. I don’t mind, I will spend the time to bring the plants back to life and I got a couple of lanterns that needed help last year. The one I painted white and use it in the house and the other is sitting in my basement right now. After seeing your lantern I know exactly where I will use it and how I will paint it.
I love your rope pots and I’m stealing that idea for my pots! Thanks for the inspiration! I’m off next week so it’s a great time to use all these tips!
Christy K. James says
I am so glad I didn’t let my hubby toss my lantern too! You are lucky that your son finds all those goodies for you. It’s amazing what people throw away sometimes! So glad you are feeling inspired! Enjoy your time off! 🙂
Krista @ the happy housie says
These projects turned out amazing,Christy! I love what spray paint can do for outdoor pieces! And what a pretty entrance and courtyard you have!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Krista! Next is re covering my settee cushions out there…not looking forward to dragging out the sewing machine lol. Spray paint is so much easier. 🙂
Funky Junk Interiors says
I LOVE the sisal detailing on your planters, Christy! The added texture is gorgeous. Featuring you this weekend on Party Junk! 🙂
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much, Donna! I really appreciate the feature! I think these will do me for another couple of years now! 🙂