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What if we – you and I – could find a way to bring some fun, cheerful touches to our front porch (or any outdoor space) *without* spending hundreds of dollars? What if there were just a few key things we could wrangle up to create a place we genuinely enjoy being?

Wait.

Don’t we NEED brand new accessories, new outdoor furniture and ALL THE THINGS? No, sweet friend, we don’t. From one tight-budgeted friend to another, there IS a way to get the most bang for your buck. [clickToTweet tweet=”How to create a beautiful outdoor space that won’t have you living on PB&J for the rest of the summer” quote=”Let’s create an inviting, welcoming, front porch (or any outdoor space) in a way that won’t leave us living on PB&J for the rest of the summer.”]

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Join us the last Friday of each month for a different Inspired Makers Challenge

Follow along on IG with #InspiredMakers and #InspiredMakersChallenge to see more amazing projects each month!

The rules are simple – whatever the project is, it has to fit the monthly challenge theme, which is something different to inspire you each month!

May Challenge: Porches and Outdoor Spaces
Load up on all the Outdoor Inspiration from your hosts:

Lisa @ The Purple Hydrangea | Kim @ Farmhouse Made | Sarah @ 1915 House
| Denise @ My Thrifty House | Anika @ Anika’s DIY Life
Kellie @ Gratefully Vintage | Sam @ Raggedy Bits 
Leanna @ Faeries and Fauna | Victoria @ Dazzle While Frazzled

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Front Porch Essentials

Comfy seating

Yes, I think it goes without saying that comfortable seating on any front porch is necessary. No one wants to linger long and chat into the night if there’s nowhere to sit or set down their drinks.

(Yes, My wicker needs a new coat of paint, and it will happen yet this summer – but for now? We are using it as is. It’s all good.)

I’d encourage you to be creative and think outside the box with this one. Almost any bench can be fitted with a comfy cushion. Even tree stumps can be made comfy with a cute pillow for you to perch on. And by all means, keep your eyes peeled at garage sales, thrift stores and estate sales. You can find plenty of comfy chairs/benches/stools for pennies on the dollar and you’ll have more seating than you know what to do with in no time at all. 😉

Places to set your iced coffees (or sweet tea/lemonade/what have you)

Yep – you knew I was going to go here. No front porch is complete without side tables or coffee tables. They are a must for your favorite drink (maybe even some cinnamon rolls) and a good read. And again, this side table has a little rusty patina and I love it for that – but it, too will get a fresh coat of paint this summer.

Once again, scour those bargain spots and look past the ugly color of that side table – a coat of paint will work wonders. Plus, if you end up painting a few pieces, you’ll end up with a custom-hued outdoor furniture set that is unique to YOU! How fun is that?

And sometimes, you don’t even have to paint anything at all…(see below)

Accent pieces

Hold on – this is NOT where I tell you to run out to a big box store and pay full price for accent pieces. No way! I’m standing by my garage sale/estate sale/thrift store mantra for this, too. For example: I bought this cute little brass and glass cart at an estate sale for $2. TWO DOLLARS, sweet friend! (similar ones here – but they are NOT $2 – just sayin’) 😉

Yes, sometimes you have to wade through a few sale “flops” – where you walk away with nothing. But when you come across even just a couple pieces like this, it makes the hunt victorious worthwhile.

And this chippy door? A curbside find that a friend gifted to us! The vintage croquet mallets were my Mom’s and I’m so happy to put them to use here. And the huge concrete leaf? Mom and I made a bunch of these years ago from leaves in her gorgeous gardens – and this was one of her favorites.

Crowning Glory of the Front Porch

* * * P L A N T S * * *

I’ll admit – THIS is where I like to spend a little money (that I saved with finding everything else at garage sales, hand me downs, and thrift stores). Totally justified, right? 😉

Since our front porch faces North, and we have large trees surrounding (which I love) – I tend to go for lots of greenery that does well in shade. For the past two years, I’ve hung a few Boston Ferns and by the end of summer they’re so huge and gorgeous.

This year, I went to my local Lowe’s and found a new-to-me fern, called a Macho Fern. (above)I really enjoy the different texture of his leaves and the tag said he can get up to 4′ tall and wide. Woohoo!! I transplanted him to a larger planter and now he greets everyone at my front door. If you’d rather not worry about keeping any ferns alive, there are some pretty faux ones here.

A Non-Essential (but so fun)

Lighting!

Whether you want to display a couple accent lamps (that you thrifted or found shopping the house) or do as I did – just string up a bunch of “Twinkly lights” (AKA leftover Christmas lights – but in summer we’ll just call them twinkly lights). 😉 And if you’d rather not dig out your Christmas twinkly lights, you can find lots of different options here.

These lights might be one of my favorite things about our front porch this year. There’s nothing like sitting out here under their soft glow in our cozy-comfy seats when the sun has gone down and everyone is laughing and relaxed and just chatting away.

Will you tell me in the comments – what are YOUR favorite things to use on your front porch? I’m sure I missed something fun and easy – 😉

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