Diy spring makeover

Your Ultimate Guide to Our Fabulous Spring Makeover Ideas

Springmakeover

ideas

Spring is a time for new beginnings. And at Australian Outdoor Living we think it’s the perfect time to make over your backyard! To get you inspired we have created your ultimate guide. Packed full of innovative and ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ concepts, this eBook will help you make the most of spring as you reinvent your backyard.

Spring

inspired

makeover

endless

to getideas

We’ ve brOken OUr SprInG MakeOver IdeaS dOWn IntO 6 FabUlOUS cateGOrIeS

Make the Most of Spring in Your Backyard

Upcycling & Recycling this Spring

Backyard Getaway

Caveman Creations

DIY Outdoor Decoration

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 1chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

Green Living Ideas this Spring

Click the chapter names to skip to your desired section

“spring makeover ideas (your ultimate guide)” © Copyright 2014. www.australianoutdoorliving.com.au. All rights reserved. 1

Springbackyard

in your

make

OFM O S tthe

Spring is the season for new li fe. I t’s the t ime of year for f resh f lowers and early growth; it’s when we hear the baby birds sing f rom the trees and catch a sun-shower fol lowed by a beautiful rainbow. here are a few clever, creative backyard makeover ideas to make the most of spring.

http://www.australianoutdoorliving.com.au/


Asparagus

Artichoke

Cabbage

Potato

Rhubarb

Parsnip

Tomato

1

3

6

2

54

7

A home-grown veggie patch will give back to you in more ways than one. A vegetable garden gives you fresh food for the kitchen while helping to protect the environment. And we can all agree that home-grown fruit and veggies taste amazing and are better for our health. Veggies plucked, chopped and prepared from your garden can be all-organic, nutrient-dense and completely free from nasty industrial pesticides.

To make over your backyard with your very own vegetable garden, choose a spot in your garden that is neither too shady nor too exposed. Fence it of f with chicken wire or picketed posts.

If the soil in your back garden is shallow or dry, you’ll want to make raised garden beds from homemade or recycled wooden boxes. Fill these with nutrient-rich soil or potting mix, choose which fruit and veg you would like to grow, purchase the seeds from your local hardware store or online and you’re good to sow.

The weather in spring is simply per fect for outdoor lounging. In summer, you can find yourself in a sweaty haze and likewise, in winter the chilly air makes us crave the indoors.

But in spring, enjoy the crisp early mornings and the sunny afternoons. And what better way to make the most of the Aussie springtime climate than with a backyard hammock?

Purchase a hammock from speciality outdoor design stores or get one with a unique design online.

backyard vegetable garden

bUIld a

BACKYARD HAMMOCK

our favourite winter veggies

Make over your backyard and plant a vegetable garden!

lounge, l ie or hang about in a backyard hammock and make the most of the springt ime climate

Ahh..this is the life!


https://www.flickr.com/photos/15609463%40N03/9286229747/



There’s more to gardening than you might have first thought. And choosing the right combination of flora can require a fair bit of research. But we have saved you the hard work! Here are our top picks of springtime flowers so you can make over your yard with a bright and colour ful springtime garden bed.

Make a spring-inspired f lower bed!

flower bed

SprInGtIM e

panSYEarly to bloom, pansies come in a variety of shades. They’re a bright, colour ful springtime flower.

crOcUSCrocus bloom beautiful flowers in the snow. They are usually in shades of purple or yellow.

arMerIa pOM pOMThese beautiful plants produce masses of deep pink pom pom flower heads. Ideal for edging beds, borders and rockeries.

ScabIOSa cOlUMbarIaThis lovely light pink flower will bring your garden to life. It attracts butter flies and is a per fect choice for planting under roses or trees.

WItch hazelAdd a touch of yellow to your yard with these canary yellow flowers.

Rhodanthe

Create unique

plant name tags

by painting on

smooth rocks!



Springawesome

with these

Spring is synonymous with cleaning. I t’s a t ime for clearing out the clutter in your home and start ing af resh. but gett ing rid of old trinkets does not mean you have to throw them on the curb-side to be picked up in the hard rubbish. Just because they no longer serve their original purpose, doesn’ t mean they’re useless.

Spring is the t ime to f ind inspirat ion for upcycling. You can browse pinterest or recyclart.org for great ideas.

cleaning

ideasU p c Y c l I n G


https://www.etsy.com/listing/170703983/wine-bottle-planters-self-watering-with


In winter, especially in Australia’s icy south, you blitz through your socks at the same rate you plough through mugs of warm hot choccy. Socks are necessities. On the coldest days of the year, you may even pile several layers on your feet at once for added insulation.

But that also means your chances of losing them, in and around your bedroom and in those insatiable washing machines, is much higher and you’ll probably be coming out of winter with a few odd socks in the drawer.

Before you toss them in the bin, maybe you want to think about how you can reuse them. We love the idea of making bright, colour ful and very cute Sock Pots.

It ’s pretty easy to do. Since spring is prime planting time, you’ll probably have lots of dull garden pots lying around the backyard. Jazz them up by putting some superglue around the sides and pulling your socks up to the top. Voila! Exciting new Sock Pots that will look great on your verandah or beside the front door.

If you’re one to knit, or have misshapen woollen jumpers too embarrassing to wear any longer, don’t throw out the discarded yarn!

Our feathered friends like to decorate their homes with bright colours and styles just as we do. Cut your wool into 10 cm pieces and put your lef t-over wool into a cheap bird feeder. The birds will collect it to add a splash of colour to their new nests, just in time for their chicks to hatch.

with sock pots

reInvent the SOck

COLOURFUL BIRD NESTS

encOUraGe

Oh 'sock' cute!


http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2012/05/ten-creative-ways-to-wrap-potted-plants-and-flowers-quick-and-easy-gift-ideas.html%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2520UnderTheTableAndDreaming%2520%2528Under%2520The%2520Table%2520and%2520Dreaming%2529

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/192528952790244261/


The wet and rainy weather has passed and it ’s possible you may have worn out your gumboots with all that wear and tear. If so, we’ve got the per fect upcycling idea for your wellies. Turn them into pot plants!

This is the simplest upcycling idea you’ll ever discover. Gumboots are already pretty resilient. You’ll just need to drill some holes in the bottom for the water to drain out, fill them with nutritious soil and plant your favourite flowers. With spring, your new blooms will look great in no time.

gumboot pot plant

create a

wind chimeS

cUtlerY

Spring heralds a time to venture outdoors again and appreciate the fresh, warm air. There’s nothing better than sit ting on the verandah with a cup of coffee and watching nature rejuvenate after a frosty winter.

To add to the celebratory atmosphere, you can create a simple wind chime made from cutlery. You’ll need to drill a small hole into the handle-end of your cutlery and then thread through some strong wire. Use a colander or coat hanger to hang the cutlery from.

re t Ired tYre Garden bedSYou may have worn your tyres out with all those long hours of driving northward in search of sun and warmth, but rubber can be one of the hardest things to throw away. They usually have to be taken to a special recycling centre. Sometimes you even have to pay a disposal fee.

Save yourself the hassle by creating a tyre garden bed in your backyard.

The instructions are about as simple as they come:

1. Place the tyre where you’d like in your garden.

2. Fill with compost and dir t.

3. Plant with all your favourite springtime plants.

If you have lots of tyres, gradually stack them so they become a pyramid.

You can even

twist or cut your

forks, knives and spoons into

interesting shapes.

Browse Pinterest for

more inspiration.

If you are feeling extra

creative, go crazy with pa int!


https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1451343_471267469666209_1275142893_n.jpg


backyardgetaway

these creative makeover ideas wil l help you relax, chi l l out and unwind in your very own backyard.

With the f irst half of the year done and dusted, spring is the perfect t ime to recharge. but there is no need to spend a small fortune on a mid-year holiday. at aOl we think you should look towards your back door and reinvent your garden.



Old school and totally cool, is there anything better than a trip to the outdoor cinema? Enjoy a change in scenery as you sit back, relax and watch an epic movie. An awesome family activity or a great date night with that special someone, there is something super-special about watching your favourite film outdoors.

Make over your backyard this spring and create your very own outdoor cinema!

Once your backyard cinema is set up, the screen is pulled taught and the projector ready, here are a few final touches to make your backyard cinema experience extra special.

outdoor movie cinema

an

i n your backyard

here’s what you will need

A projector If you don’t have one already, you can buy a projector at your local electronics store.

A thick, opaque piece of material or sheet This will make your movie cinema ‘screen’. Be sure to choose a material that is not transparent (you can purchase thickly woven material from your local hardware store). String the material of your movie screen from a pair of sturdy trees, or plug two wooden posts in the ground, tie each end of them to the canvas and pull it taught.

SnackS, SnackSand MOre SnackSNo movie-watching experience is complete without some sweet and sugary treats! Get the kids in the kitchen and get your tastebuds tingling. We suggest whipping up some multi-flavoured popcorn. You simply can’t go wrong with caramel, or choc-caramel flavour.

A laptop You’ll need a laptop to broadcast the movie.

A good pair of speakers We recommend purchasing a separate, sturdier pair of speakers to use outdoors as they’re sure to face a lit tle wear and tear.

Other things that you might need include: Doonas, pillows and blankets for ultimate comfor t, an extension lead, as well as small solar lights or safety candles to light your surrounds.

Click here for an easy & tasty recipe In the mood to mingle? Get the neighbours

involved and hold a street-screening of a new

release movie. Make some DIY tickets, set out

blankets, cushions and line the “aisles” with solar

lights or tea candles. Make your backyard movie

experience extra special by asking patrons for a

small donation to a charity.

Make It an event!

ad

mit

on

e



http://snapcreativity.com/caramel-popcorn-recipe/

http://snapcreativity.com/caramel-popcorn-recipe/%20


First things first, you’re going to need a sturdy shelter to sleep in. If you have a tent already, set it up in a clear, grassy area of your yard. If you don’t have a tent, don’t fret. You’ll just need to be creative. Search your house for suitable materials to build an outdoor for t. We suggest an old sheet, a sturdy broomstick and perhaps a tarp to protect you from the icy morning dew.

camping trip

backYard

Camping calls for a specific cuisine. And as tempting as it is to star t with dessert (who can resist campfire cooked s’mores?), let’s discuss the main course first.

Bursting with baked beans or gooey tinned spaghetti and smothered in that slightly sweet and tasty tomato sauce, campfire cooked jaf fle-iron sandwiches are the ultimate campfire cuisine. To make yours, butter the jaf fle iron to stop the bread from sticking. Lay either side with a slice of bread, gently spoon in your beans or spaghetti and shut tight. Hold your jaf fle irons close to the flame and let it cook for around 7-10 minutes. When it comes time to eat your campfire feast, be sure to blow your toasted jaf fle sandwich cool before you take a bite. The inside will be a lot hotter than the crispy crust, so watch your tongue!

Now it’s time for a sickly sweet and campfire friendly dessert. S’mores are the quintessential camping treat and are per fect for the kids. So simple to make, enjoy a choc-marshmallow sandwich that, when cooked fireside, makes for a gooey, icky and sweet after-tea treat.

Make over your backyard and recreate your very own springt ime getaway!

Get outdoors and invite the kids along to your own backyard camping trip. An awesome, fun-filled weekend activity, camping in your backyard is a budget-friendly way to holiday. But listen in; there are a few things you need to make the most of your backyard camping trip:

CLICKHERE

To find moreawesome campFire s’mores

So many

YUMMY SCRUMM

Y

ideas!

caMpFIre

a tent SWee t treatS and caMp-FrIendlY FOOd

It ’s a blatant truth; no camping trip is complete without a campfire. Gather round as you warm your hands, toast marshmallows and sing your favourite outdoor acoustic tunes. But if you live in the ’burbs, a real campfire is probably not an option. At AOL we suggest making a campfire in a drum. It might not be the real thing, but it will provide a disaster-proof fire to set the mood.


http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/make-best-smores-ever/

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/56175/smores-recipes

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/56175/smores-recipes

http://snapcreativity.com/caramel-popcorn-recipe/%20


Laying a textured floor on your backyard yoga getaway will keep your pants, hands and clothes clean and free of dir t and backyard debris. Pebbles are smooth to touch with a cool, icy temperature. You can purchase pebbled tiles from your local hardware store. But if you find stones to be a lit tle hard on your bottom and feet, sand is another great option. A soft, sandy floor can also spark creativity. Place a bamboo rake to one side of your yoga-inspired getaway and encourage visitors to rake the sand as they explore their innermost thoughts.

Set the mood of your backyard yoga retreat with outdoor décor and decoration that is inspired by water and wind.

Wind chimes double as a weekend DIY and peaceful decorative piece. Get ar tistic and create your very own signature wind chimes to make over the backyard. Old utensils such as cutlery will reflect the sun and make sweet-sounding chimes in the wind. Wooden blocks strung up with rustic rope make for an ear thy and grounded decorative look. (See page 5 for more information)

The humble water feature has stood the test of time as there are few things more peaceful than the gentle flow and tranquil sounds of running water.

A water feature for your yoga-inspired space need not be elaborate or costly.

yoga retreat

backYard

If you’re experienced in the ar t of ‘ommm’, or are looking to discover the joys of a new hobby, then your very own backyard yoga retreat might just be your thing! Here are a few ideas to make the most of a yoga-savvy space.

Click Here

To check out some great DIY

and (slightly more elaborate) water features for your

backyard.

tex tUred FlOOr Water & WInd



http://www.hometalk.com/b/856902/diy-water-features

http://www.hometalk.com/b/856902/diy-water-features


Sustainabi li ty is the key to liv ing green. no matter if you live in the country or close to the cbd, you can embrace a huge range of techniques to lower your eco footprint and care for the environment.

Spring is the perfect t ime to declutter your home and garden. but i f you want to go one step further, here are some great self-sourcing ideas to help you live greener this springt ime.

Spring

livingthisideas



Maintaining a brood of chickens is one of the best ways to be self-sustaining. The number one reason is that chickens provide eggs – imagine having your own inexhaustible supply in your very own backyard!

But keeping chickens has other benefits too. They control insects and weeds, eat kitchen scraps and loosen the soil. Their deposits are also a great fer tiliser – chook poo is one of the most popular garden fer tilisers in Australia, after all.

You’ll want four or five chickens to produce eggs. And make sure you know your local government regulations before buying roosters – they’re banned in many suburbs so their crowing doesn’t wake the neighbours.

Keep your chickens safe in a fox-proof coop made of timber and mesh and make sure they’re locked up every night. They should have a perch for roosting and nesting boxes to lay their eggs in (which you’ll undoubtedly want easy access to).

Don’t forget to cover the floor with sawdust to mix with their droppings. After nine months, you can remove it and add it to your compost. Everything has a purpose in your coop!

Spring is the time to plant those seedlings. But like bringing up toddlers, it ’s always a tricky stage. When seedlings are putting all their energy into growing, they don’t like to be moved too much. Imagine the battering their lit tle roots must get when you’re transplanting them into the ground.

Making biodegradable seedling cups can end all your problems. You don’t have to try to delicately remove your seedlings – you need only dig a hole and plant them in the ground, container and all.

You may not believe it but newspaper makes the per fect biodegradable cup. You only need basic origami skills to assemble it into pots. Then you simply fill with soil and sow seedlings.

backyard chicken coop

be SUStaInable WIth a

seedling cups

neWSpaper

Step 1Fold four 15-20 centimetre squares of newspaper into thirds one way and then another.

Step 2Fold the edges inwards to form 4 corners.

Step 3Staple in place.

how to make

newspaper cups

If you want more deta iled instructions,

click Hereto visit Care2

Herechookchook


http://www.econesting.com/2010/12/18/diy-eco-gifts-for-the-organic-gardener-on-your-holiday-list/

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/diy-planting-cups-sustainable-and-free.html


Speaking of compost, you won’t regret star ting up a compost heap. With compost, you can dispose of your kitchen scraps and other materials and turn them into black gold! That is, your scraps will break down into decomposed organic matter that will act as a natural fer tiliser on your garden beds. Plus it will dramatically reduce your garbage waste.

Making a compost heap is easy. First, you need a place to store your scraps, such as an old rubbish bin or wooden boxes. Then you need to add two essential ingredients:

This is usually wet and green, such as lawn clippings or food scraps.

This adds heat to your pile and helps it decompose. It ’s typically brown and dry, like fallen leaves and straw.

You need a good balance of these two so that the compost decomposes at a beneficial rate. But to help it along, you need to add oxygen every once in a while by tossing the mixture, and make sure it ’s always a bit damp.

Follow these instructions and you have a guaranteed all-purpose fer tiliser mix that’ll give the golden touch to your garden beds and help those blossoms bloom this spring.

COMPOST HEAP

create a


Food scraps

Crushed egg shells

Grass clippings

Sawdust

Coffee grounds

Plant cuttings

Dry leaves

Wood clippings

Simple paper products, such as newspaper

Compost I tems you can

‘ Green’ nItrOGen-rIch Mat ter

‘ brOWn’ carbOn-rIch Mat ter

collect all your kitchen cuttings in 1 small bin & empty when full to save trips outside


http://ecowatch.com/2012/03/16/farm-bill-reform-must-incentivize-sustainable-practices/


backyard ingredients

SprInG Spa treatM entS FrOM YOUr OWn

With winter over, it ’s time to relax those weary heat-starved muscles and reinvigorate your dried skin. Plant yourself a herb garden and have all your mud-pack and muscle relaxants at your disposal.

ChivesAdd to salads, egg, and cheese dishes

BasilUse in soups, salads,

sauces, or make homemade pesto

MintBrew leaves to make tea or sprinkle over

lamb before cooking

SageAdd to chicken stuffing

ParsleyMix into salads,

casseroles, stews and more

ThymeRub into meat before roasting

CorianderUse to flavour meat

and salads

Dill Use to flavour fish,

salads, meat and more

Aside from their therapeutic scents, herbs are known to have medicinal qualities and are great in recipes too. Here are some of the best herbs to plant in spring:



Make your own

Lemon Scentedbath Salts

rest your feet in this

Herbal Foot SoakRevive your visage with this

Herbal Face Mask2 cups epsom salts

8 drops lavender essential oil

6 drops mint essential oil

2 drops eucalyptus essential oil

2 drops rosemary essential oil

1 tsp dried comfrey root powder

1 tsp dried lavender

1 tsp dried mint leaves

¼ tsp dried bergamot petals

¼ cup whole oats

¼ cup comfrey leaf

¼ cup calendula petals

1 tbsp rosemary

1 tbsp chamomile

2 sprigs of lemon verbena

1 cup sea salt

Fill a jar half full of epsom salts. Add the oils, replace lid and shake. Add comfrey and dried herbs and shake again. Fill jar with more epsom salts, replace lid and shake.

Instructions

Powder the dry ingredients and mix together. Store in an air tight container. Mix 1 tablespoon warm milk with 1 tablespoon of your facial blend until thick and creamy. Apply to face and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with water. Makes 16 masks.

Instructions

Chop lemon verbena into small pieces and mix with sea salt. Sit for 2 weeks so the salt absorbs the herbs. Stir them into a warm bath.

Instructions

reawaken your skin with this perfect

Coffee body Scrub

¼ cup sugar

1 10cm sprig of fresh rosemary

¼ cup finely ground coffee beans

2 tbsp bentonite clay

3 tbsp oil (olive, grapeseed, coconut or avocado)

3 drops each of rosemary oil and grapefruit or peppermint oil

Grind sugar and rosemary in a spice grinder until finely ground. Mix with remaining ingredients. Scrub on skin and shower off.

Instructions

Brought to you by Beauty & Confidence

Brought to you by Mother Earth Living

Brought to you by Beauty & Confidence



caveman liv ing has become something of an ‘ In thing’. Fol lowing the primal-inspired trend, in spring it’s t ime to get back to nature, experience your backyard in an ent irely new way and make it over like a caveman.

creations

backyard

caveman



fire pit or caveman underground oven

backYard

Stay warm outdoors and defy the springtime chill with a backyard fire pit. Or better yet, build a fire pit that doubles as an awesome outdoor oven! That way you can enjoy warm, soft damper freshly pulled from the flames and slow-cooked meat with a deep smoky flavour. Our mouth is watering. Is yours?

Invite your friends and family around. Light up your super cool, caveman-inspired backyard fire and stay warm outdoors.

Step 1 Step 2

Check with your local council about fire restrictions and whether you can have a fire pit in your backyard.

Select an area of your yard that’s free from potential hazards, such as overhanging trees or unwanted backyard debris.

Step 4Step 3

Next, line the hole with fairly flat rocks. Press the rocks into the bottom of your pit and along the sides, making sure that they are firmly in place.

Dig a deep hole. We suggest making it 1 metre x 1 metre and at least 30cm deep. When you’re digging, try to keep the sides of your to-be oven ver tical.

Step 6Step 5

Your outdoor in-ground fire pit is ready to cook in! Wrap your food of choice in foil (you might want to use a few layers) and place over the flames. If you’re after a slow-cooked feast, die your fire down to ashes and let your aluminium-covered dinner parcels bake for a few hours.

Now it’s time to build your fire! First, collect some kindling. Kindling will catch alight first and fuel the rest of your fire. The best sor t of kindling is made from small, finer, highly-flammable sticks and twigs. Top the kindling with sturdy, thicker branches. To ensure a flickering fire that burns for hours, make sure to use fire fuel that’s completely dry and stripped of green leaves.




An orchard in your very own backyard need not be restricted to the wine aficionados among us. You can have one too! In fact, a backyard orchard is a fantastic Spring Makeover idea.

Get in touch with your green side and do a lit tle research. Choose plants that are best suited to your local area and match with the look and feel of your home. If gardening isn’t your for te, choose low-maintenance trees such as citrus and deciduous species. Or if your thumb is well and truly green, go ahead and plant some high-maintenance species.

A backyard fruit orchard is a lovely addition to your yard. Not only will the trees bare tasty treats, but they’ll also provide lush greenery (that will grow lusher, and greener with the passing years).

We live in a time of flat screen TVs, DVDs and high tech gadgets. It ’s all too easy to lose touch with our inner caveman. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop, sit back and realise the beauty that is the great Australian outdoors. But how can you and your family sidestep the hustle and bustle of our tech-savvy world? We suggest bird-watching.

Get the kids on board and make it a family-friendly weekend activity as you free yourself from high-tech gizmos and colour screens. Makeover your backyard with your imagination! Build a bird-watching for t, complete with peep holes and watching posts. Or grab your binoculars and pull on some hardy bush-bashing gear and take the kids on a walking adventure.

your own orchard

GrOW

bird watching


backYard

Why not make 'play' binoculars for the kids? All you need is 2 toilet rolls, sticky tape and

some string.




af ter a few wintry months it’s highly likely your backyard is looking a li t t le neglected. bring it back to li fe with these creative dIY outdoor ideas. From here on into summer and autumn you’ l l be spending a lot more t ime in your backyard. So it’s t ime to give it a décor makeover to make it look f resh and new for you and your guests this spring.

Springt ime is when the f lowers are beginning to bloom, so dIY spring décor is al l about adding that extra splash of colour in your backyard. You want your backyard to be a riotous palette! these easy ideas wil l give your garden personality and add some springt ime brightness to your backyard.

decoration

backyard

DIY

ideas for the



stenciled pavers

Refresh your garden pavers with a touch of spring colour. You only need three items: pavers, a stencil and some spray paint.

Set up a spray area with your work sur face covered with newspaper or old fabric. Try to do this outside so you have plenty of fresh air - those spray paint fumes can be nasty!

Give the pavers a good wash so there’s no dir t. Once they’ve dried thoroughly give them a sweep for good measure.

Place your stencil over a paver and when you’re happy with the position, spray enough paint to coat the stencil. Once the paint has dried, give it a second coat. Make sure the stencil is in the exact same position, otherwise it ’ll look messy.

You may want to coat your paver with a sealer to protect the new print. Voila! You’ll have the same old pavers in your backyard, but with their fresh new look, it ’ll seem as though you’ve put them there just for some springtime cheer.

Why not decorate smooth river stones to make a garden feature while you're at it?


http://www.bhg.com/christmas/crafts/garden-gift/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Lace-like-Stepping-Stones/


Have you ever found that your flowers are so low to the ground they’re vir tually invisible? Raising them up onto a table or stool is one way to boost their visibility. But what if you really want them to catch your eye?

Create a flower pyramid! This is a really easy, ingenious idea to make a colour ful verandah piece that will steal all the attention.

You’ll need three pot plants (or more if you’re ambitious) of receding sizes. Fill the largest with dir t and place the mid-sized one in the centre. Again fill that with dir t and position the smallest pot in the middle.

Then comes the fun par t – filling it with flowers. Plant dif ferent colours or species on each level for a full and vibrant ef fect.

You can also choose to create a herb pyramid with dif ferent herb species on each level. They’ll be easily distinguishable and the dif ferent leaves, colours and scents will be a treat to the senses.

Spring is about light breezes and placid, pastel colours. It has the per fect outdoor temperature, which is what makes us all tempted to go outside and win back a glowing tan. But even in the soft sun of spring, UV rays can be harmful so it ’s good to have a shelter you can retreat to.

A light canopy is just what you need in spring. You can use a lightweight fabric that lets in some (but importantly, not all ) of that spring sun. You simply need a few bamboo stakes, fence posts or trees to help string up the canvas and you’re good to go.

And of course, pick something that’s bright, like a soft yellow, purple or pink to blend with the baby buds around you.

flower planters

trIple-tIered

Canopies

aIrY

Why not try

weaving fabric

though pergola

beams if you

already have a

structure up?

Great way to use

mismatching pots you

might have lying arou

nd!


http://www.anythingpretty.com/2010/07/buying-fabric-at-hardware-store.html

http://www.onekindesign.com/2013/06/14/46-inspiring-small-veranda-decorating-ideas/


Nothing shouts out colour more than a beautiful mosaic. We recommended you create a DIY mosaic table as a beautiful centrepiece for your outdoor living area, but you could just as easily mosaic a garden path or garden bed trimming using the same process.

Mosaics sound like a really hard thing to pull of f, but they’re surprisingly simple. And you can buy pretty much all your materials from your local hardware or home store.

You can mosaic with standard tiles (which you can pick up from a tile supplier) or you can do something dif ferent, such as create a pebble mosaic table like the one by This Old House.

mosaic table

dIY

The essential item of course is a table. Ironwork legs with concrete tables work great for this purpose. You can buy simple designs at home stores, but you might want to browse garage sales or rework an old and disused table of your own.

Scrub the table up and it ’s ready for tiling. Prepare your concrete or mortar and get sticking!

the table

the t IleS

the F InIShed prOdUct

It ’s best to do the edge of the table before pouring your attention into the top design. Make sure the side tiles are big enough that they’ll align with the tiles on top of your table.

Try to have an idea of your design before you begin. You may want to even draw that pattern in with a permanent marker before laying down the tiles. Then you simply have to follow the design, buttering up each tile before you fit it into place.

Make sure to wipe away any excess mortar that crept up over the tiles as you go. It ’ll be much easier to swipe off wet than when it ’s hard as concrete!

You may want to seal your tiles with a sealer if they’re par ticularly porous. Then you grout the whole sur face, pushing the grout between the tile spaces and then wiping the top with a damp sponge a few times.

Let it set for a few days and then coat the whole lot with a sealant and it ’s all ready to go. Put it out on your verandah and it ’ll look per fect alongside your new triple-tiered flower planter! (See page 21)

cl Ick hereTo check out the step by step guide to make this pebble mosaic table



http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/step/0%2C%2C20365717_20780052%2C00.html



Well there you have it . are you inspired? We hope we have you ready to unleash your creative side.

Spring is about reawakening. With the f lowers budding, the trees growing new leaves and the sun peeping through the wintry grey, it’s t ime to get out there and refresh your garden. Give it the ult imate do-over. reconsider before you throw the old wheelbarrow out - can you give it a new li fe and a new purpose? think carefully before plant ing your spring seeds - can you use them in the kitchen or mix them into luscious bathroom products?

Make this spring about opt imising your garden to get the most out of it . Make it entertainment-friendly with heaters, f ire pits, barbecues and cosy lounge chairs. but try to think about al l your senses. You’re probably well adapted to creating a beautiful-looking garden that feels great to be in. but aside f rom warmth, shade, lounge chairs and pretty f lowers, have you considered taste, smell, and touch?

turn your garden into a riot for the senses. plant lavender and roses to ent ice you outside with their f ragrance alone. Sow herb and vegetable seedlings to tempt the tastebuds when they’re ful ly grown. and incorporate al l manner of natural materials such as metal, wood, stone and sand into your surrounds so you (and the kids) wil l want to get out there for a ful l sensory delight!

We hope that in creating the ult imate Spring Makeover in your garden, you’ l l reawaken your mind to the possibi li t ies and beauties of backyard liv ing.

Spring

inspired

soh e r eis

g e t



photo credits

FabUlOUS

Hammock & FeetJamie in Bytown via compflight.com

PAGE 2

Herb glass potsglassartsd via etsy.com

PAGE 4

Sock Pot Plantbystephanielynn.com

PAGE 5

Colourful Nestfiberfarm.com

PAGE 5

Painted tyre potMario Afonso via pinterest.com

PAGE 6

Outdoor cinemaChad Miller via flickr.com

PAGE 8

Stenciled stonesbhg.com

PAGE 20

Stenciled paversinstructables.com

PAGE 20

Shade sail onekinddesign.com

PAGE 21

material pergola anythingpretty.com

PAGE 21

mosaic pebblethisoldhouse.com

PAGE 22

mosaic table Robyn Jay via flickr.com

PAGE 22

campfire S’mores coffeecupsandcrayons.com

PAGE 9

Yoga Andrey via flickr.com

PAGE 10

Seedling cup econesting.com

PAGE 12

Seedling in hand ecowatch.com

PAGE 13

diy fire pit gurusmancave.com

PAGE 17

Orchard Andrew McFarlane via flickr.com

PAGE 18

chapter 1 chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

chapter 2




https://www.etsy.com/listing/170703983/wine-bottle-planters-self-watering-with

































http://gurusmancave.com/diy-fire-pit/

http://gurusmancave.com/diy-fire-pit/




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Much of our range is manufactured in Australia under the strictest Australian manufacturing standards. We know that every job is dif ferent and every client unique so we take responsibility for every stage of the process according to each client’s wishes.

Our biggest asset is our workers; with our highly trained, qualified and experienced staf f, we’re here to make your dream home become a hassle-free reality.

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Diy spring makeover

Lifestyle

Transcript of Diy spring makeover