Some people underestimate the power of a fresh coat of paint. Who would have thought something like your furniture, bedroom, or even your mailbox could feel better with a new color? Improve your home and keep yourself busy over the summer with these fun DIY projects. From painting your plant pots to tending an herb garden to building outdoor furniture, these 10 projects will make you feel accomplished.
Paint Plant Pots
Give your interior or exterior a bold new look by painting your plant pots. Color a pattern or create geometric designs; the world is your oyster. Acrylic paints are recommended. After the final coat, apply a clear sealant to set the paint and withstand weather damage. Add a pop of color or a nuanced accent to your room. Painting your plant pots is a subtle way to spruce up your aesthetic.
Install String Lights
You’re lucky if you have a great big oak tree in the backyard. Buy some exterior string lights and hang them in the tree. Install some hooks, turn the power on, and sit back and sip wine on the back porch. Imagine the warm summer evenings with friends and family enjoying the ambiance you’ve created by simply hanging some lights. This is an easy and quick DIY project with few opportunities for mistakes.
Create a Backyard Fire Pit
The string lights glow with a fire nearby. Fireflies blink in the humid air. Now all you need is marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. Make your backyard the place to be on summer nights with a DIY backyard fire pit. Design your own or search Pinterest for ideas. Choose from a range of difficulty levels and start with the most basic. Elevate the ambiance.
Customize Your Doormat
Personalize your entryway with a new doormat design. Give your boring, solid-colored doormat a personality with spray paint. Cut out a stencil and choose your colors. Write a message, give a greeting, or mark it with the family surname. This is your chance to be creative and use that art degree you naively pursued. Put a little spunk in your step and customize your welcome mat.
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
Looking for a fun project to complete with the grandkids? Make your own street chalk with plaster of Paris and acrylic paint. If you don’t have plaster of Paris, you can substitute it with cornstarch, flour, or baking soda. Your grandchildren will look back on this memory fondly. The summer heat, kneeling on the hot concrete, coloring pictures with friends and family. Despite seeming like a difficult project, the steps are easy.
DIY Citronella Candles
Does your backyard swarm with mosquitoes? Are you the only one who wakes up with bite marks all over your body? Keep the mosquitoes away with DIY citronella candles. Use all-natural ingredients and non-toxic materials. Take your summer evenings on the back porch back with a few well-placed mosquito-repelling candles. Search online for the best formula.
Paint Rocks or Seashells
Here’s a fun DIY project to do with your grandkids. Purchase some acrylic paint and find some perfect rocks or seashells. Get creative with your own design, then spray it with a clear sealant. Place them in the berm or indoor plant pots to add a little fun to a space. Painting rocks or seashells is a perfect way to connect with young ones. Include the date on your work and seal a fond memory.
Herb Garden or Vertical Garden
Some people don’t have a green thumb. They have a brown thumb and everything they try to grow dies. Build your confidence by creating an herb garden. Start with easy ones—chives, thyme, oregano, basil, mint, and parsley. These herbs are relatively low-maintenance. Feeling more crafty? Build a vertical garden with multiple troughs and levels.
DIY Outdoor Games (Cornhole, Giant Jenga, etc.)
Summers should be spent outside. Socialize with friends and family and play some outdoor games. Build your own cornhole or giant jenga set with low cost materials. The steps aren’t too complicated but would require some basic woodworking skills. Get creative and paint a design on the main platform. Customize a set and give it away for the perfect gift.
Build Outdoor Furniture
This project requires a little more skill. Cover the basics of woodworking and build an Airodondik chair. It doesn’t have to be something complicated. Simply, follow the steps. After it’s built and painted, apply a water-resistant and clear sealant to set the paint. Increase your seating capacity by creating your own outdoor furniture. Sit around the campfire or lounge under the sun umbrella, and never run out of seating again.
