Small Balcony Changes on a Budget

I did a bit of redecorating on my small condo balcony this summer - the pillows I'd used for the last two summers were pretty shot and I needed a comfy chair and some shade out there.

I had this pretty aqua fabric I'd picked up in the remnant bin at Joann's that I used to make my pillows. I didn't bother with zippers or anything fancy this time as I just wanted to get them done.

I also purchased a new chair to replace the sling chair, which was getting pretty rickety. I've always loved chaise lounges, but the space is small and I didn't want to give up that much room. This chair and ottoman set for $99 (check your store, I don't know why the price is double online) from Home Depot seemed to fit the bill - the ottoman slides partly under the chair (or all the way under if you turn it around backwards) to save space when it is not in use.

The dark faux wicker is easy care and I thought a nice compliment to the oil rubbed bronze backs and legs on the other chairs. The chair pad ($16ish, sold individually in the store) wasn't intended for this style chair - I thought it fit better when I picked it out, but it isn't too bad - I'll probably just make my own next time. I loved the bright, pretty colors and the aqua tied in nicely with the other pillows. The patterns work together because they share a color and one is busy and crazy while the other is simpler, and calmer. I'm still looking for a new rug in either a small geometric or a stripe - probably in the aqua.

The umbrella is a cute 5' one from World Market. I ordered the frame and cover last year at the end of the season on deep discount. They shipped the frame and then informed me the cover was out of stock - the frame was so cheap ($12ish I think) I went ahead and kept it, thinking maybe I could make my own cover for it or something but when I checked this year they were still carrying them so for $28ish (with shipping) I just ordered again. The base I picked up for $18 at a local Produce Junction. It has plastic parts and doesn't hold together as tight as I'd like, but I guess that is the difference from the ones that cost $50+

You may remember my two tables from years past were navy blue. I spray painted the bamboo-looking one, along with the coral wall pocket, a more traditional gold - the other I was going to spray paint in oil rubbed bronze, but I picked up a cute double-decker plant stand for just $3 at Goodwill to use instead. I love the multiple layers, and while it could use a coat of new paint as well, let's face it, by the time I get to it I'll probably be onto another color scheme, but the color at least works for now. The old table folds so it was easy to store if I want to pull it out again later.

The old globe lights were burned out (I seem to get about 2 years out of them, using them year-round on a timer about 4 hours per night) so I went with rope lights this year. I've found Big Lots to be the best place to get them - they always have long strings (the globe lights were 25', with 40 globes and the rope lights are around 18'), and are inexpensive. They're up to $12 this year, I think I've paid $10 in the past. They're a nice warm light.

My tropical plant (I don't know what it is) is still going strong and I tried growing a zucchini in a pot this year - it is doing well, but I should have given the tomato its own pot. 

Overall we love this small little space - it's great for lounging (all of us), reading, eating, drinking (me), and snoozing (kitties). 

Terrarium Time

Part of my Hurricane Sandy prep included dragging all the patio stuff into my living room. Yep, there was no food in the house, but my crap wasn't going to blow through anyone's window. When I went to drag it back outside a few days later, I took a look at my sad little succulent plants in their strawberry pot. I'm not "on the succulent bandwagon" so to speak, they're just the only thing I can keep alive because I'm not good at watering anything that doesn't come begging (note: the kitties always have water, one just likes to beg for the faucet to be turned on for him). Anyway, I remembered Katie's Pinterest Challenge terrarium project and the fact that I had purchased a jar to make one some time ago, so I got it out along with some rocks I had on hand (I think they were Dollar Tree vase filler) and went to town.



Rocks on the bottom, plants with whatever dirt they came out of their original pots with arranged in no particular order, more rocks around the edges, cute little clay house I had on hand, water, lid, done.

While this is not exactly a Pinterest Challenge Project (don't have a single terrarium pinned) since it was inspired by someone else's Challenge Project, I'm going to go ahead and link up here and here.

How to Repurpose Old Patio Chairs into Cute Planters

I pretty much never throw away anything. Heck, I even trash pick for other people’s castoffs. Of course the one time I do throw something out, it comes back to bite me. Cases in point are these vintage ice cream parlor chairs. These were actually a trash treasure rescued many years ago and enjoyed for their intended purpose for several seasons. The seats were a wooden base topped with a foam cushion covered in a lovely (not) orange pleather-like material. Eventually from being outside in the rain and weather the fabric split and the foam got all gross. What I should have done was remove the foam and faux fabric and keep the wood as a base for making new cushions. What I did do was toss the whole mess. So great, now I have these two chairs and no easy way to cut a circular wooden base, let alone the desire to tackle a circular cushion (I’m a fair sewer, straight lines are good, curves, OK. Perfect circles? With piped edges? Not so much). So, what to do with these chairs? I decided to make them into planters: a very easy, quick, and unique solution. I originally looked at just regular clay pots, but didn’t really want anything that deep, so instead I got wire coir lined baskets, popped them in and planted them up.

I think next season I may paint everything a uniform color, but I’m waiting for the new siding to go up before I really decide what I’m doing color and style wise out on the balcony, so for this season, I think they turned out pretty cute. Anyone else have cute ideas for planters or repurposing chairs?