DIY Network

Outdoor Decor Tips See how you can recycle items as outdoor decor. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-107

Craft this terrific tuffet and other cool outdoor seating!

The great outdoors is a great canvas for your creativity, and B. Original host Michele Beschen can help make it easy, cheap and fun.

Your outdoor decor can take a pounding from the elements—which makes it the perfect environment for reused or recycled decor. Michele Beschen's tips below show you how to do wonders with inexpensive pieces and make outdoor cushions from just about anything.

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Figure A

Like most things, outdoor decor is easier and more fun when you start to think outside the box. That means you don't have to confine yourself to products labeled "patio furniture." Instead, Michele Beschen recommends finding fun, inexpensive pieces at thrift stores and yard sales. Don't worry if they only last a couple of seasons—they're cheap enough to replace easily.

When you shop, look for metal or solid wood furniture and accessories (figure A); vinyl also stands up to the elements fairly well. Avoid veneers: They're far too sensitive to outdoor conditions.

	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Cushions Galore

Cushions are a vital part of your outdoor decor—for comfort and design alike. If your existing outdoor cushions have seen better days, you can give them new life and make them weather resistant at the same time. Just paint them with a coat of gesso (available at art supply stores). It will stiffen the fabric and work as a primer; you can paint over it with house paints or acrylics (figure B)

It's just as easy to make fun cushions from recycled materials. Start saving large plastic bags like the zipper bags from sheets and blankets. Stuff them with shredded paper, packing peanuts or foam, plastic Easter grass or even Spanish moss. Decorate with plastic paint if you like, and you're sitting pretty (figure C).

For an extra-special seat, cover a rectangular cushion with artificial turf and embellish with plastic flowers. Place it atop a painted pallet box or other sturdy wooden crate, and you have a combination seat and storage unit (figure D).

With fun furniture and fabulous cushions like these, all that's left to do is have a seat and enjoy the fruits of your creativity.