Weekend DIY: Outdoor Canopy

April 13, 2012

The weekend is ALMOST here and we’ve got an easy and chic Do-It-Yourself project to tackle this weekend. If you want to add more shade to your backyard, but want to skip the umbrella route, try a colorful or patterned canopy. We love the color palette of this one featured below!

This easy and budget friendly DIY project is from the magazine All You. The main things you’ll need to pick up are: 5 5-gallon buckets, 3 80-lb bags of cement mix, some PVC pipe, 4 planters of your liking, a large bag of gravel, soil, bamboo poles, 3 yards of outdoor fabric, and plants. Many of the other supplies you’ll have on hand. You’ll also need two days to do this project as you’ll need to let the cement set overnight – so start this project on Saturday, and finish it off on Sunday!

diy outdoor canopy (Photo Source: All You)

For the complete Do-It-Yourself project instructions and materials, visit All You. We also found another DIY Canopy idea from Apartment Therapy if you want to check out another way to do this same project.

Happy Weekend!

Weekend DIY: Easter!

April 6, 2012

Outdoor Decor, Pin Inspiration, Weekend DIY

Easter is THIS Sunday – and if you are like some of us here, you’re just now looking for a few ways to add an Easter vibe to your home. We’ve found a few of the best Easter DIY projects out there and put together this list for you! Check them out below and let us know which one you tried in the comments!

Easter Egg Garland – Honey & Fitz

Easter Terrarium – Honest to Nod

Easter Egg Balloons from Martha Stewart + More Easter Ideas from her

Robin’s Egg Blue Easter Wreath from Uncommon Design

Happy Weekend!

Before & After: Beachy Porch

April 4, 2012

Before & After, Outdoor Decor

Looking for a bit of inspiration to update your front or back porch? We came across this awesome Before & After from Grey Like Nesting, featuring the Grover’s porch makeover. They took a planting bed and updated it with decking, paint, and some love. We think this look is perfect for those who are wanting to add a beachy California vibe to your outdoor space. Check out the before and after, and for more photos visit Grey Likes Nesting’s post.

BEFORE

(Source: The Grovers)

AFTER

(Source: The Grovers)

Have a Before & After you’d like us to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Weekend DIY: Bamboo Chime

March 30, 2012

Outdoor Decor, Weekend DIY

The sound of wind chimes are amazing… If you live in the city, it helps to break up the traffic noise. And if you live in the country or suburbs, the chimes help relax you. At this time we don’t have any wind chimes for sale on Willard & May, so why not make your own? This is also a great project the kids can use their painting skills at.

We came across this unique “Summer Time Chime” made of bamboo, on the blog Michele Made Me. For this fun Weekend Do-It-Yourself project, you’ll need: bamboo stakes (1 or 2), a stick from a tree, a drill (with a small drill bit), a handsaw, string, needle, acrylic paint and paintbrushes, sharpie and varnish.

Here are the simplified steps: Saw the bamboo intro various sizes. Then you’ll paint it and seal with varnish, and drill holes for attaching to the stick. Then use the string to attach each piece and hang up where it can be viewed for all to see! *We thought this also might look good as a circular chime – for this you’d need to find a round piece that you can attach the bamboo to, like a wooden hoop.

For the complete tutorial, visit Michele Made Me.

(Source: Michele Made Me)

Don’t have bamboo but have other objects you think might work for a DIY wind chime? How about some old earrings, buttons, old keys, or tin cans? Check out these other wind chimes we found to help inspire you to create!

(1. Rebecca Sower 2. Ellen’s Creative Passage 3. Wallace Gardens)

Happy Weekend!

Trend: Neon Spring

March 27, 2012

Gardening, Outdoor Decor

Ever watch the teenage sitcom, Saved by the Bell? Remember the crazy fashions: bright neon colors, spandex, splatter paint, bleach, that whole look? Well, I have good news for those who enjoyed that era (and still have the fashion to prove it)! NEON is back, and is the current trend for spring and summer!

Doing a simple Google search for “neon trend” shows you what you can do with a bit of neon… and you can do a lot!

Now, let’s take the neon idea and bring it out to the garden! Check out these colorful garden totes that come in four vibrant hues: pink, orange, blue, and green! Never misplace your garden bucket in the landscape again! We also rounded up some of our favorite summer-blooming bulbs from TulipWorld that can bring those neon hues to your flower beds and your neutral garden planters this summer!

(1. Sylphide Anemone 2. Orange Double Camellia Begonia 3. Golden Chalice Hybrid Calla Lily 4. Wyoming Canna Lily 5. Golden Emblem Decorative Dahlia 6. Tout a Toi Gladiolus 7. Red Pixie Lily 8. Guacamole Hosta 9. Royal Dream Hybrid Lily 10. Pineapple Lily 11. King City Gold Semi Dwarf Canna Lily 12. Purple Gem Cactus Dahlia)

Happy NEON spring!

Green Pottery for St. Patrick’s Day

March 15, 2012

Gardening, Outdoor Decor, Store

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and to celebrate we thought we’d share our favorite 11 green items on Willard & May. These ceramic pots, bird baths, strawberry planters, and multi-tiered planters would all look great on your front porch to decorate for the holiday…and then keep them around for the summer to plant flowers and fruits! And what’s more: all pottery is currently 15% off!

(1. Green Graceful Planter 2. Sea Shell Planter 3. Green Basic Pot 4. Green Cluster Pot 5. Green Gazing Ball 6. Green Kos Planter 7. Green Round Pot 8. Green Plain Planter 9. Green Strawberry Planter 10. Green Adonis Planter 11. Green Bird Bath)

Pin Love: Bright Pops of Color

March 13, 2012

Outdoor Decor, Pin Inspiration, Store

So it seems spring may officially be here – the robins are chirping, flowers and plants are breaking the surface and the snow is melted away! In honor of spring gracing our backyards, we came across this pin and had to share! We love the bright and bold pops of color that liven up this space.

bright colors outdoor decor
(Source: Better Homes & Garden)

What ways can you add pops of color to your outdoor living space? Here are a few quick items from Willard & May that might just inspire you…

bright colored pottery, tote, planter, bird bath, decor
(1. Cluster Pot 2. Decorative Mushroom 3. Green Bird Bath 4. Foot Planter 5. Red Conical Pot 6. Garden Tote 7. Fish Planter)

Weekend DIY: Outdoor Rug

February 24, 2012

Outdoor Decor, Weekend DIY

The weather in our backyard has been very bi-polar lately. We wake up with an inch or two of snow on the ground, but by the afternoon it’s sunny, melted, and in the 40s! The sky has been playing tricks on us. But if you catch a glimpse of spring-like weather this weekend, or if your garage is warmer than usual for this time of year, try this fun DIY project of creating an outdoor rug.

A great way to bring color and comfort to your backyard patio is to put down a bold, colorful rug. Depending on where you shop, rugs can get pretty pricey, so this is where we can get creative! This DIY blogger from Design Share, found a great patterned table cloth at Target – but ended up using it as a rug instead! All she did was cover the table cloth with multiple layers of satin finish water-based polyurethane – which would protect it from dirt, spills, and stains. While she used this rug indoors, you could easily use it outdoors if you coated both sides! To read the whole Do-It-Yourself project, visit her blog.

(Source: Design Share)

Maybe you’re looking for a different type of outdoor rug or need more inspiration? If that is the case, we found a few other examples of DIY outdoor rugs on Pinterest you can view below!

(1. Tatertots & Jello Blog 2. MyHomeIdeas 3. MyHomeIdeas)

Happy rug-making weekend!

Pin Love Inspiration: Colorful Entry

February 16, 2012

Outdoor Decor, Pin Inspiration

We found this bright and colorful entry decor idea on Pinterest today – thought we’d share it and help inspire you to add a little sunshine to your porch as spring approaches!

This photo comes from the blog, Little Glass Box. Click on the photo below to see more of her beautiful home!

Sneak Peek of Willard & May

February 14, 2012

Furniture, Gardening, Gifts, Lighting, Outdoor Decor, Store

Our online shop hasn’t quite opened yet, but we thought we’d let you in on a sneak peek of some of the great items we’ll be carrying below. Starting out, we’ll have a great selection of outdoor furniture, planters and pottery, chimeneas, garden accessories, backyard decor, gifts and lots more!

water can lantern
yellow patio set chic simple