We’ve all gone to a backyard BBQ at a friend’s house and noticed how they seem to have a yard and outdoor living area plucked straight out of Better Homes & Gardens. Everything is perfectly manicured and of course, the furniture and décor seem just right. Then your mind flashes to your backyard, it’s not bad but it just doesn’t have that “pop”. You would like to entertain too, but all you have on your patio is an outdoor furniture set and nothing else. What can you do to breathe life into your outdoor living space and get your patio ready to party? Read below to discover 5 easy DIY patio upgrades that you can knock out in a weekend and turn your place into the go-to spot to #ChillandGrill.

Patio Accessories

1. OWT Post Bands & Accessories
Quick and easy installation? Check. Multiple options to pick from? Check. Attractive and long-lasting finish? Check. The list goes on but you get the idea, OWT Post Bands & Accessories elevate the appearance of your patio while providing functionality. Enjoy a glass of your favorite wine and soak in the intimate ambiance created by the Wine Bottle Tiki Holders. Feel like taking a dip in the pool but afraid your drink will get knocked over by a wagging tail? No worries, just use the super-nifty Wine Glass Holder or Drink/Mobile Phone Holder to keep your beverage out of the way and easy to grab. When you’re ready to get dry, just grab a towel hanging from an always convenient Towel Hook no more cushions getting wet from towels?!?). Now it’s time to relax in your hammock supported with a couple of sturdy Shackles and admire your luscious plants hanging from Plant Hangers. OZCO Building Products is known for innovative products and their OWT Post Bands and Accessories certainly fit the mold!

Patio Lighting

2. LED String Lights
There’s nothing like good times on a long summer night with LED String Lights setting the mood. Even better is that you can pick up a set anytime at your favorite electronics retailer. If you’re a Costco member, they usually have a great deal on a 48-ft strand with 2-ft spacing on the lights for around $50. One of the great features of LED lights is their low cost per kilowatt-hour compared to traditional fluorescent bulbs. Just hang them from the rafters of your patio and you have the instant upgrade you’ve been looking for. If you have a nice tree nearby, run the strings from your outdoor living area to the tree and add a strand or two to weave through the branches. Installing a set of LED String Lights is guaranteed to get noticed and will have you wondering why you waited so long. Don’t be afraid to go for more of a modern touch with a cooler light color.

3. DIY Cooler
What better way to add a cool vibe to your patio than with a DIY cooler. If your crafty and up to the challenge, I recommend you check out some of the plans at Anna White or Shanty-2-Chic. All it takes is a quick trip to your favorite home center to pick up whatever materials you need, sometime over the weekend, and you’ll have yourself an awesome spot to keep drinks cool all summer long! It is bound to get noticed and who doesn’t like to brag about their woodworking skills? I’d recommend adding some wheels with brakes so you can move the cooler around as needed. Pro Tip: Use OZCO OWT Hardware to build your cooler, send them a picture, and they’ll send you a complimentary (if it’s FREE it’s for me!) that you can attach to the cooler.

Patio Speakers

4. Outdoor Speakers
Wait. Where’s that sound coming from? Hey, this is my jam! A simple set of outdoor speakers is all it takes to get a party really going. These days all you need is a power source and you can connect to the speakers via Bluetooth, so don’t worry about running a bunch of wires all over the place and trying to hide them behind some bushes. Show off your great taste in tunes with this solar-powered, Bluetooth, linkable speaker by ION Audio. Did I mention it looks like a rock? That’s right, this will blend right into your outdoor living area or you could even set it in your garden and play some Mozart for your plants (I hear that helps plants grow better?).

DIY Bench

5. DIY Bench
If you haven’t looked at outdoor furniture recently then let me fill you in…it’s expensive! A clever solution to seating a lot of people without breaking the bank is a DIY Bench. Of course, my favorite way to get inspiration is by heading over to Ana White or The Spruce websites and browsing through their collections of DIY project plans. The possibilities are endless for what you can create and I’m a huge fan of tweaking a design to complement the style of your outdoor space. Check out this bench at A Beautiful Mess made of 2×4’s (cheap and widely available). Throw that together when you have a spare hour or two and you’ve got a modern bench that will last a long time and really add some character to your patio.

There’s plenty more where that came from and it starts to get really exciting and fun as you create an amazing patio, backyard, or outdoor space filled with stylish yet budget-friendly upgrades. Don’t just stop at these 5 Easy DIY Patio Upgrades, I encourage you to take some time to look around your space and come up with some clever solutions of your own.

We always love to see what you come up with so be sure to send us some pictures of your Live BIG Project Kit decked out with outdoor living upgrades.

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