Nothing says summer like sipping cold lemonade on your front or back porch. Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to get your porch ready and summer festive! Take a look at these colorful 7 ideas you can use for your porch this summer.

1. Reuse

Use your imagination and think outside the box. Scour flea markets and thrift shops for unusual items you can use on your porch. We love this vintage chicken cage that was turned into a rolling coffee table. Remember, almost anything can be refinished and painted!

2. Add Light

Candles and lanterns can give your porch a cosy and enchanting feel. They’re perfect for late-night summer talks on the porch. Arrange them on a coffee table in front of your porch benches or wicker chairs in various heights and sizes to add interest. Lanterns can be hung around the porch to add light and charm.

3. Paint the Floor

Give your floor a new look with a pop of color! Choose a shade that matches your home and your porch furniture. We love the cool blue of this porch, it makes the floor look like water!

4. Add Curtains

Curtains are a great way to provide shade on hot days and for privacy. These drop cloth curtains give the porch a rustic feel, and they’re really cheap at the hardware store!

5. Hang a Mirror

Adding a mirror to your porch makes it look more like an actual room. At night, the mirror will reflect the candlelight, adding more light to your porch. This large antique mirror adds drama to the porch, and the light creamy walls make the mirror pop.

6. Add Color

Add a pop of color to your porch! Paint your wicker furniture a bright color, or add colorful pillows. These blue wicker chairs pop against the grey walls and floors of this porch. This can be replicated by simply spraying the furniture with a few coats of an outdoor spray paint. Vintage wicker furniture can be found on the cheap at yard sales or thrift stores.

7. Choose Durable Fabric

To help save your cushions and pillows, choose a durable fabric that can withstand spills, and is easy to clean.

Photos: Home Decor Wall, Dying of Cute, The Lettered Cottage, House Beautiful, Dofaso, Between Naps on the Porch, Melinda Jennings, Bombay Outdoors.

We all know that curtains aren’t cheap, and replacing them to keep up with your decor or mood can be costly. We’ve got 4 tips and tricks on how you can update the curtains you already have on a budget. Check them out!

1. Tassels

You can hang tassels from the corners of your curtains, or in a row along the top. This works well for curtains with a subtle pattern or no pattern at all. Curtains with a loud pattern can look too busy and distracting with tassels. Placing a tassel on the bottom corners of your curtains can accent them without making your curtains look distracting. You can also use tassels to add a formal touch to your plain curtains, making a room feel fancier. Another idea is using them to make curtain ties, adding a subtle dressy effect.

2. Ribbon

Ribbons come in many styles, sizes, designs, and colors that the possibilities of decorating with it are endless. You can try sewing a bright, wide ribbon across the bottom of each curtain panel for a pop of color. For narrow ribbons, group them in pairs or groups of three. Use coordinating patterns and colors.

3. Reuse

Don’t throw out your old curtains! Reuse them! Cut the bottom off each curtain panel to make them shorter, or make a valance for your kitchen windows. Old curtains can also be used to make a fabric shower curtain. Make sure you put a plastic one behind the fabric curtain to prevent it from getting ruined. Old curtains can also be used to make throw pillows or floor cushions.

4. Refacing

Change the look of your curtains by covering them with a whole new piece of fabric. Instead of creating curtains from scratch, use them as a base for your new fabric. You only need to cover the side of the panel that is facing the room. Cut off a piece of fabric and stitch it to the sides of your curtain. This saves you an extra step in creating new curtains from scratch.

Photos: View Along the Way, Love Maegan, BHG, The Inspired Room.