Upcycling Patio Chairs to a Garden Swing Seat

Hello!  I hope everyone had a great Easter Weekend!

We had McG's family here for dinner yesterday. 

 The weather was great and there was lots of good company, good food, and good fun!

I feel like it's been way too long since I've shared a project with you. 

 That's basically because there really hasn't been too much going on around here.

In anticipation of the good weather this weekend, McG and I took out the patio furniture.

  Having 30+ people for dinner makes things a little "tight" around here and we were glad that we would be able to have some extra room to breathe by utilizing our patio space.

You may remember our garden swing makeover from last year.  

We basically took an outdoor tablecloth and remade the top to our swing. 

 You can check it our here.

We have had this swing for about five years now and those cushions you see in the above photo were basically wrecked.  They were mildewy from getting wet in the rain many times. 

  When we took them out this year, I knew I didn't want to put them back on. 

But I didn't want to just throw the frame away either.

We picked four chairs out of our neighbour's garbage last fall. 

 They were black aluminium with the nylon netting material, much like our other swing.  

 That's our other swing in the background of this picture, along with the chairs in the front.

For a joke I put the chairs inside the swing frame and said to McG

..."Hey too bad we can't use these chairs on there as a swing seat."  

Well, if you know McG, he takes things like that as a challenge!

Off he went to the garage and he came back with a bunch of tools. 

 He was ready to prove to me that maybe that was a GREAT idea - and that he COULD in fact make them into a seat for the swing.

First up he used the hacksaw to mark where the legs needed to be cut off.

Then he looked at me and said "Are you sure about this?" 

 I said YES and if it doesn't work we are not really out anything since we picked the chairs out of the garbage!

Once he cut the legs off he was worried that bees or hornets would go up inside and make nests in the legs. 

 So, he pried the plastic feet off the bottom of the chair legs and put them back on the cuts so that couldn't happen.

Then I placed them inside the swing frame.  So far they were looking pretty good.

He used his drill to pre-drill the holes in the swing frame and the chair frame.

He then secured them with washers and screws.

Once that was finished and they were secured, all we needed to do was to put on the cloth top that we made last year.

Now we have two new seats that won't stay wet after it rains. 

 It turned out great and gives us another spot to sit in the garden.

I LOVE that McG can never say NO to a challenge!!

Have you got your patio furniture out yet??

Cheryl

Linking Up @:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Epic Mommy Adventures
Mod Vintage Life
A Stroll Thru Life
A Few Minor Adjustments
Not Just a Housewife
Upcycled Treasures
Beyond the Picket Fence
Embracing Change
My RePurposed Life
The Bold Abode
Funky Junk Interiors
Cozy Little House
A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
Boogieboard Cottage
Southern Hospitality

Stepping Away...

House hunting has been consuming my every waking hour lately.  So much so that I am frustrated that we can't seem to agree on anything.  Or we do, and we are outbid or don't bid fast enough.  It seems the housing market here is HOT right now and homes, or at least what we expect from a home, don't seem to measure up to the $$$$$$$ they are asking.

Maybe we are too picky.

 McG thinks I am spending too much time worrying about it.  He thinks that the right home will show up.

The frustration for me is hard to reign in. I'm not sleeping

I am stepping away from the Realtor sites and Pinterest....hoping that not seeing the constant barrage of beautiful homes will somehow help ease my frustration.

My home is everything I dreamed it would be, but now, it doesn't seem to measure up somehow.  The projects are finished and there are no new ones on the horizon.  Maybe that's the problem...there is no excitement like the thrill of the hunt for the perfect flooring or piece of furniture or making a room come to life from the design in your head.

 Decor is a passion of mine. 

As I search for something else to help fulfill my days...I hope you stick around.  I'm hoping this funk is short-lived.  I know something great is just around the corner...I'm just hoping I'm patient enough for it to get here!

Cheryl

You can un-cross your fingers now...

Ok - well it seems that I jumped the gun when I decided to spill the beans about our house hunting escapades, and possibly jinxed myself.

We heard this morning that the house we FINALLY agreed on has been SOLD...(key the sad face and violin music!!)

I can't tell you how disappointed I am.  We have been scoping out houses for over a year now and haven't found anything yet that we could agree on.

Our wish list doesn't seem too difficult, in our minds, but finding houses to fit the criteria is getting a bit frustrating.  The hardest thing to find on our wish list is a one floor ranch with NO BASEMENT!

The few that we have found have needed too much work (AKA - they were c-r-a-p!!) and definitely not worth the money that the people were asking.  We have even expanded our search locations and that helped us find THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

I am frustrated to tears today - and I think I'm throwing in the towel.  

Thanks for letting me vent!

Cheryl

Quiet on the Home Front

Last week was pretty quiet around here...lots of laundry to catch up from our time away and some house cleaning.

McG and I visited some open houses this past weekend - and found a potential house.

Our agent is coming to appraise our home today, so I've been cleaning and fluffing the house.

Keep your fingers crossed!

I will keep you updated!

Cheryl