Front Porch Rug

As I was sorting through things at my house I rediscovered a pair of 30" x 50" woven rugs.

When I lived in California I would frequently stop by the Crate and Barrel Outlet Store in Berkeley for some fabulous deals. I picked up these rugs for a ridiculously cheap price (around $10, if I remember correctly). After I moved to Michigan I didn't really have a place where they fit in my house so they have just been sitting packed away.

When I stumbled upon them again I thought that they would be perfect on my front porch. The weave has a royal blue with teal, yellow and pink which really ties together all of the colors I have out front. They aren't meant to be outdoor rugs, but they are sheltered from the elements by the porch roof and since I already had them and wasn't using them I figured I have nothing to lose. 

I decided to make a runner out of the rugs. To attach them together I used the marvel of modern life: duct tape. Is there anything you can't use duct tape for? It really is amazing...

I flipped one of the rugs face down and adhered a piece of duct tape along the edge, overlapping half of the tape on the rug. I then flipped it right side up and then aligned the edge of the second rug so that they butted up together snuggly. I pressed the rug firmly into the tape and then flipped them upside down once more. I added some cross pieces of duct tape to ensure they wouldn't pull apart. After that I flipped the rugs right side up again and I was done. 

You can see the edges of the rug since the edge binding is a little different, but the rug pattern is so busy I don't think it is very noticable. I think the rug looks great and really makes the porch a cohesive space.

While I was out on my porch taking pictures I thought I would give an update on my self watering planter that I made using a soda bottle. Two weeks later in ninety degree heat, my petunia is thriving. It has been blooming nonstop and I couldn't be happier. I checked on the water in the resevoir today and it was a little low so I added some, but that is all the maintenance I have had to do.

I decided to switch out the pot I had set the planter inside. I found this white pot on clearance at Target for $6 and liked that it wasn't as tall as the pink tin I had originally used. I think it looks more balanced now.

I love spending time on my front porch and this latest update makes it feel even more cozy and welcoming to me. Have you been hanging out on your front porch this summer? 

Comments

[Mary-Lou]

What a perfect place to sit and enjoy the summer, your flowers, your neighbourhood and all the handy crafts you have created for and in this space. I think I need to borrow you for a few weeks :-)

[Lisa]

Mary-Lou- Thank you so much! My favorite thing to do on my porch is to walk around the corner to our neighborhood ice cream shop, get a cone, and then sit in one of my rockers to eat it.