It's Not Too Late to Update that Outdoor Space and DIY Nautical Pillow

It might seem like summer just started, but the stores are already reducing their outdoor furniture and accessories to make way for those school supplies. If you are thinking of making any upgrades to your patio or deck, now is the time you could really get some sweet savings, and you still have plenty of time to get good use out of them.

In honor of the stores trying to push fall upon us, I thought this would be the perfect time to share my little deck upgrade with you. I am a huge fan of navy, but it totally doesn't fit in with the color scheme of my house. So, when I was looking for a rug and umbrella to spruce up the backyard, I thought it would be the perfect place to showcase some navy and nautical, two of my favs. 

The rug and umbrella are both from the Threshold line at Target. I got them at the beginning of the summer during a 30% off sale. They aren't marked down right now online, but check out your local store. My Target had all patio stuff marked down by at least 15% the last time I was in there. And, I refuse to apologize for my love of chevron. I know some people are totally over it, but I still love it.

Along with my antiqued flower pots, I wanted to do something else crafty for this space. I decided to make my own nautical pillow. I am a sewer, so I made my own pillow. But if sewing isn't your thing, you could paint on any store bought outdoor pillow which should also be marked down right now, too. If you decide to sew your own, make sure you get a pillow made for outdoor use that will resist mold and mildew as well as an outdoor fabric that won't fade from UV rays.

I started off by searching the internet for the perfect anchor. Then, I pasted it into a Word document and played with the size a little bit until it was the perfect fit. Next, I cut that bad boy out. 

After cutting, I taped the anchor to the location I wanted it in and traced it with a fabric marker. The color of your fabric marker doesn't need to match your paint. Go with a light color that will show up enough that you can see it without it being too noticeable. You can cover up the line as you paint.

You will need to use a fabric or all purpose paint, or you can add a fabric paint medium to a paint you already have. I selected Martha Stewart Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint in Citrine Gold which is an all purpose paint. You can find this in store at JoAnn's Fabric.

To finish my anchor, I filled it in completely with the paint and ended up doing three coats. I find it a lot easier to paint free hand than use a real stencil. I always end up getting bleed through and my image ends up looking sloppy. Anybody else have that problem?

Here is the finished product. I like how the navy pillow ties the pergola area in with the dining table, rug, and umbrella. 

I am hoping to finish another pillow soon and maybe put a compass on it or a sailboat perhaps. I also want to incorporate some other nautical items like rope. Any suggestions or fun nautical crafts you can share with me? Are you inspired to spruce up your outdoor space before summer passes us by?