In our popular Patio Style Challenge series, bloggers from all around the country share their impressive DIY skills and outdoor decorating ideas. One outdoor trend we’re seeing in the series is the use of unique patio side tables. Using unexpected materials, colors and tools, these DIY patio side tables are as functional as they are attractive. Above, Chicago makers, Emily & Ryan, solved a small balcony dilemma with a unique skateboard cocktail table that doubles as a grill and a conversation piece.

DIY blogger, Mandy, of Fabric Paper Glue really wowed us with this bright and geometric cooler project. You’d never know there’s a simple Styrofoam cooler hidden inside. It’s an easy solution for seating and a convenient spot to grab a cold drink!

Caitlin Moran’s home was in dire need of a backyard makeover. But since she and her husband hope to move soon, the makeover needed to be quick and easy and as portable as possible.

A quick and easy backyard makeover is exactly what we have from Caitlin, who writes the popular lifestyle and decor blog Style Within Reach. It’s her addition to our Patio Style Challenge–we send talented bloggers a patio set from The Home Depot, and they use it to show off their outdoor decorating ideas. 

Read on to see the simple ways she solved some common backyard problems to make her patio ready for outdoor entertaining. 

It’s always been a priority to make my rental homes feel like me. I go all out with painting and decorating so I have a cozy, comfortable place to spend my days. At the same time it’s hard to put too much effort into a house that is only yours temporarily.

However, we have a huge backyard and big flat concrete patio that we’d love to utilize more this summer! We just needed to make a few easy changes to the yard. It only took two weekends. We also built a portable bar that can go with us to our next home.

I’ve been living outside ever since!

Not all backyards are made the same. For city dwellers living in apartments or condos, the outdoor space can be pretty small. Decorating a tiny patio space can be a bit of a challenge. So we turned to Ashley Rose, author of the Sugar & Cloth blog,  for her urban backyard decorating ideas. 

It’s her contribution to our Patio Style Challenge series, in which we send talented design and DIY bloggers a patio set from The Home Depot, and let them work their decorative magic.

As you’ll see, Ashley made the most of every inch of her townhouse patio without making it cramped. We absolutely love the way she created a soothing modern look with with smooth grey stones contrasting plenty of leafy green plants. She also offers some very practical DIY solutions to some common challenges in small patio decorating.

Living in a townhouse in the middle of Houston, backyard space can leave a lot to be desired. I wanted to create a space that carried the modern, urban aesthetic to the outdoors so that it flowed seamlessly from the first floor. The Martha Stewart Living Franklin Park Dining Table was the perfect starting point. I loved the way the light blue, bistro-style bar chairs brought a feminine touch and let that inspire me from there.

I’ll spare the lovely Home Depot Blog my awful before photos of my backyard (which you can see them here if you’d like), but I already had the cement squares down and some stone. It was quite the eyesore if I’m honest, but not a terrible starting point.

Design blogger Mandy Pellegrin describes her patio makeover as “loud and laid-back”. We weren’t quite sure what that meant until we saw the photos of her newly styled deck. It’s an exhilarating explosion of pink, yellow and blue in big, vibrant patterns. And there’s plenty of space to put your feet up–a hallmark of any good patio.

She also came up with some terrific DIY ideas for this contribution to our Patio Style Challenge series. She shows us the clever and colorful DIY ways she added seating, serves the cold drinks and rolls away the cooler. Her blog Fabric Paper Glue is full of great DIY and craft ideas, so that shouldn’t be a surprise. 

Read on to see how her brash patio makeover came together. 

Last September, my husband and I moved from a DC-area condo to our very own little house in Nashville–complete with the most delightful backyard. We both love to entertain, so as we embark on our first spring with our very own outdoor space, we wanted to transform our patio into a relaxing–but decidedly fun–entertaining area.

The centerpiece for this awesomely laid-back space is a set of patio chairs from The Brown Jordan Collection that literally lay back. No kidding, these suckers really recline. Then, I made the space all mine with the brightest, boldest outdoor fabrics that I could get my hands on, beautiful potted flowers, enough seating options to make you dizzy, and a healthy dose of DIY.