Glow In The Dark Wine Glasses

Yesterday I posted about my DIY Patio Bar but there are a couple of other projects that go along with that. Today's project, glow in the dark wine glasses!!
I wanted some fun wine glasses for the patio, but I didnt want to risk breakage. I picked up some plastic glasses on sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond for just under $2 each. Then I headed over to Michaels for the paint to decorate them.

I grabbed a bottle of the Tulip Glow In The Dark Puffy Paint and got to work!

I decided to tape off the top of the glass for easier cleaning and so you dont have to put your lips on the textured puffy paint when drinking from them.

I didnt follow any sort of pattern, I just sort of went at it. I did all of the designs freehand off the top of my head.

 

After "charging" them in the sunlight, this is how they turned out! Its a fun little touch when your patio party stems into the evening hours. 

DIY Patio Bar

Summer has finally arrived and my favorite thing to do is hang out on my patio with friends. Previously I had my picnic table on the patio, but I never really liked how that layout looked and functioned. This season I was determined to come up with a better solution. Then it dawned on me, I had an  old door in the basement collecting dust. It was the perfect size for a bar/buffet!! So I moved the picnic table under one of the trees in my yard and got to work.
I went to Menards and picked up 16 cinder blocks and some construction adhesive.  Here is a picture of the bar in the making.

 

It really was just as simple as gluing and stacking the blocks together! I laid the door across the top, and viola! It was done! Last season I had purchased an outdoor tablecloth on clearance at Big Lots, so I grabbed that to cover the door.

I also got some picnic tablecloth clips to ensure it stayed in place.

 

Another fun fact about this set up, I got the bar tool set, brand new in the box, at a garage sale for $5. The wine glasses are another DIY project I'll be featuring soon, and so is the pink lantern! So stay tuned!
I gotta tell you, having this set up has made a world of difference. I had friends over for a cookout and we set up the buffet. Everyone enjoyed dinner comfortably at my picnic table under the tree and we weren't crammed for space. I love how functional this really turned out to be!
Do you have any DIY projects for your patio that just really made a difference in "patio living"?

DIY Dinosaur Planters

Today the sun is actually shining. If you live in Minnesota, you know, our spring has sucked. Cold, gray, and rain. I was keeping myself busy with lots of crafty things anticipating that someday spring or summer (at this point I didnt care which) would show up.

One of those projects was Dino Planters! These are actually pretty small planters, but they are super fun and easy to do.

  

All you need to start are some plastic dinos. I found these in a $1 toy bin at Wal-mart. I spray painted them blue and yellow.

 

Take a razor blade/box cutter and carefully cut a hole to create the planter opening. I also poked a couple of holes in their bellies for drainage. 

 

Fill with a little potting soil and a plant and RRRRWWWAAAARRRRR! You have Dinosaur Planters!! 

In case you're curious, I planted moss roses in mine.

What kind of fun garden planters do you have this year?