Splendor in the Grass: DIY My Spring Blog Hop Outdoor Ottoman

Though the month of March may come roaring in like a lion, it's arrival is still a welcome promise of the sunny Spring days soon ahead. Many a frosty March morning, I find my mind wandering to sunny green fields and pastoral picnics, or perhaps planning my imaginary topiary garden (yes, I have one) 

So when I learned that Donna of Funky Junk interiors was hosting a Hometalk DIY MY Spring Hop for bloggers to share ideas celebrating all things Spring, I was delighted to take part. 

Nothing speaks to the season like the freshness of new green grass, and recently I noticed a trend incorporating it into whimsical outdoor furniture and decor. It seems all sorts of natural elements, grasses and moss (real and faux) are being reinvented as unique upholsteries and quirky furniture finishes. Think chic chia pet.

Inspiration, clockwise from top left

   Floral and moss chair, Hative.com

Grass Wall, architectural digest

Mossy sofa set, lushhome.com

Grass Chairs, Paris, Decorpad

Grass sofas, (for rent) AFR events

I thought adding one of these fun pieces to our humble outdoor space would be lots of fun and add a little greenery until the real stuff grows in. Sadly without the budget for a custom live creation or a surprisingly pricey faux version, this was going to have to be a DIY. 

Not being blessed with the greenest of thumbs, (for me, growing mint on my windowsill is a major horticultural coup), the idea of taming live grass into perfectly manicured decor didn't seem likely. 
To the rescue, inexpensive artificial grass sold inexpensively by the foot at your home improvement store, craft store plastic grass, an old crate and spray paint.

Faux Foliage Ottoman 
I figured a simple ottoman shape would be simple and small enough to give a more subtle nod to this unique trend.

I used:

A sturdy plastic crate 

faux grass carpet to cover crate
(Lowes or most home improvement stores)

plastic friendly spray paint 

2 plastic grass matts (from Craft store)
These were a bit pricey (even with coupon) so I used these only to accent and add dimension to the top of the ottoman

I roughly traced the height of crate and marked the grass carpet on the reverse, cutting one long piece sufficient to wrap around crate
Note: this is a bit messy to cut so is best done over drop cloth or outside
Since this will be a temporary occasional piece, I simply attached the grass carpet with large wads of rolled of Gorilla tape spaced evenly around crate. This allowed the flexible grass to sit evenly over the ridges and spacers of the crate.
An appropriate strong glue could be used if intended for tougher wear.

I then trimmed the two grass matts to fit the top not attaching until after painted.

I lightly spritzed everything with spray paint to make the green colors of sides and top more cohesive and to camouflage any areas where the crate might peek through. 
I used a few varieties of green for a more realistic finish- luckily having some paint from leftover projects. Layering the different greens while still wet lets them blend more naturally.
Then simply let dry, tape on top matts and accessorize.

Whimsically elegant accessories and "Think Spring" accents make a fun contrast to the down to earth texture.

While longer faux grasses are available, the shorter greens on these matts gives the grassy effect yet is level enough to allow you to perch items more easily.

Many Thanks for Visiting
and please pop over to the other fun blogs for DIY's, house tours, garden tips and more
and look for #DIYMySpring on your favorite social media

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