Life’s A Beach!

It’s a very happy Monday here today. This is the second EVER collaboration with a wonderful group of fellow bloggers… a little something that we call the DIY Monthly Challenge! It happens the first Monday of every month and we’ve challenged ourselves to DIY a project each round that fits in with that month’s category. So, without further ado, I bring you…

We are actually just settling back in from a crazy- fun weekend at the Chesapeake Bay, celebrating the 4th of July (recap coming your way tomorrow!) and soaking up the sun (er, RAIN) and sand all weekend makes me that much more excited for today’s project..

We’re throwing a beachy outdoor cookout today! Complete with a craft to make you feel like you’re down by the bay and a table setting to showcase it all. Let’s get rolling…

The great thing about this project is that anyone can do it and you definitely don’t need to live by the beach to have yourself this summery set-up. I wanted to make a few pieces that we could use for a centerpiece that were easy, quick, and cheap… oh, and that reminded me of the ocean, of course! Here’s what I came up with:

I figured that each of them said beachy (but you could also use them for general summer or other holiday decorations!) in their own way- the twine reminded me of rope, the white string could pass for a “sandy” vibe, the white ball kind of looks seashell-ish, and the small one reminds me of sea glass. Here’s the quick how-to:

For the twine and string balls, you’ll need a styrofoam ball, a hot glue gun, some scissors, and twine, string, or yarn- anything of that nature that you’ll be using to wrap around the ball.

Step 1: Tie a knot at the end of your string and hot glue it to the styrofoam ball.

Step 2: Tightly wind the string around the ball, gluing as you go to secure the string.

Step 3. Wrap, wrap, wrap.

Step 4: Finish it off by tying another knot at the end and gluing the knot into place.

See? So easy!

The other ones are just as simple. For the seashell and sea glass balls, you’ll need a styrofoam ball, a hot glue gun, and a bunch of glass stones (they sell these at any craft store). Let me warn you- you’ll need a lot of these guys… you’ll use up more than you think to cover the whole thing! I probably used about 70-80 to cover the 4″ ball and half that amount to cover the 2″ ball. 

I don’t even think this one needs a step by step breakdown. All you’re doing is gluing your stones onto the styrofoam ball, one by one, until you’ve covered the whole ball.

Now that you’ve made the “stars” of the show, it’s time to get that table setting put together!

All I did for this was look around my house for anything beachy that I could come up with. Sea shells, a blue table runner (you could even use a Pashmina scarf!), woven balls, jars or glass vases, etc. Maybe even a book or two with a blue or gray spine that would fit in your color scheme.

I started with the runner (it kind of looked like little bunches of seaweed to me) and just plopped my newly “beached” styrofoam balls inside with a few extras I found and a sprinkling of seashells. On either side, I put a collection of oceanic things I found around the house- try to keep it balanced, but it doesn’t have to be completely symmetrical!

And then, just for fun, I played around with a couple different simple place settings. I tried a dark woven charger to play off the dark woven balls….

And a lighter one that reminded me of beach grass that ties in nicely with the twine piping on the table runner.

Annnnnd just for kicks, here is the whole get up with both choices- you could go either way or mix it up and use both!

Just add some silverware and glasses and you’re good to go! Oh, and don’t forget the FOOD!!! 🙂 There you have it- a beachy tablescape to liven up any summer party.

So what about you? How do you bring summer into your home? Got any table settings in mind for an upcoming party?

PS. Now comes the fun part… checking out the other projects! I’ll be doing the same, so why don’t we just head over together? See ya there!

Colorful Summer Rope Wreath	DIY Beachy Accents	Vintage Doily Table Runner
DIY Striped Growth Chart	Hot Wheels Parking Garage	DIY Sunburst Mirror