Decorate a Small Balcony or Patio in 10 Minutes for $250!

After the most brutal winter on record (I wish I was exaggerating) Summer has finally come to Boston! While that means yard work for my home owning friends, I do not have that luxury. What it does mean for me is breaking out my patio furniture! I love being outside. Dining, reading, sipping some wine- you name it I want to be outside doing it. I was so fortunate during my last move to finally get my own patio space (if you've ever been an apartment dweller you know just how coveted outdoor space is)! I knew I wanted it to be functional, cute, and somewhere that I could host a friend or two- my own little oasis. What I did not want to do was spend a lot of money. So my challenge was to find furniture to fill my space while keeping my budget to under $250.00 . I knew the place to head was The Christmas Tree Shoppes (a New England staple, but I believe they've expanded elsewhere). I also scored some great finds at Target and Kmart. Even though I had a few things already, I still included their cost in my total budget, which I will break down below. So here it is, under $250.00 and ready in 10 minutes!  See below for a breakdown of prices!

So here's the breakdown, I already had the Bistro Set from college (its made many moves since) but I've included it in the overall budget:

Bistro Set- KMart (This was several years ago, it may no longer be available) $50
Outdoor Rug- The Christmas Tree Shoppes $20
Zero Gravity Chairs- The Christmas Tree Shop $40 each
Wooden Table- The Christmas Tree Shop $12
Ice Bucket-Target (purchased a few years ago) $20
Tray- The Christmas Tree Shop $4
Hurricane Vase- Marshalls $6 (I found it in the clearance aisle)
Plastic Wine Glasses- Target $4 each
Red Lantern- The Christmas Tree Shop $6
Flower Boxes- The Christmas Tree Shop $3 each
Place Mat- The Christmas Tree Shop $2
Candles- The Christmas Tree Shop $6 all together
String Lights- The Christmas Tree Shop $14

Grand Total = $234.00 which leaves $16 for a bottle wine! ;)

Overall I love this space, its not too crowded but I think it is efficient. I originally had the chairs against the apartment facing out, and the Bistro set in the corner where the lantern is. I never used table there because you had to pull it out to sit at it, so this new arrangement seems to work better. I do a lot of work out here, as well as hanging out with friends. The only thing left to do is plant my flowers! 

Here are some still shots so you can see each item bette

Feel free to contact me with questions about where I got any of the things you see above! How do you make the most of your outdoor space?