I need some decorating ideas for a screened in back porch. And the ideas need to be cheap, cheap, cheap!?

The area is long and narrow, 8 feet by 23 feet. The long front is screened; the two end walls are beige stucco, like house. Ceiling is white. I'm getting a ceiling fan. I have green indoor-outdoor carpet, a bit worn, but okay.


There's a white plastic chaise lounge with green striped cushion and a white plastic table with four chairs. I have place mats and silk tulips on the table. There's one small white plastic table.





I don't love the white plastic patio furniture, but it's all I can afford right now. I want to accessorize and add some wall decor to the stucco, if possible. But what?





I don't have a green thumb, and I live in Florida. I will add some plants and flowers, but need suggestions.





It's hot and humid here. Fabrics fade and mildew. During certain seasons, yellow pollen lies thick as powder over everything. So I have to be practical.





It doesn't have to look like Martha Stewart dropped by, but I do need practical, inexpensive suggestions. Ideas, please!!

I need some decorating ideas for a screened in back porch. And the ideas need to be cheap, cheap, cheap!?
Pick a color and stick to it for flowers and other accessories. Add candles in varying heights to the tables. Hang pictures if you like or baskets with plants. You can buy a couple of the 'basket weave' metal trash cans for around $3.00 each. line them with peat moss and add a tall green plant. Put one on either side of the door.





Add a small throw pillow to the chaise lounge.


You can paint the chairs and tables for just a few bucks if you want a change. (dark forest green?)





Add a cheap rug (sisal), a bowl of fruit (oranges - as orange would be a great accent color for your area), a couple of flowering plants (orange inpatients?) , a table cloth in a tropical print of green, orange, yellow, white, and you have a whole new look.





Shop thrift stores and yard sales.





Hope this helps. :)
Reply:From both ends of the porch place the plants, all tropical and flowering. (Go to a nursery or find a friend or relative that can supply you with some.)





Find a favorite (Large) picture that would go with the room and Laminate it and put it in a frame and hang it.





Candles are good at night, and you can get them and a lot of other cute decorating ideas from a dollar store.





If you can really stretch a dollar you can get that new plastic spray paint and redo the white furniture a different color.





Find from a yard sale or the Salvation Army some shear curtains to hang in the corners of each end of the porch.


(L-shaped and tied back.)





You can also find some decorative material from a yard sale or Salvation Army to make slip covers for the lounge chair.
Reply:here is what I would do, I would buy canvas, lay it out take a small paint roller and (using exterior paint) roll bright stripes of a color possibly coral(take masking tape and make lines on the fabric then when you paint it you will have colored stripes on the uncovered area, take some other plain canvas(treat it with mildew spray available in homedepot like stores) and then get your iron out. measure your windows, from 8 inches maybe or so from ceiling to 3 inches from floor, and side to side of windows, so say you have 3 foot wide and 8 foot horizontal trace on your canvas this measurment leaving 6 inches on all sides in pencil lightly . with pencil side up fold sides over 2 inches at a time, iron line each time, it will overlap 3 times, then do that to the top. make 2 of these for every window at walmart they sell a rivet? setter buy one they are cheap and do a rivet every 6 inches all around or so, on the top they sell rings like on shower curtains they are cheap and you cut the hole and snap the two sides together on either side of hole (some have to be hammered or set with a tool) do these every 6 inches across top and use shower curtain rings the metal ones go on clearance all the time at walmart and you can buy all you need alot (or the cheap dollar metal ones) next for your furniture, they sell a spray texture foam for plastic furniture which when not outside holds up for a couple years and when it chips just spray more on do maybe a sand texture also available at walmart or truevalue or ace hardware, then use a spray paint in a forest green, if you have access to a sewing machine take the suggestion of striped canvas and treated with mildew resister cut into squares 6 inches too big on two sides and sew a 3 inch excess folded over in a flap on one end on either side and the sew the other 3 sides with a 3 inch excess and then take your old bed pillows cut one end off down till you have a sq sew the end and pop in cover take the stick on velcro tabs also in sewing dept at walmart and shut the end in a foldover then set em on your chairs, for accessories take old cans you know the coffee cans in various sizes and spray texture on outside with them painted in bright colors and fill the bottom 2-4 inches with sand and gravel, set a piece of plastic(the lid to said coffee can cut smaller would work well) on top of all this with holes cut into it all over and leave a space like an inch or two all around then put soil in, go on a drive and watch for flowers and what not in ditches or side of road in country stop, take a hand trowel and find a baby plant of same kind and take it home(make sure it is public land) plant it in your little pot with some soil. next take a wooden bowl from a good will or garage sale(large) that you like and paint it a beige similar to what is on your walls, watch for wooden objects balls squares what ever catches your eye even bits of glass just make sure you can paint them or that they have lots of bright neat colors, raid your mother or in laws house during a fall cleaning expedition they get rid of tons of neat old things I hope I helped, also you can go to a grocery store with florist they often have small clearanced plants which are not at their peak but they dont get good light to thrive and they do well at home you could also consider a flower stamp if you like that sort of thing. the curtains by the way will keep your porch alot cooler in the heat of the day and in consequence help with air conditioning costs as your insides wont get so much heat either good luck sorry if this wasnt much help

ice skates