Stone benches in a garden have an elegant, timeless look that can make any space feel enchanted. However, they are not always easy to make, and they can be expensive to buy. There is another option, though: you can use faux stone to line your patio benches, giving them the look and feel of a stone bench without the price tag or weight that usually comes with natural stone. In this article, we will look at why you should consider using faux stone to line the benches on your patio.
Why should I use faux stone to line my patio benches?
When it comes to using faux stone for your DIY projects, there are many benefits to consider. One of these is that having these beautiful benches that look like they are made of natural stone or brick will enhance the aesthetics of your home and can potentially improve your curb appeal, depending on whether they are in the front or back yard of your home.
Faux stone is also significantly more affordable than using natural stone. Also, it is much lighter than natural stone, so if you need to move your benches around, it will not be as challenging to move as natural stone would be. Faux stone is also durable and low maintenance, making it ideal for the outdoors, even if you have adverse weather in the winter.
Natural stone can be cumbersome and difficult to work with, so it is not the most DIY-friendly material out there. That is why stone veneer is a DIYer’s dream. It has easy instructions, and for a project like lining your patio benches, it will only take a few hours to complete the installation. Since it is so easy to install, you can also use faux stone in other locations around your patio, making everything match up.
Other DIY Project Ideas for Your Patio
Lining the benches that are on your patio is a beautiful and easy project to complete, but why not give your entire patio some new features? Let’s take a look at some other DIY project ideas for your patio.
Add a Fire Pit
Sitting around the fire on a warm summer night with your loved ones is a great way to make some new memories. It is easy to add a fire pit to your patio to allow you to spend time roasting marshmallows with your family and friends. You can get large granite or concrete blocks to shape the fire pit or dig one out in the dirt in your yard. Depending on how you set up your fire pit, you can line the exterior with faux stone, too, giving it the look of a natural stone fire pit without the price tag or difficulty.
Photo by Alderwood Landscape Architecture and Construction
Add Some Planters
If you love flowers or even just plants, you can add some planters to your patio to change its look. This can be a fun and simple DIY project, too. You can build your own planter boxes with lumber, concrete, or something else and paint them to match your aesthetic. If you have any leftover faux stone after lining your patio benches, turning those leftovers into planters is a unique way to enhance your patio even more.
Photo by Envision Landscape Studio
In addition to adding some planters to the patio, you can also build a multi-tiered plant stand to show off your plants and add a little more depth to the greenery on your patio. This is a pretty easy DIY project for your patio that can be completed in a couple of hours.
Build a Shade Cover
During the peak of summer, relaxing on your patio can be difficult if you do not have a shade cover. Building a small awning or pergola to keep the sun and rain from beating down on you when you are unwinding on the patio is relatively easy. You just need some lumber to get started on something like this. This type of project has the potential to improve your property value and also your curb appeal.
Create a DIY Waterfall
This project works best in a sloping yard, but it is doable in another yard. You just need to arrange some rocks on a slope, then channel rain runoff to go to the rocks, creating a little waterfall when it rains. You can have the waterfall end near some of your plants that need watering to make the waterfall practical as well as beautiful. To enjoy it when the sun is shining, you just need to run a hose to it. It is beautiful and easy to do, plus it gives you a great conversation piece.
Photo by BJL Aquascapes
Create a Living Privacy Wall
Privacy fences are not always pretty to look at. To make your privacy fence look nicer or to create a new privacy wall altogether, try running a trellis along the length of your fence. Then, you just need to plant something that will climb it and create a privacy wall that is beautiful and alive.
Photo by Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors
About the Author
Auz Burger is a freelance writer and an expert in faux stone and brick veneer and home DIY projects. She has a BA from Washington State University and has been writing and editing professionally for over a decade.