We have been blessed, recently, with beautiful temps in Southern California. Because of that we have been outdoors nonstop. One area that I love and find myself using all of the time is a little patio area off of our dining room. We purchased an outdoor table from Ikea and have really enjoyed making the area relaxed and cozy. I recently made a runner for the table using leftover outdoor fabric from the wall art I made for the space. You can see that here. The runner took less than 20 minutes and made such a difference out there. 
I used both fabrics from the wall art. Why, you ask? Well, I didn’t have enough of one fabric to make an entire runner and I thought it would be cute to tie in both prints. Here is a simple way to bust out a runner: ………………. {DIY Table Runner} First I cut three strips of the outdoor fabric. They were roughly 14” wide. I placed the blue floral fabric in the center of the table to see how long I wanted it to be. This will vary based on the length of the table. Than I made sure the two strips of yellow were the same length when I cute them. One would be added to each end. 
Next I placed right sides together and sewed each yellow strip to the floral fabric. 
Once sewn together, I ironed open both seams so that they would lay flat. You can trim access fabric if you wish. 
If this were an indoor runner where it would be seen all the time, I would have backed it with white fabric {or a contrasting fabric}. I decided not to waste material since this bad boy would be outside in the sun and rain! I simply folded over the entire edge of the runner and ironed it in place. 
Lastly, I stitched around the entire outside edge of the runner. Because it is outdoor fabric, it tends to fray far less than normal fabric so I could get away with only folding the fabric over once. 
And don’t judge me . . . the little green plants are fake. Why? Because I can not keep a potted plant alive to save my life. Unless it is bougainvillea. For some reason I can keep that flowering, but tiny plants get the best of me. I honestly love having greenery on the table so these little guys from Ikea do the trick. I figure I am surrounded by lush trees and flowers, so a little faux isn’t going to hurt anyone! And I save money since I am not replacing them every two weeks! Oh, and another perk. . . they are weatherproof. Dreamy, indeed. When we entertain I can pop in some fresh flowers. 
Here is a shot of the wall art I had created by wrapping outdoor fabric around two canvases. Both fabrics were purchased from JoAnns. And off to the left is a peek of our wrap around porch. 
We have loved this table so far. It is made of a durable/weatherproof plastic that resembles wood. It is easy to wipe down and can withstand the rain which is really nice as this patio is not covered. The outdoor rug is from Home Depot. Also a great buy and washes down beautifully. 
With this weather, I do most of my emailing to clients and responding to blog comments right out here. It’s my happy place. These little lights strung in the tree are from Target. 
We have the previous owners to thank for the really pretty outdoor tile that we have. It works well with the new rug and gray tone of the table. The French doors lead into our dining room. This ends up being our second table should we need one when entertaining. With the doors both wide open the space feels united. 
So that’s a little look into one of my favorite spots and some quick tips for sewing your own runner. I hope you all are off to a great week! To see my DIY Outdoor Wall Art go here. Sharing with Beth over at Home Stories A 2 Z
The rounded edges on the runner look great – make it look very polished. I used the same fabric you have on the ends of your runner in green to recover our porch furniture cushions this year. Such a fun graphic pattern. And I have a few of those falsies from Ikea too. Sometime you just have to do it 🙂
Love this!! And, I love that furniture…I have been eyeing it all season at Ikea!!
Twenty minutes AND pretty, that has my name all over it! Great addition to your lovely patio, Courtney!
What a great idea to use two different fabrics on the runner. I think I'm adding this one to my project list! I love the yellow lattice fabric. I used that same fabric to make an outdoor cushion this spring. http://projectsatthepicketts.blogspot.com/2012/04/lucky-coincedence.html
really nice! i wonder, is your patio covered?
Thank you. Actually, it is not covered so we are careful to choose things that can withstand a little bit of rain. During the winter, we will bring the pillows inside.
hmm..yeah because we also have a patio that's not covered and i hardly bring anything outside…but i am so jealous of your patio that I am thinking of doing the same thing BUT the hubby is soooo against it…because it's not covered… 🙁
I have got to learn how to sew!!! Your outdoor space is just lovely! I would never come inside!
I do indeed love your little happy place. I just recently found your blog, and truly enjoy it. By the way, the runner is so much more interesting with two kinds of fabric.
Brenda
such a lovely project and patio! you are so blessed to have gorgeous all-year round! jealous!
Just another reason why I need a sewing machine! It is on the list for Christmas 2012 🙂
Love this project. I think I could even do this project and I don't sew. Very easy. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Looks so beautiful! I love your patio! I really want to decorate mine next summer (hopefully we'll get to redo our patio then!)
Really beautiful space.
I swear, I leave town for a week, and I miss *everything*!!! This patio is looking fabulous, girl! That runner is so perfect and happy, those little rounded corners slay me (c: I can see why you've been enjoying the space so much! We just got back from SoCal and geez, that weather was the BOMB. It was super hard to go back to the 110 degree weather we're "enjoying"!
This looks beautiful. Great job!
Such a beautiful outdoor space! The runner is fun Courtney.
It looks so pretty, I wish I knew how to sew so I can make projects like this one
Absolutely gorgeous back patio!! I am so jealous of your decorating skills (and how you do it on a budget). I love your DIY table runner and would love to make one of my own should i ever buy a table for my patio. 🙂
Your outdoor space is so divine! Love it all! You have done such a lovely job bringing lovely patterns, textures and colors out there. The runner is the icing on the cake! <3
xoxo,
Jen
such a lovely project! That is really beautiful!
http://indooroutdoorcarpet.org
Cute, thanks for sharing those idea, I never used table runner ever since, but I think they will look great, I will lend a hand to try it too.
Denver Patios
I am shopping for patio furniture and love the look of your gray table. A few questions – we have 3 kids, so I'm wondering (1) how well 6 chairs would fit around the table and (2) had the table held up well and would you recommend purchasing it? The price is definitely amazing!