Since CE (creative endeavors) has been relocated outdoors for the summer, I decided to post about a DIY brick patio. You can do this as a weekend project, no problem. I took the project a bit further, and will be adding more on this week. I at least wanted to show you what I've been able to do!
So, I started researching patio templates and designs and I came across this one on Sunset.com.
The hardest part about my project was pulling the bricks UP from the space. Laying them was the fun part, and didn't take as long as I thought it would.
Here is my patio before:
Yes, I pulled every. single. one. of the bricks out of the space and made a few piles.
Then I prepped the soil:
Made sure it was somewhat level, and pulled out all the weeds.
Lay and level sand in the area of where you want to place bricks. I found where I wanted 'center' to be and made a circular template using some ribbon. I marked off 5 1/2 inches on the ribbon to give me a diameter of 11. Tie the ribbon to a 'center' (I used a screw driver), and use your finger as a marker to draw in the sand so you know where to place the ends of the bricks.
And...begin to lay the bricks in the design/ pattern you want!
After about 20 or 30 minutes this was my outcome: I put some river rock in the center. You could use the center for a bird bath, plant, or fire pit to name a few.
At this point, the template pattern ended on Sunset.com, but I'm going to keep going to fill the whole space. I purchased some bamboo and grass plants to fill in around the bricks to give it a whimsical garden feel. I can't wait to complete it! To finish off the bricks, I will be laying sand in between, then using a mortar-sand mix to interlock the bricks since it will be a high traffic area.
You could easily complete this in a weekend if you wanted a small two person patio somewhere in your yard. This garden is going to take a few weekends to complete, so stay tuned.
UPDATE
Patio is complete!!
I can't wait to drink my coffee out there!!!
creative. endeavor= complete
Onward.
