[This post contains sponsored links. The items featured and linked in this post were all provided by JOANN; all opinions and reviews are my own.]

Summer will be here in just a few short weeks, and we can’t wait.  Summer means sitting out on our porch many nights, under the stars and listening to the crickets chirp.  We love being outside on summer evenings and knew I wanted to get our porch summer ready for our family to enjoy.  With this easy 5-point checklist, you too can transition your porch to be “summer ready.”

Summer porches are known for glowing lights, greenery, and lots of places to sit and spend time slowing down. I love driving during this time of year and seeing the twinkling glow of string lights and warm lanterns with candles flickering.  It may be hot here in the south during summer time, but as the sun goes down, it becomes a beautiful time to relax. With this 5-point checklist, your porch will be summer ready.

1. String lights

   String lights are the best way to add an instant cozy feel to your summer porch. These string lights here are the perfect size for above our porch swing area. To hang the lights as we did in the photos above, use these command clips specifically made for lights. To space them correctly, first figure out where you want them to start and where you want them to end. Then, figure out the total length of light strings you’ll be using (in our case it was two strings which equaled 40 feet). Next, determine how wide your porch is (ours is 6 feet). Finally, use this data to sort of rough out how far to space the strands. For us, we knew we’d get six strands out of our 40 feet. We ended up spacing our clips four feet apart from each other, and it worked out perfectly.

   Don’t forget that you need to account for some sag in your strings; once you hang the last strand, you can readjust the line to get your “drape” just like you like it.

   I love these, and they look pretty when you drive up to our home in the evening time.

2. Summer textiles

Last year I incorporated the color navy into my otherwise neutral, farmhouse style home.  I enjoyed this accent color so much that I knew I wanted to bring it back into our home decor this summer.  These navy and white pillows with the cute fringe (found here) detailing were perfect in front of the gray pillows we already had.  Having a rug for your porch is a great way to ground your space too.  Look for outdoor or weatherproof rugs to prevent mildewing.

3. Comfortable and Ample Seating

This porch swing was comfortable but with the slate wood, I knew it could be even more so if I added a cushion.  I made one out of 2” foam from JOANN and gray, outdoor fabric found here. The full DIY on how to create your own swing cushion can be found over on the JOANN app here. It was so simple! When I say it is no-sew, it truly means that there is no sewing involved, just hot glue instead! This also allows me to change out the fabric easily from season to season without ruining the foam. Having comfortable and ample seating will invite family and friends to stay awhile!  

4. Lanterns and Candles

Can you have enough lanterns on porches?! I just love the way they look in outdoor areas; from black metal ones to weathered wood ones.  And, I fell in love with these black globe shaped ones (similiar ones found here) that have an open top.  How fun are these to add among your other lanterns?!  By using these battery-powered candles, you can achieve an added glow to your string lights.  The great thing about these candles is the timer option, allowing you to set them to turn on for 5 hours each evening.  I love that! Nestle lanterns filled with battery-powered candles among your porch space.  You’ll love it all it up at night.

5. Greenery

This is probably the most expected, one but still just as important.  Because our summers get so hot, we cannot keep up with real plants and flowers as well as other seasons.  But I do try and place some around and will add ferns to the front part of our porch as well.  Window boxes on porches always look pretty too; filling them with shade plants can be another option for your greenery beside potted plants. I set a couple of faux plants atop this adorable table found here. This table is fold-able so it can easily move around your porch.

With this 5-point checklist, you are sure to easily transition your porch to “summer ready.” The ready part means that you can sit and relax in this space for weeks to come.  

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