It’s been almost a year since my husband and I put together this beautiful Cedar gazebo I ordered on line (see source below). Yep, you heard that right…I ordered it on line after lots of measuring, researching, and reading the reviews. I ordered it without my husband knowing because I was fairly certain it would be a great choice. Guess what? It all worked out beautifully. I cannot say enough great things about this gazebo, and we even had fun putting it together. Read on to see how it looked at delivery, how we put it together, and of course how I decorated it (all sources are listed below).
Before I go any further, I just asked my husband if he has any complaints about our gazebo after having it up a year now, and he thought for a second, and then said, “Actually, no, and we had fun putting it together.” So there you have it…it’s a nice one guys, and worth every, single, penny. We literally feel like we have created an entirely new space out on our back patio thanks to this durable, solid, cedar structure. What’s really fascinating is that we built it ourselves with the kit I ordered. Of course, we could have paid someone to put it together, but we took a weekend last September and saved a bunch of money. If you decide to try it, give yourself a full weekend (2 days to take your time) and you will need four people (just for a few minutes on the first day) to secure the “trusses”.
You can see in the photo above that it’s finally warming up up here in Michigan, so I got out there last week and decorated up a storm. We are so looking forward to spending some warm nights out here with our family. We also enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and really anything every day it’s nice out. Hey, how do you like that green antique afghan I scored? How about the three solar bug zappers that don’t make any noise 😊? Please see all sources below.
The Back Patio Before we Moved in
In the mood for a little exercise 😆? When we first saw the back patio we were happy to see there was a concrete stamped patio instead of a wood deck because we had a deck for years and it was so much upkeep. I also enjoy the ease of stepping out to a patio rather than stepping onto a deck. I really had no idea what we would do out there but I knew it would be good! Here’s a few more photos of how it looks now before I get to the sources…
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Putting the Beautiful Cedar Gazebo Together
When we first received the big boxes that included the cedar wood, and all of the supplies, I have to admit that we were a bit skeptical. I was worried that we would unwrap everything which was quite heavy, and something would not be right, and we would have to rewrap everything to return it. Fortunately, our “risk” turned out to be worth every second. After we organized everything out on the patio we were able to review the instructions and get started. We had no idea how long it was going to take to complete, and we weren’t in any rush, so I think that helped with the anxiety of doing something so large. So, my best advice would be to take your time, and honestly that holds true with all DIY projects.
Rick and I worked both days over the weekend probably about 12-14 hours in total to complete the gazebo. As I mentioned earlier, we had fun doing it, and the weather was gorgeous ☀️ . In the beginning stage we had to invite 2 buddies over to help us with the trusses, but that didn’t take but a few minutes. You will need at least the ladders shown in the above photo, and you will also need an electric screw gun. After we were finished, we attached the structure to our cement patio using ANCHORS, however we are not experts and I have no idea if these would work for you. This is just our experience. Anchors are required because you need something to hold this baby down when wind comes!
Finishing Touches for the New Outdoor Space in Our Beautiful Cedar Gazebo
Finally! Let the decorating begin….
ADJUSTABLE OUTDOOR WOVEN BLIND —> HOME DEPOT
3 SILENT SOLAR BUG ZAPPING LANTERNS {they light up!}
AFGHAN, GREEN PLATES/CUPS —> THRIFT STORE
TALL BLACK PLANTERS w/ REAL CAT PALMS —> HOME DEPOT {$20 for the pots each I found in outdoor section}
HANGING SOLAR RATTAN LIGHT FIXTURE —> TARGET MANY MOONS AGO {this doesn’t work anymore, so I took out the old insides and added this rechargeable remote control light bulb that works great!)
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful cedar gazebo reveal! Stay tuned for our new full home tour page, the front porch, and our huge kitchen renovation!
Our Patio Last Year Before We Built the Gazebo
Master Bathroom Makeover
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It looks beautiful and totally transformed your backyard!
Thank you, Rachel!
When you work so hard , physically or mentally, it’s lovely to have a peaceful & relaxing place to be. This looks like this is what you’ve done. Truely lovely! Enjoy, you deserve it. Looking forward to seeing more of your fine works for inspiration.
Kind regards Janette 👋
P.S. I live in QLD Australia
Hi Ju;ie & Rick:
Wow! The gazebo is beautiful!! Where we lived before we had to have a Zipper on the gazebo curtains because we had so many mosquitoes. Hope you don’t have any.
Love everything you both do to make this your sanctuary. By the way did you get my email, replying to your cute card? I have my new computer so there’s no reason I can’t communicate now.
Love, Bette & Joe