I am so pleased to have finally painted my patio tiles. Painting cement patio pavers can change your backyard space overnight, and give you a custom tile look, for a fraction of the price.
*DecoArt sponsored this post, but all thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible.
*First published May 24th 2018
How to paint patio tiles
I started dreaming of this after seeing Dabito’s painted patio on his site Old Brand New. Given that we live in a PMQ and I can’t really pave over the entire backyard and get rid of the crab grass, we settled on expanding the cement pavers under the harvest table. We dug down last year as part of the // One Room Challenge // but we didn’t do anything with them, they just kinda sat there.
By adding a few extra around the table we could finally have the benches on equal footing, and have a spot where the chairs wouldn’t dig into the ground. So, we got to work.
Can we talk about how good the space looks now?! It took me a few hours this weekend, and a little bit of help from Dan to load/unload and position the pavers, but the painted patio tile makeover has been well worth the sweat and tears.
I used Decoart’s line of outdoor paints for this one, and the end result is perfection.
What do you need to paint cement pavers
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Farmhouse White
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Williamsburg Blue
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Hampton Blue
- 1 roller + tray, 1 brush
- crushed trail gravel to line the exterior of the pavers later
We painted 28 tiles with the following quantities (18 tiles in 24″x24″ and 10 tiles in 18″x18″)
I had intended to stencil the tiles, but once I got going I was feeling a looser pattern and opted to paint it myself.
How to prep and paint patio tiles
Star by rolling all the patio tiles in Farmhouse White. You’d be surprised to see how fast it dries in the full afternoon sun.
Before I painted, I used some bricks to prop up one side of each tile to ensure I could pick them up later.
Once the white coat is dry, you have the option of adding another, but I got such good coverage with the first that I didn’t need to do another.
Using a giant ruler and a pencil, lightly draw a grid of 6″x6″ squares. You’ll paint each pattern within the squares.
Using Hampton Blue and a brush, paint horizontal stripes all going in the same direction. Paint 5 stripes in alternating squares to form a checkerboard pattern. All the stripes should be oriented the same way.
Step 5: Because I was painted 28 tiles, by the time I was done the last tile, the first ones were dry, so I was able to start painting them. Using Williamsburg Blue, repeat the pattern but going in the opposite direction. As long as you used the same amount of stripes in each square, you’ll eventually form a pattern where the stripes meet.
While the tiles dry, make sure the surface you’re going to lay them on is flat! Using a rake, a giant cement roller, whatever you do just be ready to make modifications as you lay the tile.
Once all the tiles are painted and dry, put them in place! Line them up as you wish, or play with the orientation to just have fun. Either way, it will all look great once they’re in place.
Because we didn’t dig down and add layers of gravel and sand — like we did with set last year — the new tiles sat above ground. Instead of painting the edges of all the tiles, we planned to add some path gravel around the edge. It helps with the transition, covers the remaining dead grass, and makes the feature look more permanent.
And there you have it! Our painted patio tiles makeover was cost-effective, colourful, and perfectly accented with fun finds from Homesense and our existing items. I am so happy with out it all turned-out, and will definitely be adding this renter friendly project to my arsenal.
How To Paint Patio Tiles
Create a beautiful backyard with a DIY painted patio tile makeover. It takes a little time, but is so worth it! And, it's budget-friendly.
Materials
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Farmhouse White
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Williamsburg Blue
- 1 bottle of Curb Appeal in Hampton Blue
Tools
- 1 roller + tray, 1 brush
Instructions
- Start by rolling all the patio tiles in Farmhouse White.
- Prop up one side of each tile with some bricks.
- Using a giant ruler and a pencil, lightly draw a grid of 6″x6″ squares.
- Paint each pattern within the squares.
- Using Hampton Blue and a brush, paint horizontal stripes all in the same direction.
- Paint 5 stripes in alternating squares to form a checkerboard pattern.
- Using Williamsburg Blue, repeat the pattern but going in the opposite direction.
- Lay them flat to dry.
Shauna says
Ariel, these are such a great idea! I can’t imagine moving them all, though. I had to lift a sidewalk of them years ago when we poured a new stamped one and, boy, they’re heavy! Your outdoor space is beautiful! Thanks for playing along 🙂
Stephanie @ Casa watkins living says
Wow this looks amazing! Love the colors and the pattern looks great for summer.
Jamie says
Ariel, You have the most unique ideas and I love them!!! This is such a great idea for any backyard. So beautiful!
Hugs, Jamie
Laurie @ Vinyet Etc says
Hey lady, it’s been forever since I’ve popped over for a visit! I love the way you’ve painted the concrete tiles – even cuter than the stencil, good call on free handing it, it just adds that extra charm! and you do that so well – I would have ended up with a huge mess. looks like your charming patio and bruce are ready for the best summer get together! Enjoy! xo
Ainsley says
What a great idea! I wish I had thought of this at our old house…it would have been great in the breezeway we had.
Ariel says
You can still do it at this place! Maybe some painted stones on your front lawn for those who don’t want pebbles in their shoes?!
Ains says
Lol the damn pea stone seemed like a good idea at the time!!
But…the pea stone is much cleaner then a sandbox for the kids to play in.
Jo-Anna says
This looks amazing ariel! I love all the colour and fun elements…but those tiles, they’re genius!
Ariel says
Thanks Jo-Anna!
Jeanne says
Genius idea! And your pup is precious! 🙂
Danielle says
What a fun update!
Ariel says
Couldn’t agree more!
KRista says
Wow, Ariel! These are awesome – what a fantastic idea!! You’re whole outdoor setup is lovely!
Ariel says
Thanks Krista!
Angie says
Looks awesome! And do relaxing out there ????
Ariel says
as always, you are too kind
Cassie says
Hi Ariel! I’m a military spouse in the Q’s as well. Just wondering if you levelled the group at all before putting the stones down? Also, is the gravel underneath the stones or just around the edges? Thanks!
Ariel says
Hey! I detailed it all on the One Room Challenge posts from the year before, but what we did was dig down, level using sand and gravel, and then laid the pavers. We added more pavers and gravel around the initial stones for this project, as it really helped with the benches. The extra tiles around (that are raised) were not levelled, but it was OK!