Ideas for Outdoor Stairs

Hands Up

• Put your hands up where you usually put your feet down by decorating an outdoor staircase with hand prints. Pour a waterproof paint into a paper plate, and keep a couple of soapy washcloths nearby. Gently pat the hand into the plate palm down, and immediately press into the steps. Hold for a moment; moving will smear the fingers. Clean off the hand, use the other hand in another color and keep going to work your way up the steps. Options include designating one step per family member or alternating hands so the sizes on the steps vary. Look at the steps as a mini-walk of fame, such as the one in Hollywood. Placing your painted hand prints on the steps also works as a growth chart; track progress by hand size over the years.

Tired Out

• Combine crafting with performing Mother Nature a favor by repurposing old tires into stair mats. Rubber tires make an ideal choice for stair mats. Their treads prevent slipping and don't allow ice to build up. They're also sturdy, can stand up to anything weather-related and are quickly washed down with a hose from muddy boots stomping their way up into the house. Many crafters and auto supply shops sell tire stair mats, some even with added colors to make them appear brighter and to match the porch decor. Or with a bit of rubber know-how, make your own treads. Put tires to use just a little bit longer, and keep them out of a landfill by adding them to your daily step-by-step process.

Growing Gardens

• Even if your outdoor steps lead up to the house and not the garden, they can still be ablaze in bloom every day of the year. Visit a craft store selling dried and faux flowers to purchase items to make into a garland, a long decorative string that wraps around the stair's rail or banister. Look for sturdily-made flowers to stand up to rain, snow, ice and blazing sun. Twist flowers into the garland, and hook over and under the railing. Other garland options include hanging small toys off the garland or leftover Christmas ornaments. Staircases without a banister or railing (just concrete or wood, for example) also benefit from garlands. Create one the length of each step, cut to size, add in the flowers and tape down behind the step or on the step's side with duct tape to prevent the garland from being a trip hazard.