I love my garden, but there are certain times when I don’t feel very inspired in it. While I never tire of new plants pushing through the soil in spring, or of fall leaves in all their colors, or even frost icing the edges of an ornamental grass, sometimes the whole space just needs a lift. It seems like over time, either we change our tastes, or the way we use the garden changes, or honestly, we just get plain bored. But I also can’t run out and buy all new outdoor furniture every season, or even install a new flower bed. Spruce up your garden with these cheap backyard ideas on a budget!
Backyard Ideas on a Budget
Cheap Patio Ideas
First of all, if you don’t have a backyard patio, time to fix that now. You can build one easily in a corner of your yard with brick pavers, like they did over at ‘Lovely Indeed’. Start small if that’s all your budget allows, and add to it when you can! Great step by step directions and photos.
Use inexpensive paint to turn an ugly concrete patio into a gorgeous entertaining space! Check out ‘Jen Woodhouse’ and her tutorial for a stenciled patio rug. Isn’t this insanely beautiful?
You can make these colorful DIY planters for your budget patio without any power tools. These are made from corrugated plastic, so they are lightweight, weather resistant and easy to make. Check out the tutorial over at ‘BHG’. These are a cheap patio idea that will add personality and style, on a budget! And you might want to check out our posts Outdoor Planter Ideas For Your Patio & Porch and Planter Bench & Planter Coffee Table Ideas on our sister site ThegardenGlove.com.
Cheap Landscaping Hacks
This idea from ‘Country Living‘ will have your garden beds “sharing the love” while watching your budget. Freshen your beds with plants that give you more bang for your buck, like lavender. It’s fragrant and beautiful, tough as nails, fast growing and it self propagates new baby plants every spring!
Maybe all you need is something to draw your eye through the garden. Install this gravel path in a weekend, with this tutorial from ‘Gardener of Good and Evil‘. Great tips on how to make the gravel stay in place, and to keep the footing stable. While this is a great backyard idea on a budget, it’s not as simple as just dumping the gravel on the ground. If you want it to last (and therefore be a real value) make sure you read this tutorial.
Want to hide a boring view, or simply bring an element into the garden that is at eye level, and can change as often as you want? Try this DIY vertical wall garden from ‘AKA Design‘! Great tutorial with lots of tips on how to turn a little lumber and chicken wire into a cool focal point in the garden. This is a great way to garden on a budget, and in a small space! And if you want to grow veggies, check out our post on Container Gardening Ideas for vegetables over at TGG!
DIY Outdoor Decor on a Budget
Save your recycled tin cans for the garden! Make this charming fence planter with the instructions from ‘I Should Be Mopping the Floor’. I love polka dots, and what better way to create cheery, but cheap garden decor!
Make this easy garden obelisk with this tutorial from ‘Flower Patch Farmhouse‘. This is a great way to add height and interest to the garden, and by painting them in a color to match the mood of your space, they are pretty all year long!
These DIY twine lanterns from ‘Splash of Something‘ will keep you using that garden space well into the evening. We love using lights in the garden, and this is an easy DIY project using glue and balloons. Jump on over and check it out…
Need a little whimsy? These DIY mushrooms will do the trick, and they are as budget friendly as can be! From ‘My Paper Inclination‘, they are made from branches and dollar store bowls, plus a little paint. Awesome backyard idea on a budget!
If you want to know how to add an arbor to your garden, check out how to build a simple garden arbor over on our gardening site, TGG. That in itself will really spruce up your garden, but how about you take it one step further? Add birdhouses to the top of your arbor like they did in this pic from ‘BHG‘. Charm!
Have you been hanging around Pinterest and have caught sight of those amazing chicken wire garden sculptures? Well ‘Ehow‘ has a full tutorial on how to sculpt with chicken wire! Start with this small dragonfly, then use the next photo to inspire you!
More Cheap Backyard Ideas
This DIY tree swing from ‘The Merry Thought‘ looks right at home in that natural setting. You do not – we repeat, DO NOT have to be a kid to have a swing in your garden!
Add water to your backyard, on a budget! Make this DIY water fountain with bubbler with the tutorial from ‘Frugal Family Times‘. A great way to to bring a soothing element to your budget garden space.
For a more practical project, consider building yourself a small garden shed to provide extra storage space for garden tools. This will help to keep your yard nice and tidy. We’ve got lots of ideas in our post over on our sister blog OhMeOhMy. If you don’t feel like building a shed from scratch, you can always buy a shed. There are plenty of kits available on sites like Wayfair and Amazon as well!
Now that you know how to spruce up your garden with these backyard ideas on a budget, try our posts on DIY Window Boxes or 12 DIY Ideas for Porches, Patios and Decks. And don’t miss DIY Stock Tank Pools for summer fun! And if you are having trouble with our flying friends in the backyard, check out DIY Wasp Traps over at TGG! Also, Natural Weed Killer tutorials, Modern Backyard Ideas & Makeovers, DIY Garden Box & Raised Beds, and Outdoor Herb Planter Ideas & DIY’s!!
I love your post a lot, especially when you say that we do not have to be a kid to have a swing in the garden! Everyone can play swing! I love the lanterns so much! They look really cute and it must be very excited when looking at them at night!