5 Ways to Make Your Backyard Beautiful on a Budget

You don’t need huge pots of cash to turn your backyard into a lavish outdoor wonderland. In fact, creating an outdoor design can be done on a low budget with stunning results.

No matter if your green space is small or large, you can make it completely YOURS with these 5 DIY home decor projects that won’t break the bank.

1. Make your own planters from recycled materials

Rain boots with flowers

This budget-friendly backyard project has been around for a long time, and it never gets old! Make your own planters using recycled items found at home.

Not only does this give you a chance to finally clean out the garage, but it’s a smart way to reuse plastic.

Here’s our list of ideas to get you creating:

Old toy cars
Tires
Pallets
Plastic or glass jugs
Baskets
Large cans
Vases
Teacups
Water can
Toilet
Rain boots
Aquarium
Wheelbarrow
Seashells

2. Plant perennials & succulents

Small potted succulents

Think long term when it comes to gardening and go with plants that are hardy and low maintenance.

Perennials are a wonderful choice because they will grow back year after year. Come springtime, you can look out your window and feel pure bliss at the sight of new perennial blossoms!

Depending on where you live, succulents are a good choice too. They don’t require much water and are eye-catching next to the usual green leaves and petals.

Tip: Want to brighten up empty wall space? You can secure small planters to the wall and plant perennials for a creative way to display flowers and get rid of an eye-sore.

Even better, fallen succulent leaves propagate on their own, giving you new plants to fill empty planters at no extra cost.

3. Revamp old patio furniture

Stylish sitting area with tree stumps

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

We all know that one, right? This saying can definitely be applied to outdoor furniture!

Patio furniture can take a beating over the years. A lot of times, people will put rusted, worn-out tables and chairs on the side of the road and buy a new set. But, those abandoned pieces don’t have to end up in the trash.

By simply driving around, you can often score patio furniture for free. Or, you can browse Facebook Market or Craigslist for listings.

Either way, sometimes a few simple fixes can make an old table look like new. For instance, a fresh coat of paint can spruce up metal furniture or varnish on wood.

Tip: Have an old tree stump lying around? They make great rustic side tables and require very little work (or money).

You can add cheap accents like pillows to make it cozy and colorful.

4. DIY Firepit with fire glass

Nothing sets the mood more than a glowing fire, and a fire pit will put the finishing touch on any backyard.

Best of all, it’s easy and inexpensive to make your own.

You’ll need to invest in angled pavers and gravel to get the job done, but it’s a small price to pay for years of use (and memories).

You can get plenty of fire pit inspo here.

Another good budget move is to set aside money for one big purchase. Focus on one item that you know you’ll use a lot and will last for a long time.

Then, make the rest of your decor easy and low cost, such as implementing some of the ideas listed in this post.

A fire pit can be a good option, as it makes an excellent centerpiece for any backyard setting. There are many gas-powered pieces that are easy to maintain and are clean burning.

Tip: Make a fire pit really stand out with a batch of brightly colored fire glass. Not only does it look beautiful layered on top of a pit, but you can use it to line planters or walkways, too.