Getting to work on our backyard upgrades can seem time-consuming and, most of all, expensive. But that’s not the case! There are numerous cheap backyard ideas that can transform your basic space into a quintessential outdoor retreat.
We’ve compiled several budget-friendly backyard ideas, from upcycling and DIY projects to affordable landscaping tips, that will help you achieve the yard of your dreams.
Take a look!
1. Go for Hanging Planters
Our space influences most of our décor choices, but there are lovely ways to make the most of limited space, such as installing vertical hanging planters. You can buy wooden planter boxes or build them to make the cost even lower.
As with all planters, ensure you drill drainage holes at the bottom. Use some chains and hooks and hang them in a stacked manner from the ceiling of a porch, pergola, or covered deck. Whether you fill them with flowers, herbs, or succulents, they won’t disappoint!
2. Beautify with Colorful Bouquets
I don’t think there’s a table in my home that lacks a bright bouquet of blooming flowers!
The trick to nailing this look is to use containers that complement the surroundings and pick flowers that flourish in your local climate.
3. Build a DIY Fire Pit
Summer nights are never the same when you have a backyard firepit in place. Over the weekend, you can build your own through a simple DIY project using only a few inexpensive materials.
Just confirm with your local HOA regulations regarding firepits before you install one, and if everything goes right, your family will enjoy bonfires for years!
4. Upgrade Your Garden Shed
Now this is a project that I had so much fun doing at home. I always felt my garden shed had so much more potential than storing garden supplies, so one day, I decided to put it to the test.
I started with the walls and applied a fresh coat of paint; peel-and-stick wallpaper is a much more affordable alternative to paint.
Next, I brought in a couple of chairs, draped them in pillows, and added an area rug to create my indoor-outdoor living space. I can’t think of better ways to make a budget-friendly backyard entertaining spot on a whim!
5. Build a Porch Swing
A porch swing is an affordable backyard addition perfect for those who love basking in the sun. Build the swing or purchase one, then hang it on a firm tree or your backyard porch.
Make it comfy and welcoming with outdoor pillows, throws, and cushions for an unrivaled relaxation spot.
6. Cozy Up Your Outdoors
Most of our backyards are filled with metal and wood patio furniture that might be in need of some overdue glow-up. And what better way to make them cozy and inviting than with pillows!
Go for dazzling patterns and bright colors and ensure they’re durable enough to last throughout the season.
7. Use Seasonal Décor
Purchasing backyard décor items that can be reused each season is one of the easiest ways to save money. Personally, I outfit my outdoor seating area with different throw blankets and pillows for each season.
Cotton and linen fabrics are excellent for spring and summer nights, and you can swap them with flannel and knit throws for fall and winter.
8. Create a Gardening Station
A gardening station is a practical and cheap backyard idea that can also add charm to your space. Simply gather all your gardening supplies, such as pots, watering cans, etc., then use reclaimed wood and salvaged items to build a stand for your station.
A gardening station will last for years, making it a very cost-effective backyard addition.
9. Build DIY Planters
One of the most interesting projects I love to use to add layers and colors to my backyard is container gardening. Large outdoor planters can be quite expensive, but there’s an easy way out: make them yourself!
Use corrugated plastic to make colorful containers that cost only a few bucks.
10. Incorporate Garden Accents
Ladders, trellises, obelisks, and arbors are excellent for adding height to your space when trees and plants are still young. As plants mature and intersperse with these structures, they create a more dynamic look that catches the eye from afar.
Take this cheap landscaping idea a step further by using vivid colors for the structures to make them stand out against the greenery.
11. Plant Cheap Perennials
Perennials have been one of my best budget-friendly landscaping ideas for a long time, all thanks to their yearly comeback.
This cheap backyard idea is especially ideal for small yards and will guarantee colorful blooms each spring.
12. Create a Living Wall
A living wall is a cheap backyard idea to give your space a high-end look.
Whether you use trellises, pocket systems, or a tree, you can give a blank wall a custom look that adds visual interest and texture.
13. Play with Color
A trellis is a cheap backyard idea, but this doesn’t mean it has to look so. Consider painting your trellis a verdant shade to make it stand out and pop against the greenery in your backyard.
Choose a neutral paint color if you want your plants to take center stage, or match your trellis paint color with the plants for a cohesive look.
14. Use Multifunctional Pieces
Sometimes, we have no option but to manage with our small space. One cheap backyard idea that I have always found to be efficient is the use of multipurpose furniture pieces. Think about it: Having a bench that doubles as a lounger is much better than a couple of seats that’ll cramp up the space.
Better yet, let your furniture maximize storage space with built-in compartments, where you can hide away your outdoor paraphernalia and reduce visual clutter.
15. Use Purposefully Selected Plants
If your backyard has limited space, you must get creative with how and where you want your plants to grow.
Even more critical, use a carefully curated selection of plants for a simple plant palette that isn’t overbearing.
16. Consider Affordable Paving Material
Stone or concrete pavers don’t have to always feature in your home, especially if you want a cheap backyard idea for big spaces with no grass. A much less expensive option is crushed rock and gravel.
With gravel, you can have a more casual surface underfoot for your outdoor dining areas and seating nooks.
However, if you feel the need to incorporate traditional pavers, you can space them widely in large grassy areas to reduce the total material needed.
17. Give Your Patio an Upgrade
There are a couple of ways you can bring comfort and style to your backyard patio on a budget. For instance, I’m a big fan of incorporating an outdoor kitchen for entertaining.
You can even define the area with a retaining wall for a cheap backyard idea that transforms your patio from dull to gorgeous.
18. Utilize Vintage Décor
Vintage finds, and décor are cheap backyard ideas that add beauty and elegance to small patios and yards. A classic candle chandelier is more affordable than a contemporary light fixture, but it will still create a decorative backyard focal point.
If your home has unused fabric curtains, consider adding them to your patio to filter intense rays during scorching days.
19. Invest Wisely
I’ll tell you for a fact: one element can completely change the look of your backyard, and the best part is that it doesn’t have to be expensive!
Start with a statement piece of furniture, then use a few extra dollars for a freestanding firepit. Finish the look with affordable accents such as throws and pillows for a cozy feel.
20. Make Your Own Accents
Why wait for a professional landscaper when you can DIY backyard accents? With quick-mix concrete, you can create stepping stones to enhance your backyard space.
Shape them any way you want and personalize them through engraving for a fresh backyard idea on a budget.
21. Utilize Off-the-Shelf Items
Custom elements have been of great help when adding personality to my backyard, but they tend to increase your landscaping budget. Another cost-effective way I’ve discovered of incorporating custom elements is creative recasting.
A good example is using ordinary concrete blocks in different configurations to create a coffee table, side table, chair, or outdoor dining table. You can even stack them relatively high up and place a wooden board for a chic outdoor bar counter.
22. Repurpose Leftover Hardscape Elements
Hardscaping takes up much of our landscaping budget, whether it’s edging, retaining walls, or walkways. However, you can find leftover hardscape elements like stones and bricks at your local nursery or landscaping supply store at a knockoff price.
Dry-stacking stones for your edging or retaining wall will give you a lovely, natural-looking backyard element, and you can use low-cost groundcovers to soften the rough edges with pretty blooms. This cheap backyard idea is especially ideal if you don’t have much square footage to cover.
23. Showcase a Collection
Whenever you hear a collection, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s high-end or expensive. But I’m here to dispel that notion. Even a simple gathering of small container plants can act as your nature-inspired collection and create an excellent focal point.
Simply place your miniature containers on an upcycled potting table or a plain outdoor shelf for a cheap backyard idea that adds a fun pop of color.
24. Go for a Vertical Garden
If you have a blank wall that looks a bit too dreary, you can always outfit it with a vertical garden for a cheap backyard idea. Vertical gardens are well known for growing pretty succulents but are also frequently used for low-growing vegetables.
Whichever the purpose, you’ll have an attractive focal point in your backyard.
25. Refresh Old Furniture
Outdoor furniture is meant to be durable, but that doesn’t mean it’s exempt from some wear and tear after serving us for a couple of years. Since I care about your financial well-being (I really do!), you can follow these quick DIY fixes to refresh your existing pieces instead of buying new furniture:
- Apply a new finish, seal existing wood pieces, and repair damaged rattan or wicker strands.
- Paint your metal and plastic furniture to reinvigorate them.
- Replace worn or faded upholstery or cushions.
26. Add Some Poufs
Poufs are portable and lightweight and add style to a space without much effort, making them a cozy, cheap backyard idea.
Furthermore, they’re multifunctional and can be used as ottomans, seating, or even as a side table.
27. Hang Lights
One thing I love about outdoor lights is the warm glowing light that keeps them from being distracting. This also makes them celebratory and fun, perfect for outdoor patios and porches.
Here’s a cool trick for using outdoor string lights: hang them over an outdoor dining table for a twinkling centerpiece. Another funky solution is to wrap a tree with them, which, in turn, creates a focal point.
28. Build a DIY Bar
There’s no better way to upgrade your backyard entertaining space than with a DIY bar.
This affordable and rewarding project creates the perfect spot to host friends, enjoy cocktails on a sunny day, or simply unwind on a quiet evening. It makes your backyard feel like an extension of your house.
29. Include Vintage Hardscaping Materials
Take a trip to the flea market, resale shops, or garage sales and hunt down cheap treasures that will infuse vintage style into your backyard.
You can find hardscaping elements like arbors and trellises, which can help define traffic flow, add height, and indicate movement to and from.
30. Construct a DIY Lily Pond
DIY elements will always be my first go-to option to add personality and charm to my yard while on a budget.
This cheap backyard idea involves creating a water feature that will breathe life into your space and turn your backyard into a tranquil oasis. You can build the lily pond in a small concrete tank, tub, or bucket.
31. Fill the Space with Grass
Every backyard needs a touch of greenery for the space to come alive. Add more green space to your backyard by growing grass and groundcover along stairs and walkways.
This simple landscaping idea blends the outdoor elements seamlessly and softens the hard lines of natural stone, adding texture and visual interest to your space.
32. Spruce it Up with a Tablecloth
An easy way I use to add color, texture, and personality to my outdoor dining table is using a fun tablecloth, and it never fails to deliver!
The trick is to pick a style or pattern congruent with the rest of the space. It could be playful stripes, bold florals, or something more minimalistic.
33. Use an Oversized Outdoor Rug
An oversized area rug is an excellent way to turn your basic patio or deck into a stylish outdoor room without breaking the bank.
An outdoor rug adds comfort and provides a soft, cozy spot, making the backyard feel more inviting. You can also use it cleverly to tie your furniture and accents together.
34. Create a Simple Color Palette
We’ve already established how container gardens are handy when it comes to cheap backyard ideas, but believe it or not, you can still drive the cost even lower! How, you ask? Use annuals to add color and impact to your backyard.
Match the containers and adopt a similar color palette for the plants for a cohesive design, or make it diverse and eclectic with different colors.
35. Add a Bit of Contrast
Here’s a bold idea to make your backyard stand out more while on a budget: design it in a way that focuses on statement-making pops of color.
Dark furniture and privacy fences are excellent examples of creating clean, cohesive backdrops that help plants in the vicinity stand out. Use pillows, cushions, throws, and side tables to add more vivid colors that offer contrast and tie the look together.
36. DIY Your Outdoor Seating
Furniture is generally an expensive investment, but luckily, you can rely on DIY outdoor furniture like chairs, benches, and tables and still get a modern and trendy look.
I adore wooden benches, especially when they have that rustic charm, but I’ve also built a bench with low-cost concrete blocks for a client, and the look was seamless! Place your bench in a high-traffic spot close to a back door for ample seating space.
37. Create a Potting Station
A potting station is a stylish yet functional backyard idea that houses your gardening tools and potted plants and offers extra storage. To make your potting station decorative, combine items of varying sizes, such as upcycled containers, a few stacked books, and small potted plants.
Add more interest by mixing materials and textures like ceramic, wood, and metal.
38. Reflect the Light Outside
Who said mirrors can’t be used outside? One thing’s for sure, though: a mirror is an outstanding addition to any backyard! A garden mirror enhances your outdoor décor and blends nicely with natural elements, whether placed among vines, hung on a wall, or framed with greenery.
Furthermore, you can create the illusion of more space with the right placement relative to natural light.
39. Build a Privacy Fence
A wooden privacy fence not only hides the view from neighbors and passers-by, but it’s also a practical and budget-friendly way to create a stylish backdrop for your outdoor décor, plants, or hanging lights.
When building my own privacy fence, I used fence panels and reclaimed wood from a salvage yard, which helped reduce the costs significantly. All I did was stain the panels and apply a weatherproofing coat, and within a few hours, I had my own cozy, secluded retreat.
40. Create Zones with Seating
Creating zones in your backyard gives it a more defined look, and you can easily achieve this by using outdoor furniture. It’s very simple: use different types of furniture to separate areas for relaxing, eating, cooking, and more.
A rocking chair can delineate a nook for relaxing, dining chairs are more appropriate for places for taking meals, and a bistro set for lazy afternoon hangouts. Utilize rugs to differentiate areas of high traffic, and instead of purchasing new furniture, paint the ones you already have.
