Alright, friends! With the winter blues officially in the rearview mirror and warmer weather in sight, it’s time to start thinking about that outdoor space. And if you think you have to travel to the ocean or schedule a vacation to make the most of this sunny season, I have some good news for you — you can create those vacation vibes right in your outdoor living space.
I’m talking all about budget-friendly backyard ideas!
The backyard space tends to get the least amount of love in our homes, but even if you have a small patio, you have the makings for your own dream backyard. With a few easy DIY projects, you can give yourself abackyard makeoverthat rivals even the best patio makeovers out there. If you missed when I did mygarden beds, check that out here and mymodern backyard makeover here! Alright, now let’s get into the list ofcheap backyard ideas:
Even if you’re on atight budget, with acreative ideaor two, you can give yourpatio areaa fresh new feel. It’ll be the perfect place for you to unwind after a long day, forspending timewith your little ones and agreat additionto the house.
Keep reading to discover how I recently helped my friend Brenda pull off the perfect budget-friendly makeover. After some DIY patio floor paint, stylish yet affordablebackyard family furniture, and a few more tricks, we were able to completely transform heroutdoor area. Read on to find out how I made it happen!
When is it Time for a Patio Makeover?
You know it’s time for a patio makeover when you don’t long to sit on yourpatio furniture. Okay, let’s start the story from the beginning. If you’re anything like me or my friend, the need to even look into patio makeovers might not be at the top of your home project to-dos. For most homeowners, their patio falls into one of two categories. Your patio is either a space for odds and ends that get leftover after pool days, campouts, and barbecues. Or, it’s yourfavorite placein the house.
Whatever the reason, it’s likely you’re not feeling comforted by the space, so you’re not using it. This is only wasting valuable space that could encourage you to spend time enjoying the outdoors with your friends and family. Brenda’s space was a dumping ground foroutdoor furnitureand supplies, and as a result, it didn’t really get much use. That said, it’s always agreat ideato create abeautiful spaceto relax in. Mybest wayis theinexpensive way!
I decided it was time to give her patio a makeover! I knew that creating an elegantoutdoor areawould be agreat wayto make her yard feel larger while increasing the amount of usable space. I was most excited about this project because I knew it could be a space where she and her kids could relax and spend quality time together. I was thinking of uplifting theconcrete patio, adding smallflower beds, maybe anherb gardenand adining tableto fit her family. Of courseoutdoor seating areasare a must to create agreat spot.
With a budget of $3,000 (including all furniture and supplies), I got to work. And to be honest, it was a lot of fun. You’d be surprised what a little wall paint, custom diamond painting on the floor, and furniture can do!
3 Steps To a DIY Patio Refresh
If you’re ready for a patio refresh, taking it on yourself can seem daunting. But I promise, with thiseasy projectandshopping listat your disposal, brainstorming and executing will be much easier than you think! Heck, you may even find painting concrete a breeze.
Before we get started, remember to consider your patio’s unique circ*mstances, then adapt the steps below for your unique goals for your patio. Just remember to stay creative and have fun!
Step 1: Painting
The project started with painting siding. I first picked out some colors I knew would complement the space. Then I sprayed the siding with afresh coat of paintcalled Undersea by Behr and painted the door with Parisian Cafe, also by Behr. Painting siding is an easy way to create a completely different look and feel with minimal expenses. I usedthis paint sprayerto make thespray paintprocess a breeze. You really don’t need a lot ofDIY skillsto do this.
HOT TIP:Asimple methodto keep paint overspray under control is to use a cardboard piece under the siding when you get to the bottom. That way, you don’t have to tape up all of the floor.
Step 2: Main Floor Uplift
Next, I focused on a DIY-painted floor similar to the one I did for myold patio project.
To begin, I pressure-washed the floor (which I highly recommend doing before painting concrete), then painted a beautiful base coat of Creamy Mushroom by Behr. After two coats, I started the custom diamond painting by drawing on the diamond pattern with a ruler and an 18” tile as a guide. This is agreat solutionfor creating anoutdoor oasisreminiscent of an English garden. You could apply the same technique toconcrete paversas well.
I then used a paint color called Sharkskin Suit to bring the pattern to life before finally adding dots at the intersection of each square using a small foam roller dipped in a color called Divine Wine. Both colors are by Behr.
After the paint dried, I did two coats of concrete sealer (my secret weapon) to protect the paint from chipping and called it a wrap for my painting party! Here’s thebest thing: on asmall budgetI created a beautifulfocal pointwithbasic toolsthat anyone can use.
Here’s a great shot of the custom diamond painting on theconcrete patio! What do you think?
Step 3: Strategize and Style!
The final step, and my absolute favorite, was strategizing and styling thepatio space! As I said before, making this a space where Brenda and her kids could spend time together was essential. However, I also wanted a space where she could unwind and host friends and family.
To do that, I divided the large patio into two zones — dining and lounge areas.
And let me say, with furniture and decor from TheHome Depot, this space came alive! With the painting patio floor I didn’t even needoutdoor rugs. I scattered accent colors likegreenandblueand usedroundandrectangularflower potsinvarious sizesaround the area to add pops of color. The outdoor privacy wall gave me an opportunity to add avertical garden, as well aspotted plants. This was agreat wayto create asmall gardenwhere there wasn’t much room to add largeflower beds. Brenda can use this as acontainer gardenand addperennial plants. Thebest partis, you can use thesesmall backyard ideasfor anyoutdoor entertainingspace.
For the patio lounge area, I got this stunning outdoor sectional which was at a great price pount. Asimple wayto add additional seating for guests. I used a round wickercoffee tablewith a glass top to anchor the lounge area. Another option could have been abackyard fire pitbut I personally think with limited space, an outdoorcoffee tablewould have gotten more use, especially with little kids. You could also create afire pit areain the open space if you have alarge backyard. Add someoutdoor string lightsand you have agreat placeto cozy up in.
Thisbeautiful round accent table, among otherdecorative pieces, were the perfect choice to hold somefaux topiary. And I even found some great complementarydinnerwareforoutdoor use.
But my hands down favorite part of this patio makeover is the wall fountain that just needs an outlet to add a beautifulwater featureto make the space feel complete. This wall plug in water fountain was so easy to install and it creates a big impact.
Last, to add texture and design to the walls, I put up these beautiful hand paintedwall plantersand switched out the old lights for these hangingoutdoor lights. The final look was such a breathtaking refresh that I was really tempted to give my own patio another makeover! One of the accents I really love is the outdoor artwork I added. I purchased this art and sprayed it with Scotch guard to protect it against the elements.Great wayto add art to ouroutdoor space!
Now Brenda can step into this oasis and unwind or come alive whenever she needs. I hope you found this like of backyard patio ideas useful for creating your owndream backyardin anaffordable way!
Note: All items for this makeover were purchased at TheHome Depot. However, the links provided here are suggestions (and affiliate links) that are similar to what I originally purchased.
Looking for More Inspiration?
When you look at your current patio, it can seem like a task you have no interest in taking on. But with some inspiration and guidance, patio makeovers can be so much fun to execute and even more joy to experience.
So if you’ve found yourself using your patio as a space for odds and ends or haven’t been back there since you moved in, take this as your sign to revive that space and make it yours again. Use these tips andvisit my Instagram highlightsfor more details on how I executed this project and how you can do the same for your own!
