12 DIY Projects To Transform Your Backyard!

Whether you have a large, grassy yard or just enough space for a small patio your backyard should be an extension of your home! Take advantage of this extra space by treating it like another room in your house. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a beautiful and well landscaped yard that’s perfect for entertaining or just hanging out with your family on a sunny afternoon. Here are some great DIY projects you can do to add some character and functionality to your yard without breaking the bank!

1. Build a Bench:

There are plenty of great DIY tutorials out there for building a backyard bench, but here’s one that’s super simple and inexpensive! All you’ll need are some cinder blocks, a few 4X4 wood posts, concrete adhesive, and some other tools and paint if you want to add some finishing touches! You’ll just slide the wood beams into the holes of the cinder blocks and secure them with the concrete adhesive. Add some decorative outdoor cushions for extra comfort!

2. Make Milk Crate Seats:

Milk crates are something you might already have laying around your house, but if not they only cost a few dollars! Don’t worry about the color, you can always spray paint the crate to match the rest of your backyard decor. In addition to the crates, you’ll just need some plywood, scrap wood, or particle board; some foam (the thicker the foam, the more comfortable your seats will be); and fabric to create your cushions. Cut the wood and foam into a square or rectangle that will fit on top of your crate. Cover them with the fabric you picked out and then use a staple gun to secure the fabric to the wood. Put the cushions on top of your milk crates and you’ll have plenty of extra seating at your next backyard party!

3. Cut Down Tree Stump Tables and Chairs:

If you’re planning on cutting down trees in your backyard, keep this DIY tip in mind! Don’t cut the tree all the way to the ground, instead cut the tree down to table height. If the stump is wide enough then you can leave it as is, or for a little extra space attach a wooden table top. Now you’ll have a place for people to set down food or drinks when you’re entertaining! Plus it looks super cool and creative and is a great conversation starter! If you’ve already cut down the trees in your backyard but haven’t disposed of the debris, you can still cut the trunk into sections of varying height and use the stumps as tables or even chairs!

4. Hang a Tire Planter:

Replacing the tires on your car is always a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the road for your old, worn out tires. Give them new life by using them as garden planters! Spruce the tire up with some paint or wrap it in rope first and then you can either plant your flowers, veggies, or herbs on the ground or tie the tire into a tree for a cool hanging flower planter that’s sure to catch the attention of all your guests! For the hanging planter, choose a plant that will hang down from the tire like honeysuckle or jasmine.

5. Recycle Old Wine Bottles:

Wine lovers – this one’s for you! Instead of throwing out wine bottles turn them into a money-saving alternative to Tiki Torches! You’ll need some empty wine bottles (or beer bottles work great too), tiki torch replacement wicks (or just thick cotton rope), Citronella fuel, and brass couplings. If you want to add some extra touches fill the bottom half of the bottle with pebbles or marbles. Not only will this look pretty, but it will reduce the amount of torch fuel you have to use! Check out this Buzzfeed article for step by step instructions!

6. “Grow” Some Grass:

Don’t have a big, grassy backyard but wish you did? Get the same look and feel by placing a faux grass rug on your patio! Not only will it make the space feel more outdoorsy and natural, but it will add a pop of color to a cement or brick patio!

7. Repurpose an Old Chandelier:

You have two great options when it comes to repurposing a Chandelier in your backyard, either turn it into an elegant bird feeder or a hanging flower planter! The steps to creating these are pretty much the same. At the ends of the chandelier attach small plant pots using gorilla glue. Once the glue has dried, fill the pots with soil and seeds or bird seed. You could even do a combination of the two, alternating what you put in each pot! For more detailed instructions check out this post from DIY Show Off!

8. Organize Grill Utensils:

If you have a backyard grilling station and love to BBQ, then you probably have brushes, tongs, and spatulas laying around everywhere. Clean up your grill space by creating a space to hang utensils using scrap wood and hooks. Get creative with decorating and you’ll have wall art that is both cute and functional! Check out Pinterest for some ‘Pinspiration.’

9. Make Your Walkway Glow in the Dark:

You’ve surely seen DIY tips for creating backyard pathways using stone or concrete pavers, but we found a new spin on this classic landscaping feature! Use pebbles or small stones and paint them with glow in the dark paint (or you can find pebbles that are already glow in the dark at some craft stores). Place the pebbles between the pavers in your walkway and they will light the way through the yard and add a pretty glow at night!

10. Use Leftover Pavers to Create Kids Games:

If you’ve already created a walkway or patio and you have leftover pavers you can use them to create some fun backyard games for the kiddos! Paint ten pavers in different bright colors and number them 1 through 10, then arrange them in the grass for a colorful hopscotch board! You can also arrange pavers in a square for a Tic-Tac-Toe Board or create giant Chess or Checkers boards! This could even be fun for the adults!

11. String Some White Lights:

If you love to entertain and keep the backyard party going even after the sun goes down, get creative with outdoor lighting! If you have lots of trees in your backyard you can wrap a string of white lights around them for a pretty evening glow. Buy battery or solar powered lights so you don’t have to worry about running extension cords all over your yard! If you have a covered patio add some lights to the roof, railings, or supports beams as well! Your backyard will look like it’s sparkling under the moonlight!

12. Create a “Secret Garden:”

If you’ve always wanted your own secret garden or you just have a smaller backyard than you’d like, use a mirror to create an optical illusion! Hang a large, full length mirror along the fence. Your yard will appear in the reflection, making it seem like the mirror is a doorway into another section of your yard! If you just want to make your yard appear larger you can also use multiple smaller mirrors as decoration and they will add depth to the space in the same way.

Finish up all of your backyard DIY projects in time to host an end of summer BBQ with your neighbors, friends, and family. They will all be so impressed by your handy-work!