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Being a homeowner is a bigresponsibility, and while there’s plenty to take care of inside you home, don’t forget about the outside, either.If you’ve ever looked into the cost of hiring a professional landscaper, you know they’renot cheap.
Fortunately, there are a slew of inexpensive and affordable DIY landscaping ideas you can tackle in a weekend, so long as you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty.
From the front yard to the back, barbecuepits to bistro lights, here are 59 DIY ways you can affordably improve your outdoor space.
Table of contents
- Front Yard Ideas
- Backyard Ideas
- DIY Fire Pits You Can Create
- Water Features to Add Appeal Outdoors
- Hedges, Fences, and Other Privacy Features
- How to Create Shade in Your Yard
- Creating Visual Interest Around Trees
- More Outdoor Ideas from Curbly
Front Yard Ideas
When it comes to DIY front yard projects, there are numerous ideas that can help transform the front of your home into an inviting space that will welcome visitors to your home.
1. Use large containers: To create dynamicvisual impact with little long-term commitment, try using large containers to add color and texture to your front yard. These low water, drought tolerant succulents are perfect for warmer climates. You can even make your own large scale modern concrete planters with this tutorial.
2. Add drama bylayering the height of your plants.Big in the back, small in the front.
3. Have a section of your front yard that’s too awkward to mow?Fill it withrocks. Problem solved.
4. Take the DIYlandscaping ideas off the ground and to thehouse by installing a few window boxes (they’re surprisingly easy to build). You can even make your own DIY planter boxes with this tutorial.
5. Or try anoutdoor shelf instead.
6. If you have a large front yard with little dynamism,addlarge boulders and rocksfor variety.
7. How about creating a berm?What’s aberm, you ask? It’s when you transform your totally flat yard by creating mounds of interest. Easy, and totally affordable. Be sure to do your research first before create a berm around the base of any tree, as too much dirt can suffocate the tree.
8. Build a trellis: No trees on your lawn?Build a trellisor twofor your front yard flowers to climb.
9. Border your walkway: Looking for inexpensive ways to create borders or edging?Border your walkwaywith plantsand flowers to to add texture, color, and styles to your front walkway.
10. Brick edging: DIY landscaping ideas don’t get much more affordable than this:install brick edgingto outlineareas of your yard usingsalvaged or recycled brick.
11. Go for a more natural look by using stone to edge your plants.
12. Or,edge flower bedswith river rock. How easy is that?
13. If you want to keep your yard tame but still want contrast, consider a ground cover plant.Add a few of these low-growing ground cover plantsto add variation and color.
14.Display flowers incontainersalong steps, walkways, or on ledges. This is a great way to add visual interest if you have a lot of brick or asphalt in your front yard.
15. You don’t need a professional for pavers and pathways – learn how to make a stepping stone paver walkwaythat leads right to your door from Better Homes & Gardens.
16. Using rope lighting tocreate illuminated bordersto your front yard for a bright footpath at night is an inexpensive and easy DIY landscaping project. The rope lights make it easy to light paths with curves and other twists and turns!
17. Have a steep front yard? Trycreatingcliffswith stone and nativeflowers to eliminate the need to mow.
Backyard Ideas
When it comes to DIY backyard projects, the possibilities are endless for creating a personalized and inviting outdoor space. Whatever DIY backyard project you choose, it’s a great way to unleash your creativity and enhance your outdoor living space to suit your unique preferences and needs.
18. Ugly or boring fences no more!Createlayersof plants and bushesto frame out the edges of your backyard.
19. Forget about straight lines! This weathering steel edging from Henderson Garden Supply has so many uses.Great for flowing lines, raised curved feature gardens, terracing a gentle slope and created curved step faces. Bonus – no sharp edges!
20. Create a raised garden bed to grow your own veggies(or buy an inexpensive one). It will add visual appeal, and you’ll be able to reap the benefits of your labor.
21. Give your back yard some interest and purpose by building raised garden beds and using low maintenance gravel around the beds.
22. Or go for a full-blown pergola!A bigger back yard project, but much more affordable if you do it yourself.
23. Outdoor string lighting: Hang some outdoor bistro lights on theseeasy-to-build light standsto illuminate your yard and add a little ambiance to your next backyard gathering.
24. The secret garden: Get ready forbackyard inspiration straight out of childhood. Why notcreate a secret gardenin your back yard? We love this tutorial from Anita that takes a very small outdoor space and transforms with some careful planning, layered greenery and a variety of textures.
25. Create a flower-filled path like this example from The Creativity Exchange, bursting with purples and greens.
DIY Fire Pits You Can Create
26. First time fire pit builder? Here’s how tomake this one in four easy steps.
27. Follow this tutorial for a more modernfire pit.
28. If you have an old washing machine lying around, you cancreate this one-of-a-kindupcycledfire pit.
29. Would you have guessed that this fire pit was initially made out of cinder blocks? Learn how to skim-coat to create this clean look.
30. If you’re handy with a welding torch, you can make aminimalfire placefrom metal.
31. Maybe you don’t want a whole fire pit, but a little glow would be a nice touch to your back yard. Here’s how tocreate a mini glass fire feature.
32. No back yard to build a fire pit? No problem. You can stilltoast marshmallows in a terra cotta pot.
Water Features to Add Appeal Outdoors
33. Water features don’t have to be complicated, or even powered. They can be as simple as a bird bath.Build your own, or purchasean inexpensive one. Give youryard somethingof interest, and beautiful song birds, too.
34. Create visual appeal in your yard by building your ownurn water featurefrom a ceramic vase.
35. Stack ’em up!With a little extra effort, you can transform the previous project on this DIY landscaping ideas list into a multi-level water feature.
36. Knock their socks off with this cute, bamboo framed stock tank swimming pool from Cuckoo4 Design! Perfectly nested into the corner of the yard.
37. Thisis one of those DIY landscaping ideas that is going to require the help of a friend, but if you’re into drama, consider building astone pond fountain.
38. Don’t youlove this low-to-the-ground look ofthis stone fountain?
39. Big impact at a little cost! Check out this tutorial for making a waterfall wall for under $300.
40. For the ultimate “wow factor,” accent your outdoor space with anoutdoor waterfall.
Hedges, Fences, and Other Privacy Features
41. Add privacy by planting some shrubberyyourself. It’s as easy as digging a trench, dropping the plants in, teasing out the roots, and watering.
42. Nothing beats the backyard privacy of your own fence. Before you begin the building process, you’ll need to be sure of a few things:Verifyyour property line,checkwith your city or township about the limitations and height-restrictions of your fence, have someone from the city come and check for gas lines,and have a neighborly chat with anyone you’ll be sharing the fenceline with.
43. Need just a bit of privacy? Build thisfloating garden wall. It comes complete with shelving for plants.
44. For natural privacy, build a trellis wall out of copper pipeto create a green barrier over time.
45. Create a visual divide andbuild a mod trellis.
46. Transform your privacy wallusing shou sugi–theprocess of burning wood, making it water-resistant. Side effect, the shousugi treatmenttransforms woodto a beautiful, rich black color.
47. Create an impliedwall to divide your yard usingsmall trees or shrubs.
48. Need lots and lotsof privacy? There are cheap trees you can buy that over time will block out the neighbors, likethe inexpensive Leyland Cypress.
How to Create Shade in Your Yard
49. No shade? Create an outdoor hangout space by getting anaffordablefabric gazebo.
50. Or sewcurtains to hang from your pergolato block a little light when needed.
51. Add a sun sail for immediate shade (bonus if you hang it over your owntrampoline lounge!).
52. Grow shade by planting rhododendron in your yard. They’re a denseevergreen with broad leaves, and the flowering in the springtime is lovely.
53. Grow Chinese Wisteria on an existing structure or trellis to block light (be mindful – this plant is known as an invasive plant in some areas).
Creating Visual Interest Around Trees
54.Add mulchto cover the most shaded parts of your lawn.
55. Anothergenius (and affordable) of the DIY landscapingideas:Add groundcover plants to hide gnarly roots.
56. Or, opt togrow some mossinstead.
57. Usestone to edge the area around the base of your trees.
58. Or build araised flower bedat the base of the tree (be careful not to add too much dirt around the base of the tree, as you could hurt or kill it).
59. For an extra seating area, create a one-of-a-kindtree bench.
Want more DIY landscapingideas? Here are13 more tips for landscaping on a budget.
More Outdoor Ideas from Curbly
- Weekend Project: Make These Large-Scale Modern Concrete Planters
- 62 DIY Projects To Transform Your Backyard
- DIY Upholstered Outdoor Dog Bed
- 20 Outdoor Fire Pit Ideas to Transform Your Backyard
