Sometimes people are mistaken in that they have to hire an expensive landscape designer to come in and give their backyard a makeover. I just sit down with a stack of magazines or troll the internet, especially Pinterest looking for inspiration. This is exactly what I did for the most recent makeover I gave my backyard and here’s how I did it:


Add Pavers


First, you have to know how much backyard space you are working with. Know your backyard dimensions so you can keep the proportions just right. Then look for a paving pattern that you like and go to your home depot to have a look at the kind of pavers that are at your disposal. Calculate how many pavers you will need and what it will cost you to have them laid down if you can’t do it yourself.


Make use of White Marbles


White marble stones and beach stones used in an alternative flowing manner will give a charming illusion in your backyard. White marble complements pavers extremely well and is fantastic because it’s such a low maintenance material. Beach stones can be used to line the edges of your backyard and interspaced with solar pathway lamps will make your outdoors really welcoming.


Add a Pond


My children convinced me to add a pond. To be honest I wasn’t too keen on having a pond but after doing a bit of research I realized that I could use an old tractor tire to create my water feature. There are a ton of how-to manuals online on creating a pond feature using an old tractor tire so I will leave you to find those in your space-time. All you need to complement the pond will be a pump to keep the water oxygenated (this will be especially useful if your kids decide to add fish to the pond!) and some lighting around the area. 


Add Curtains to Your Patio


My patio is relatively normal looking. I have a few deck chairs on it and a coffee table. The one thing that I have always found difficult about my patio is the amount of light that falls onto the patio. I bought a piping rod which I spray painted black (to complement the window frames of my living room windows) and attached it just above my patio entrance. I then hung some curtains high up (so that when it rains they don’t get muddied). These curtains are held back with tie-backs that I made using scraps of colorful material. The patio already looks different thanks to the simple addition of these curtains. I also realized in the process that the curtains went a long way in softening the edges of the square-looking patio.


Conclusion


Giving your backyard a makeover doesn’t have to cost you an arm and leg. I hope these ideas have been helpful. 

Many folks will look at landscaping in terms of their main patio in the front garden or the larger areas of their outdoor area. However, the backyard is something that one can look into as well, as it will make a huge difference to any home. You can make this into a certain theme, such as a place where you will meditate or a vegetable garden. However, this can also be a place where you can entertain. 


Folks may question this, saying their backyard is too small. However, this can be lovely area for a small group of friends or family because it is so intimate and it is a great way in bringing everyone together. 


People often say that entertaining outdoors is not ideal, especially when living in harsh climatic conditions. However, there are so many products on the market these days. Solar lights and lanterns are affordable. There are portable heaters which are very powerful. These systems also add to the cozy environment. A fire pit is probably the ultimate for the those cold winter months, and it is perfect for the kids. They will enjoy toasting their smores around the fires, while adults will enjoy having a glass of wine together. 


You have to decide whether you want this to be more of a relaxing area where you can do the cooking inside or whether you want to have a small barbecue outside. Barbecues often turn into more of a party atmosphere. It can add to more conversation, but it can also separate the genders. However, it is great for the summer time. 


There are great features that you can think of to bring everything together and to draw the eye in. There are also certain materials to use which will develop into a particular theme. For example, you may want something more casual and rustic. Using wooden benches, stepping stones and fairy lights will help with a theme like this. 


For the more sophisticated look, one may turn to something formal in the way you place certain objects. For example, you may place gravel, along with well designed stepping stones. You may be looking at stainless steel garden furniture, for example. There are also cushions which come in various fabrics and colors and this will add to the formality. 


The lighting should be soft. You should be able to see what you are doing. You should be able to see what you are eating. However, when the lights are too bright, it will take away some of the atmosphere that you have created. Fairy lights as well as the flames from a fire pit give off a lot of light. There are also a lot of beautiful lighting features that are available. However, you need to test this out. 

The same time attention you give to the interior part of your home decorating and beautifying it, should also be given to the backyard of the house. Most homeowners spend more time, money, and energy beautifying the interior of their homes and give little or no attention to their backyard. The fact that it is the backyard doesn't mean that it can't be beautified. If you create an interesting outdoor experience, spending more time at home would be enjoyable. There are so many ways to transform your boring backyard into a fantastic part of the house. Below are some ideas that would help you modify your backyard into an interesting space. 


Create an outdoor sit-out area.


You can do this by installing a deck or patio, an overhead cover, and some furniture. The overhead cover may not be a permanent structure, it can be temporary so that you can remove it when the need arises. Your choice of furniture may be an arm chair or hammocks. Ensure that the style of furniture is comfortable and waterproof.


Create an outdoor kitchen in your backyard


If your family enjoys sitting out, then get an outdoor kitchen installed in your backyard. You would enjoy this during the summer and holiday seasons like Halloween and Thanksgiving. You can also add a bar. Friends and family would surely come visiting during the holidays. An outdoor kitchen would not be complete without having a barbecue built.


Add some water feature to your backyard


If you want to create a luxury backyard, then why don’t you install a swimming pool. After having a good meal, you can cool off at your swimming pool. It would add color and ambiance to the whole experience. However, the type of water feature you choose would depend on your budget and the size of your backyard. You can opt for a small stream or pond if your backyard is small. You can also have a water fountain installed.


Add some lighting features


Lighting is crucial to make your backyard beautiful. You can use either an electric or a solar lighting system. The lighting features should correspond with your outdoor design. It gives the backyard a tantalizing feel at night. 


Add some enclosure 


Depending on the location of your home backyard, you can also build a fence to add some privacy. Everyone needs some privacy at some point. You can use lattice, pergolas, and landscaping to create an outdoor space.






Finally, transforming your backyard may cost some money, but you can start by installing one of these features gradually and before you know it, you would have transformed your backyard into a beautiful edifice. Birthday parties and other remarkable events can be held in your backyard when you have added this features. 

Homes with beautiful backyards do not only present an attractive feeling but also appeal to our senses. When next you visit a friend's backyard, be observant and tune into those things you love the most. These include a variety of texture, sounds from insects and birds attracted to plants, flavors, fragrance, and an immense diversity of design and color combinations. 


Whether these features are used in garden, building, graphics, art or interior design, they will surely be applying some design principles and elements that apply to the enhancement and beautification of your backyard. If you are looking to make a huge difference to the enjoyment of your backyard space, here are some simple concepts that can be applied. 


DIY Outdoor Seating


If you are a kind of person who would not trade a day soaking in the sun for anything in the world – you just love the great outdoors – then a comfortable DIY outdoor seating will do you a great good. Carry your family and friends along by making some crafty, homemade seats and make the best of your outdoor seating space. You are sure to achieve exciting great results with this project with would not last more than a couple of hours. 


Make a Gnome Home


Sticking to the traditional garden gnomes is a great way to keep your backyard decoration classy. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the gnomes will need a house to live in just as you’d always do. Create something that will always shield your garden gnomes from the rain, sun, and bad weather by building an adorable house for your little “friends.” Note that you are not restricted to any rule. Just let your inspirations simmer while you get down to work. 


Site Some Raised Bed Gardens


Unlike caring for a classic garden, a raised bed garden tends to be more time-consuming and even challenging. However, you stand to achieve pleasant results and satisfying rewards for all the efforts you put in. As part of the advantages of creating a raised bed garden, you do not have to worry about insects and snails or weeds and pests that tend to destroy your plants. Try as much as possible to create something that is truly artistic so as to enhance your backyard’s beauty. 


Create Some Toadstools


As a great addition to any garden, these lovely and sought-after mushroom-shaped stools can colorfully bring out the beauty of your backyard space. Toadstools may appear to be made for hobbits due to their small nature, but it is amazing to see how these petite commodities can practically serve as but decorations and convenient base designed for seating. Use these ideas to make your kids feel the new fun and beauty of your backyard space. 

Living in an area that is very arid and dry is a challenge especially for someone like me who enjoys nature and being outdoors. So imagine looking at your backyard month in and month out and seeing nothing but hot, dry and dusty sand. Finally, after months of trying to convince my husband to let me redo our backyard, he finally relented and gave me a budget to work with. Needless to say, I was more than happy and already a lot of low-cost ideas I knew would spruce up our backyard in no time!


Artificial Grass


Firstly I had to get some artificial grass. Any form of greenery was welcome and while our backyard wasn’t large, at 150sq.m. I knew I could do a lot with it. So I had the artificial grass fitted in and seamed in. The contractors did such a wonderful job that you would never know that the grass was stapled on! Where I live, there isn’t a lot of water available this is why I opted for artificial grass, otherwise if I could grow my own lawn I certainly would have.


Built-in Floating Deck


This floating deck is everything and more of what I have ever imagined an outdoor dining area to be. Firstly, I love Mexican inspired outdoor areas so I opted for chutney brown wood and complementary furniture. The deck is solid and will be able to weather the harsh elements. We also added an umbrella to shield from the hot sun when we do decide to have outdoor lunches. The furniture is cushioned which makes it super comfortable to sit on and ideal for relaxing after a good hearty meal. 


Fire Pit


Cold nights are the perfect time to sit around the fit pit that I was able to add. Unlike other fire pits which are constructed with brick and mortar, ours was a replica of a brick and mortar that we were able to purchase from our local home depot at a giveaway price. Furthermore, our fire pit doesn’t rely on the use of firewood. We opted to include a propane tank to fuel the fire. While I’m not big on propane, I think it’s better than burning wood. I’m big on going green.


Around the fire pit, I was able to have a custom-built seating area constructed as the fire pit is in a corner. The benches which were constructed are great because they have the house walls as supports. To make the hard benches softer all I added were scatter pillows to complete the over-all look.


Conclusion


In a nutshell, everything that I was able to add to the backyard will need little to no maintenance at all. I hope these low-cost backyard ideas have given you some ideas for your own backyard.