Add Steel Pipe Garden Edging

This is one of the most unique and least expensive ways to pretty up your flower gardens. It gives you a lot of added planting space as well. You just take old steel pipes and insert them into the ground around your flower bed. Then just fill the inside of the pipe with potting soil and use that to plant smaller flowers or succulents. You can actually paint the pipes first with spray paint if you aren’t a fan of the old, rusty look but either way, this is a beautiful way to frame your garden and add some extra space as well.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Welchwrite

Fill Flower Beds with Pinecones

Pinecones are probably among the least of all mulch type products because you can normally find them on the ground just about anywhere. Not only do they help to add a bit of beauty when you add them to flower beds, they will also keep dogs and cats from digging in your beds. You just gather up as many as you need and then fill in the ground around your flowers with them. Dogs and cats will stay far away from your flower beds and you’ll have a great decorate element to make those flowers really stand out.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Davisheritage

Create Glowing Outdoor Orbs

You can find opaque glass shades at most flea markets and thrift stores for a couple of dollars each. Take a string of Christmas lights and you can turn those shades into amazing glowing orbs that will help to light up your outdoors. This is one of the least expensive lighting DIYs out there and one that is absolutely beautiful when it’s finished. You can probably find Christmas lights pretty cheap at yard sales and such if you don’t already have a few strands on hand so these will cost less than $5 to make.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Theartofdoingstuff

Paint the Patio

It will cost very little and take very little time to add a bit of color to your patio. If you have a tile patio, you can simply paint a few of the tiles in bright colors, which will instantly add an interesting element. Choose colors that will match your home’s exterior or your patio furniture. This is a great way to bring a bit of the tropics into your backyard for summer and since it’s cheap and easy, it’s one of our favorite backyard DIYs.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Abeautifulmess

Build Your Own Backyard Smoker

Not only will this terra cotta smoker look attractive in the backyard, it will be a wonderful way to cook during the summer months. You can build the smoker completely from scratch with just a couple of terra cotta pots and an old single burner hot plate. You’ll also need a skillet and a few other supplies but overall, this is a really inexpensive smoker and it works great. It’s also really attractive since the outside is made from terra cotta pots so it’s perfect for the back deck or yard.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Instructables

ill Walkway Cracks with Glow in the Dark Pebbles

A few pebbles (which you can get at your local home improvement store) and some glow in the dark paint will help you to fill in cracks between your stepping stones and give you great outdoor lighting at the same time. Instead of filling in those cracks with mulch or worse, letting weeds grow up through them, just paint some pebbles with glow in the dark paint. The sunlight during the day will fuel the pebbles and they’ll glow for several hours at night. You can find glow in the dark paint in all sorts of colors so you have many choices for décor.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Bookofjoe

Create Magical Fires

Pinecones, when treated properly, can be thrown into the fire pit to create amazing bursts of color from your flames. If you have a fire pit, this is an excellent way to add excitement for those nights when you are outdoors relaxing. Please note that chemically treated pinecones should only be burned when there is plenty of ventilation. The cool thing about this project is that different things make different colors so you can choose the colors that you want or just treat several and surprise yourself with your colored flames.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Yahoo

Build a Backyard Fire Pit

You can build your own beautiful fire pit and have wonderfully relaxing evenings during the summer just sitting around roasting marshmallows. Fire pits are really not difficult or expensive, if you know what you are doing. This particular pit is made from brick but you could use any number of stones if you wanted. You can also place patio furniture near the fire pit or just have blankets and pillows on hand for those evenings when you want to really relax under the stars.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Instructables

Make Your Own Hanging Lights

A terra cotta pot, some old baskets or many other items you may have around the house can be used to create stunning outdoor lighting that hangs on the side of the house. If your backyard is a bit drab and dark at night, these lights will really help to spruce it up a bit. The best part is that they are really easy to make and very inexpensive. In fact, everything you need to make them can be bought at your local Dollar Store. You can choose the style that you like best and then just create hanging lights that will instantly brighten up the backyard.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Theartofdoingstuff

Add a Water Blob

No, that’s not a type – you can add a wonderful water blob to your backyard and give your kids hours of fun this summer. A water blog gives the kids somewhere to jump and play without worries of actually being in the water and trust us when we say that they will love this. You can make the blob from painters plastic and if you take an iron to the edges before you add the water, it won’t leak. Just make it the size that you want, fill with water and then let the fun begin.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Homemadetoast

Create Glow in the Dark Planters

Imagine having your favorite flowers lit up after dark. These glow in the dark planters are gorgeous and really easy to make. Do you want to know how simple they are to make? You literally just need planters and glow in the dark spray paint. You can finish a single planter in about half an hour so even if you have several areas in the yard that you want to light up, you can do it all in one day. Use planters that you already have on hand and the project will only cost a few dollars for the can of paint.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Stagetecture

Use Mirrors to Enhance Backyard Gardens

If you have a garden in the backyard, you can use mirrors to make that garden seem larger. Alternatively, if you don’t have a garden, mirrors will make the garden in the front yard stretch to the back yard. You can fashion mirrors from old windows which you can pick up at yard sales or flea markets for a couple of dollars each. Then just clean and paint them if you want and add the mirror sections. These are great for adding greenery where you may not have room to actually plant.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Thebrambleberrycottage

Make a DIY Splash Pad for the Kids

There is no better way to cool off in the summer than with a DIY splash pad. Not only does it provide great cooling water for the kids, it’s easy and very inexpensive to create. Instead of spending a small fortune buying a splash pad, just make one yourself. You actually just need a large tarp and a sprinkler. Make sure that the tarp is not ripped or torn and if you have a kids’ sprinkler, that may work better than one for the lawn. Kids will have a blast playing in the water and you could add an additional tarp for a DIY slip and slide.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – 1littledudeand3littleladies

Make Your Own Passing Game

Whether you have a little football or softball player in your midst, this passing game is a great backyard addition. Not only will it help them with their throwing and tossing, it gets them outside for some fresh air. You need a water resistant tarp with grommets, rope, colored duct tape, permanent marker and a ruler to create the game. You can choose to make it a passing game for football or if you prefer softball, make the holes a bit smaller if you want. The kids are sure to enjoy passing and this is a great game for outdoor parties.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Spoonful

Build a Backyard Bar

Even if you don’t tend to enjoy a cocktail every now and then, a backyard bar can be a great addition to any home. If you aren’t a fan of cocktails, you can just use it to serve lemonade or sodas. This one is great because you can close it up when you are not using it and it doesn’t take up any room at all. It affixes to the side of the house, which saves even more room. Imagine having a bar ready for those summer get-togethers. This one will really help you to enjoy the backyard.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Turtlesandtails

Make Your Own Floating Cooler

If you have a pool, a floating cooler is an absolute must for summer. Granted, you could always buy one but you can make one just as easily and a lot cheaper than purchasing. You need pool noodles to make the cooler float and they are really inexpensive. You can actually make this entire cooler for less than $10 (compared to more than $25 to buy one) and it will allow your drinks to float alongside you in the pool so there is no worry of having to get out of that nice cool water in order to quench your thirst.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Instructables

Build Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds are perfect for backyards, particularly those that don’t really have a lot of planting space. The raised beds can be placed just about anywhere and you can make them in a number of different designs. If you are planning to have a vegetable garden but you want to do something that will decorate the back yard a bit at the same time, raised beds are the perfect solution for both problems. You just need lumber to build the bases and you can do them in any size that you need. If you were interested in getting some more ideas about how to tackle this, check out georgia lawn providers. I hear they provide some great advice.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Sunset

Source:diycrafts