Every year, I promise myself that this will be the year I finally upgrade my backyard into a summer oasis. Then spring comes around and I either get too busy to work on it or realize that I don’t have enough money for even a fraction of the ideas floating around in my head. This year, rather than focusing on the stuff I can’t afford to buy, I’m looking at ways to work with the things I already have to get my dream backyard. Check out a few budget-friendly ways to make everything old look new again!
Budget-Friendly Backyard Summer Oasis Tips
Thank you to our friends at Church & Dwight for helping us come up with these ideas!
1. Make old, new again.
There’s nothing worse than removing your patio furniture cushions from storage and realizing they’re all stained. Before you think about tossing them, give them a clean. Mix OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover with water and let the cushion covers soak for 1 to 6 hours, depending on the severity of the stain. Wash as normal and your cushions should come out stain-free and looking brand new!
2. Win the weeding war.
Did you know that watering your weeds makes it easier to pull them out? If it hasn’t rained in a few days, water your weeds before yanking them. Fun fact: If the soil is moist, you are also less likely to disturb any plants nearby.
3. Save with a little scrubbing.
There’s a simple solution for removing dirt, grime and stains from patio furniture and even your deck. Mix OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover with water (following the instructions on the package) and apply the solution to almost anywhere. Let stand for a few minutes and scrub as needed. It will leave everything looking neat and clean again.
4. Wheel your way to wonderful.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juditk/3492948209/
Re-arranging rather than replacing is also a good way to give new life to your backyard. Consider moving planters and patio furniture to different spots within your space to give it a wonderful new look and feel. Remember, you’re not alone when moving heavy items like lounge chairs… there are wheels to help! Wheeling your furniture around doesn’t eliminate all the hard work but will put less strain on your back.
5. Get creative!
Think outside the planter box and look through your garage or storage for castoff items that can be upcycled into decor. For example, we have a patio table without a top. The glass broke during a massive winter storm, and it would cost more to replace the glass than to buy a whole new table! I love the wrought-iron look of the base, though. So instead of dropping a fortune on a new set, I plan to make my own table top from inexpensive wood. Then I can paint it any color I want! I’m thinking black, gray and white stripes. A few new cushions for the chairs and I’ll have a whole outdoor dining set for under $50!
Be prepared that after a weekend of weeding and wheeling, your back, arms, legs – yes, your whole body – may be aching with pain. Make sure you leave yourself enough time on Sunday evening for a warm bath and a few hours curled up with a good book or movie. Before going to bed, rub and soothe your sore muscles (all of them!) with Rub A535 Extra Strength Heating Cream. The best things about this product are that it works fast and is non-greasy so you can put it on right before going to bed and it won’t stain your sheets.
Our backyard is all set and ready to go for Summer. =) I love these ideas!
Great ideas. I love affordable designs! Repurposing old stuff is a great way to save money!
It doesn’t take much! It can be a ton of fun figuring things out as well!
Great ideas on here and loving the creativity. Really should try to do something like this but I am always work, work, work. Sigh…gotta love the British lifestyle 🙁
what a delightful idea for best out of waste, yes, we all struggle for some creativity when we’re bored. That’s amazing how you did it. Kudos to the amazing tricks.
This is something that I should really try. I know that renovating our backyard should not be expensive.
So many great ideas! I love the idea for removing stains from the patio cushions!
These are such great ideas. We are starting a garden to spruce up our backyard. I so need to incorporate some of these ideas.
These are great tips for sprucing up the yard. After winter, my yard needs to TLC to clean it up & beautify it.
These are some awesome ideas, I really want to try and get our garden looking a bit better this summer, I’ll have to think on how I can incorporate this ideas into that.
I wish I had a yard or garden that I could turn into an oasis alas I live in the top floor of an apartment building
My yard needs TONS of help. I’m slowly working on making it look better. But it seems to be the hangout for my daughter and her friends, so it’s tough.
There is always so much work in the late spring early summer getting everything ready outside. So totally worth all the work as we are enjoying our outside space with family and friends.
These are great tips! My yard needs to much work – i need to fertilize badly but am researching organic options. Your yard looks great!
We spent our weekend weeding our mulch bed. It was a big job, but I am happy it’s finally done.
Weeds are so much easier to remove when the ground is wet. These are all great ways to get the backyard looking great for summer. I need to finish weeding my flower beds and add new mulch.