11 Small Backyard Ideas on a Budget - Moving.com (2024)

Having a small backyard doesn’t mean that you can’t go big when it comes to how you design and utilize the space. The same goes for having a small budget. There are plenty of creative things you can do that don’t require tons of room or tons of cash, and any of them could be the ticket to turning a small outdoor area into somewhere that you truly love to be. To prove it, we’re sharing some of our favorite budget-friendly small backyard ideas, with lots of helpful tips for turning limited outdoor space into a verifiable oasis.

If you’re short on space but big on design, check out these small backyard ideas and get to work creating your own private paradise.

The best small backyard ideas (on a budget!)

Ready to get inspired? Here are 11 ideas for designing a small backyard that offers big benefits in terms of beautification, all without the need to spend lots of money in the process.

1. Get to planting
   

   One of the easiest (and most affordable) ways to update any outdoor space is to give your landscape a makeover. Depending on the amount of available space and light you have—plus your gardening skills—this could mean anything from putting in a flower garden to setting out some DIY planters. And if you want even more utility out of your backyard, opt to plant veggies and herbs instead of just flowers and greenery.

2. Build a DIY fire pit
   

   Design the perfect set up for summer s’mores with a DIY fire pit (the Family Handyman has a great tutorial on how to do it). For the cost of some basic supplies and a weekend’s worth of labor, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars and give yourself a wonderful spot to relax throughout multiple seasons. Just be sure to accommodate room for seating when you’re sizing out your fire pit, since you want to be able to sit back and enjoy all that hard work.

3. Put in a simple patio
   

   Patios aren’t cheap, but there are some shortcuts that you can take to cut down costs. For example, instead of laying concrete over an entire designated area, purchase paver stones and space them out with pebbles or grass in between. You’ll still end up with a lovely area for sitting, dining, and entertaining, but with a lot fewer materials needed for the job.

4. Lay out an outdoor rug
   

   Another more cost-effective alternative to a patio in your small backyard is to simply section of some space with an outdoor, all-weather rug. Put it right on the grass to create an area for outdoor hangouts, then jazz it up with a small table and bistro chairs, plants, and some strategic lighting.

5. Make it kid-friendly
   

   If you have little ones running around, then you’re probably looking for small backyard ideas that make the space more fun for them to play in. Encourage outdoor playtime by putting in a small slide, a DIY sandbox, a goalie net, or a water table, all of which require very minimal space but offer hours of fun in return. Same goes for other small-space outdoor toys, including kiddie pools, tire swings, and compact trampolines.

   See Also

   30 Cheap & Easy DIY Backyard Ideas on a Budget

6. Build a butterfly and bee haven
   

   We mentioned general planting already, but what about designing a space that’s uniquely intended to support your local habitat? Both butterflies and bees thrive in areas with certain types of plant-life, and you can foster a community of these flying creatures by selecting affordable perennial plants that cater to their needs—including bee balm, echinacea, lavender, daylilies, and aster. All of these plants are super easy to grow, and because they’re perennials, you’ll only have to plant them once.

7. Plant vertically
   

   Another cheap and creative planting idea: go for a vertical garden instead of taking up precious horizontal square feet. A fence, ladder, or trellis will all suffice for this project, providing a perfect platform for you to affix planters—just get plastic ones and drill them right onto the surface before filling them up with soil and plants.

8. Shop secondhand outdoor furniture
   

   When it comes to backyards on a budget, secondhand is usually the way to go. Thrift and antique stores are excellent places to look for special finds that won’t break the bank, and even weathered pieces are usually quite easy to refinish or restore with some rust removal, a fresh coat of paint, and some new cushions. Measure your space before you shop to make sure you pick out pieces of the right size, and look for furniture that offers the most utility—such as an outdoor couch and table or a few comfortable chairs.

9. Hang a hammock
   

   A small backyard can serve as an ideal spot for reading, napping, and listening to the birds sing; all it needs is a cozy hammock. If you don’t have a couple of large and well-spaced trees to hang your hammock from, purchase a simple freestanding one. They come in a huge range of sizes so that you should have no trouble finding one that works in your backyard, and if you shop around you should also be able to score one for a great deal.

10. Turn on the lights
    

    Lighting up your space can make all of the difference between a basic backyard and a true outdoor haven. If you have an outlet, go with string lights or hanging pendants for some romantic ambiance. There are plenty of solar powered options too if your backyard doesn’t have access to electricity, including solar path lighting and tiki torches. When you want to enjoy the space, set out some comfy pillows, bring out a cooler and/or a picnic basket, and then sit back and take in the good vibes.

11. Build an outdoor pallet bar
    

    For an added touch that works great with many of these other small backyard ideas, check out this DIY outdoor pallet bar tutorial from HGTV. The bar is big enough to hold both beverages and glasses and hangs vertically to take up as little space as possible.

Quick tips on maximizing a tiny backyard

As these small backyard ideas illustrate, your backyard doesn’t have to be huge in order to be a great place to hang out and entertain. And as you figure out what you want to do with it, here are a few quick tips that will help ensure you make the most productive use of your available space.

• • Know what you’re working with. Measure the square footage of your space before you start planning out what you’re going to do with it. In addition to giving you an accurate idea of how much space you have to work with, this can also help you portion off areas for different purposes, such as a garden and a seating area. Also key to planning is to set your budget in advance so that you can be sure to stick to it.
  • Create designated spaces. One way to bring purposeful design to any indoor or outdoor area is to use visual markers to separate out different spaces. Some great example of this are the patio or outdoor rug ideas mentioned above, but you can also use stone edging, plants, or lighting as helpful cues.
  • Leave some of the space empty. It might be tempting to take advantage of every single available square inch in a tiny outdoor space, but if you do that you’ll just end up with an area that’s more cluttered than usable. As you design, make sure to keep the flow of your space in consideration, including room for walking around.
  • Bring in color. Any area of your home can benefit from the creative use of color, and that includes your backyard. Make a small space both more inviting and more interesting by adding in unexpected pops of bright hues, which you can easily achieve through plants, furniture, and other pieces of décor.
  • Look up inspiration. Any time you’re working with a limited or otherwise tricky-to-design space, one of the very best places to start is with outside inspiration. Look up small backyard ideas on Pinterest and Instagram and check out some of your favorite design sites and magazines to see what other people have done and what you might want to incorporate into your own space.

Even a small backyard has endless possibilities for what you can do. And whether you stick to a tight budget or go all out, you can turn any outdoor area into a personal paradise that meets your needs and adds more useful living space onto your home.