Outdoor Upgrades: Totally Clever & Cool Backyard Hacks To Tackle This Summer

updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: VT Wonen)

If you’re looking for clever ways to update your backyard or patio, without dipping into your ice cream budget, these projects are right in line with your priorities. They add seating, storage and decor for very little cash.

Above, VT Wonen combined buckets and wood to make cheap and plentiful seating for outside.

(Image credit: Drawn to DIY)

Add some spray paint and felt to some grapevine string lights for a welcome addition to your outdoor wall. From Drawn to DIY.

(Image credit: DIY Network)

Jennifer Perkins shows the DIY Network how she changed her outdoor furniture’s upholstery using ordinary beach towels in a fun print.

(Image credit: Anna Maria Larsson)

Anna Maria Larsson added some hairpin legs to an store-bought granite stepping stone for a water-resistant outdoor table.

(Image credit: Pillar Box Blue)

This huge garden bench was transformed by Pillar Box Blue with nothing more than paper napkins and Mod Podge.

(Image credit: Sugar & Cloth)

Add trim to a patio umbrellas to get a retro feel in your backyard. They can be moved around as the sun moves across the sky. Project by Sugar & Cloth.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

IKEA to the rescue! Oleander and Palm flipped some metal cabinets on their sides and topped them with some tile. Now she has a freestanding bar stand with bonus storage underneath.

(Image credit: Mosaic Gardens)

Galvanized tanks make a great starting point for an outdoor pond, without needing to dig deep in the yard. This one was created by Mosaic Gardens in Oregon.

(Image credit: 4men1lady)

Michelle of 4Men 1Lady created an elevated planter from colorful tomato cages found at Home Depot.