8 of the best backyard ideas if you're looking for an easy (and cheap) makeover.

Maybe it's because I'm in my 30s, but to me there is nothing more exciting — and perhaps a little daunting — than a home or backyard DIY project. 

Something as simple as a new awning, extra greenery or fresh tiles can turn an old or unused outdoor space into a dream. 

After looking at the concrete, barren wasteland that is my backyard for the thousandth time recently I decided it's time for a (budget) upgrade. It’s my DIY time to shine.

With the cost of living the way it's going, and a library of tried-and-true DIY tips online these days, I refuse to fork out thousands and get someone else to do the work. Instead, I've pulled together some of my favourite ideas found online as options to complete myself.

But, I’m no gatekeeper, so here are some of the best ideas I found so you too can do up your backyard yourself before summer arrives.

Outdoor blinds on a budget.

I’m sorry but is there anything more fancy than having an indoor-outdoor space?

While having a balcony with overhead cover is great, I’ve always been so jealous of people who have an outdoor space that blends into the home and can be used anytime — it really lifts the entire function of the home.

But how does one make a deck or balcony in your backyard a comfortable, modern space that can be used all the time without forking out half a fortune? 

I have found the answer. Outdoor blinds. That’s right. Outdoor. Blinds.

I found multiple creators online who have added them to their patio and deck areas and wow, does it look luxurious with a budget price tag. It also makes a once relatively unused outdoor space (like my sad, lonely balcony) into one that can be used all the time.

I mean, just look at these spaces below. I need it now. 

Image: TikTok/@tayler.graham/@islandgal_5homedecor

I’ll admit, considering how fancy it looks, I was getting nervous about the cost. But, I've done the hard work for us and found an affordable option, Half Price Blinds, that sell outdoor blind alternatives like Windmaster blinds and Automatic awnings at a fraction of the cost, which are made for those of us doing some glow-up projects around our homes.

• Windmaster blinds are a style of outdoor roller blinds designed to withstand strong winds. These alfresco blinds give you year-round shade and can also keep insects out of your outdoor area (yes, please).

• Automatic awnings are a type of retractable blind which are also perfect for outdoor areas. They can extend out to three metres over patio areas or pools, and give shelter from sun and rain.

Basically these blinds are weatherproof and keep the space cool in our blazing summer, but what attracted me to them the most was the fact that you order them custom-made for your space, then install them yourself. They give you the DIY instructions and have a team who can talk you through it over the phone (which I know I’ll desperately need). Plus, hello 2-year warranty.

Imperfect pavers with the 'crazy pave' technique.

In my opinion, paving is one of the scarier DIY tasks to face. Lining up each paver or tile perfectly so it looks like it was done properly seems like an impossible task. 

Yet new pavers makes the biggest aesthetic difference. So, when I found this easy technique on TikTok, which the creator labelled the "crazy pave", I was sold immediately.

It’s apparently a take on the traditional European method of paving, using porcelain tiles instead of stone. You can get porcelain tiles from most hardware or tile stores, or you can even try looking on Facebook Marketplace for spare ones left over from someone else's project.

To do this method, you break up each tile into pieces by putting a towel over it and smashing them up with a hammer, trying to break it up into larger pieces. 

Image: TikTok/@geebungalow

You coat the area you want to pave with a tile adhesive, before placing the bits of broken up tile in a mosaic-style pattern, leaving gaps in between. The beauty here is that it's meant to be imperfect so there’s no rule to it, just do what you think looks good.

Once it dries overnight, it’s time to grout. Use a wide joint grout all over the tiles, and you're left with a stunning paved area.

Climbing greenery to cover your fencing.

So you have an ugly fence you want to hide? Or, maybe you want more greenery in your backyard. This DIY creator recommends using Star Jasmine and wire to create the perfect fence cover. 

Star jasmine grows quickly, is pretty low maintenance and smells incredible (if you know, you know).

Just plant it along the fence, making sure to add bamboo sticks or similar to give it support, then add your wire in a criss-cross formation.

The creator in the video made her own criss-cross wire pattern, but there are also plenty of other wire trellis options you can buy as is or you can YouTube 'how to' videos online for those wanting to also make it from scratch too.

Fairy light poles for light and height.

What do you get when you combine four plant pots, four wardrobe poles, concrete and a string of outdoor lights? 

A magical outdoor oasis.

This creator puts the long, black poles, meant for wardrobes, into four individual plant pots. She then fills them halfway with concrete powder, uses tape at the top to hold the poles straight, then adds water to the concrete mix and waits for it to dry.

@caranewhart Replying to @AG using CLOSET RODS to make the easiest ever PATIO LIGHT POLES 💡 All the links + step by step is on the blog 🤗 you can switch up the style of planter or rod color to customize this project for your space #diyhomedecor #outdoorproject #patiolights #homeimprovement #patiodesign ♬ original sound - CARA NEWHART

After that she adds some sand on top and stones to make the top pretty, before looping through the string of lights on top. Easy as that! It's a beautiful way to cheaply and easily add height and light to your outdoor area.

Going bold with cushions and pillows.

Not as DIY as many of the other ideas, but equally as dramatic. Did you know you can change the entire look of your space with just a pop of colour on your cushions?

I love this concept, because it is low-cost and low effort but ridiculously satisfying. 

If you already have cushions, you can easily reupholster them with new, striped, patterned or coloured fabric!

Very controversial, but you can paint your bricks.

I don’t care what anyone says, painting your outdoor bricks can look so damn good. 

Just look at the before and after from this DIY creator, the backyard went from looking outdated and boring to sophisticated with just a lick of paint.

Now, it's important to know that bricks need to breathe so you have to choose the right paint that is weatherproof but is also breathable and recommended by the experts — don’t just use any old paint before checking.

This arched feature with LED lighting.

This idea is for the DIYers that really want to put in some extra energy. It takes a bit more time than changing the pillows but it is well worth it!

This creator upped their pool area's game by adding an arch wall using building foam and render.

The difference the addition has made to the space made my jaw quite literally drop to the floor. It has turned the pool area into a holiday oasis. 

@vandersmirrors DIY pool area revamp! Last year we installed a @plungie.australia pool and the painted fence beside it just wasn’t cutting it for me! Id seen a few people on Instagram create an arch wall using building foam and then rendering it, we took inspo from a few of these videos and customised it to our own space! We didn’t have any space beside our pool to be able to dig and concrete in posts so we had to create a frame using post stirrups into the tiles and we used lightweight materials such as the building foam and weatherboards so it wouldn’t become too heavy. The LED lighting would have to be one of my favourite features! 💡 One of my favourite things about Instagram is the creative ideas you come across! This was definitely a fun and rewarding DIY home project 🤍 thanks to husband @vandersglass for agreeing to another one of my DIY ideas 😂 #plungie #originalplungie #plungiepool #plungepool #poolarea #archwall #renderedarch #ledlighting #DIY #diypoolarea #reno #outdoorarea #landscaping #pool #smallbackyardpool #buildingfoam #plungieaustralia ♬ original sound - Vanders Mirrors

This creator, with help, attached the building foam to wooden frames before using a pencil to draw on the arch and cutting it out. She then rendered it all and added LED lights in the archway to light it up. 

Hot tip: Use a measuring tape to find the midway point in the future arch, then attach a piece of string in the middle and use that to guide your pencil so you make the perfect shape. 

Brick paving for those who love rustic vibes

I know I said paving is so daunting to me, but when I saw this, I knew it needed including: just in case you're after more uniform but rustic-style paving instead of a mosaic-style.

This Aussie family made a path to their cubby house using bricks they got for $100 on Facebook Marketplace. Score.

They lined the area first using string on each side to keep it straight, before cutting out the grass between those lines and levelling. Adding sand to the space really helps with levelling and making the ground even, though if you are happy with a more imperfect look you can leave it as just the dirt floor like these people did.

Once they laid the bricks, sand helped to fill the cracks — then, they poured concrete powder on top, before adding water and letting it set. 

Look, I’m not sure if this is a normal way to add concrete to a brick-paved pathway, but it seemed to work for this creator and who am I to argue with an easy, lazy way to do things!

Shop Half Price Blinds' affordable DIY range of blinds, shutters, awnings and curtains.

Feature Image: TikTok/@geebungalow/@karamcswain/@ingrid__carter