Small Backyard Ideas On a Budget That Maximize Outdoor Fun

Spending time outdoors has many advantages. All that running around, catching a few rays, and even simply breathing fresh air has a ton of health benefits. Relaxing outdoors can also help you unwind after a long workday and nonstop studies. And the additional space you have in your backyard gives you plenty of opportunities to host pool parties, cookouts, and seemingly infinite other social events.

While an open lawn and backyard with a few pieces of outdoor furniture can be all you and your household need to have fun outside, a few ideas can really spice up your outdoor leisure. Upgrade your outdoor living with these simple backyard ideas that are not only fun to work on, but are also budget-friendly.

The Best Movie Night Backyard Cinema 

How to Create an Outdoor Cinema In Your Backyard

Watching films is fun at the cinema, but it’s not always convenient. For some people, the closest cinema is miles away, so catching up on your favorite films is not a convenient option. Cinemas can also get very noisy and dirty, especially if they have many screenings with hundreds of viewers present at once. Create your own backyard cinema using nothing but an outdoor cinema frame and a projector. You can purchase a cinema frame for less than $100, but if your home’s exterior is painted white, you can simply aim the projector at the wall. A decent projector can also be purchased within the $100 to $200 mark. Many of these projectors also come with built-in speakers. But if you want better sound, you can invest in a powerful portable speaker for less than $100. So, the overall cost of creating your own backyard cinema comes around $400 making it a very worthwhile investment for those who can’t live without their favorite flicks.

A Truly Thespian Outdoor Stage 

To Have or Not to Have a Backyard Stage

Cinema is not the only kind of escapist entertainment you can include in your backyard repertoire. If you have thespians in your household or among your friends, they would really appreciate having a stage to show off their acting chops on. Luckily, creating a stage is actually a very easy patio idea you can do even with a small budget. If you have a floating deck in your backyard you can use this as a stage. A floating deck can also be detached from its posts and temporarily moved to a more convenient spot, such as next to one of the external walls or the fence so that you can use the surface as a background for your plays. Hang string lights on the vertical surfaces, use white fabric as curtains, and use other patio decor ideas to make your stage look as fabulous as possible. All that’s left is to bring out some seating and break a leg (not literally, of course). 

Raised Flower Bed for the Horticulture Fanatics

How to Channel Your Inner Gardener with a Raised Flower Bed

Have someone in your household who has a green thumb but doesn’t want to go through all the trouble of digging up the landscape to create a garden as you don’t have enough room? Among the many small backyard ideas is the raised flower bed, as it’s the easiest and most cost-effective option for your horticulture desires. This is essentially a big box filled with dirt that you can plant in. The advantage of a raised flower bed is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time and energy digging up your landscape. Building a flower bed yourself is a great DIY project that costs around $100, making it very affordable to open up limitless possibilities for horticulture enthusiasts. 

Firepit That Will Make You a Happy Camper

Why Your Backyard Needs a Firepit

Spending time outside is really fun until the sun sets. Once you start getting chilly is when fun slowly seeps from everyone’s mind and you’re forced to go back inside or put on extra layers. Outdoor fun doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. You can stay warm and make smores with a fire pit or backyard fireplace. Building a firepit is not the easiest DIY project, but if you’re up to challenge yourself, you can build one for as little as $300. This is a very budget-friendly backyard installation that will significantly increase the amount of fun you can have outdoors and give you the freedom to relax in your backyard whenever you wish. 

Hammock for Maximum Relaxation

How Much Do Backyard Hammocks Cost?

There are a ton of backyard and patio furniture ideas. Unfortunately, not everyone’s backyard is flat enough to support standard outdoor furniture. However, as long as you have a tree, fence, or some kind of a post in your backyard, you can create the absolute peak of outdoor relaxation: a hammock. You can turn one of your bedsheets into a fully-functioning hammock, sure, but this is not always a safe option since the fabric may not be strong enough. It’s easier to simply invest in one, which can cost anywhere from $20 for a camping hammock, to more luxurious ones that cost around $100. You can create a very cozy outdoor relaxation area and spice up your backyard design with a dreamy hammock that your neighbors will be jealous of. 

Sustainable Flower Pot Ideas

Recycle and Garden In One Single Project

We’re still not done with the gardening and backyard decor ideas. The backyard has basically limitless possibilities when it comes to your horticulture passion projects. If you’re looking for a new way to grow plants, why not give back to Mother Nature while you’re at it with recycled and sustainable plant pots you can make essentially for free? An old sink, cracked plastic bucket, even those big two-liter soda bottles can make for great plant pots and containers. This way, not only are you recycling, but you also use these items to decorate your backyard and create a hobby for yourself. Hang these plant pots from the fence, outside walls of your house, posts, or simply put them on the table and windowsills. This yard decor idea is great for lawns of any shape and size as you get to dictate how big the potted plants will be and where they can fit. 

The Cutest Picnic Table and Bench

How to Use Your Backyard Picnic Table

Cookouts are very fun and a refreshing way to enjoy some of your favorite meals surrounded by friends and family. But if your landscape ground is uneven, the basic foldable tables and chairs may not suffice. This is why many homeowners prefer picnic tables over those cheap foldable tables and chairs, as they are heavier and far more solid. This means you can confidently lay the table outside, without worrying about the wind knocking everything over. A solid picnic bench also allows people to sit comfortably knowing their chair is not going to give away from under them. Picnic benches cost from $200 to $400 and they’re very easy to maintain, so the cost of owning one won’t increase over time. But if you can build one yourself, the materials would only cost you $100, making this an amazing budget-friendly backyard addition.