11 Small Backyard Ideas on a Budget

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.

Get to planting

Build a DIY fire pit

Put in a simple patio

Lay out an outdoor rug

Make it kid-friendly

Build a butterfly and bee haven

Plant vertically

Shop secondhand outdoor furniture

Hang a hammock

Turn on the lights

Build an outdoor pallet bar

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.