Budget-Friendly Ways to a Backyard Transformation

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Colored concrete for your Backyard Transformation

If a fancy mosaic of pavers isn’t in the cards due to the cost of materials and labor, then consider colored concrete as a viable option. Whether you want to spice up your current patio by having a pro come out and stain it for you or you’d like to create a unique pressed mosaic by laying your own concrete slab, embossing it with a mold while wet, and then hand-staining it yourself, this is a less expensive way to get the custom look you crave and add some visual interest to an otherwise bland backyard.

Backyard Sanctuary ideas – Create islands.

Planting is a great way to add color and variety to your yard, but limiting yourself to beds and garden planters around the perimeter of your house and fence line can be a bit passé. Instead, draw a scale model of your yard and experiment with the placement of islands. Once you’ve found a configuration you like, tear out the sod, add a mound of dirt, tamp it down, and then plant. You can add trees, shrubbery, and a variety of flowering plants that will bloom in different seasons. And all you have to do is add cypress wood mulch or wood chips for a finishing touch that will keep the plants in place and help the soil to hold moisture until the ground cover fills in.

Patio arbors and pergolas.

Building a covered deck or installing a motorized awning simply might not be in your budget. But if you want some less expensive cover that will also add beauty to your yard, a pergola or arbor may be an ideal solution. They’re not terribly difficult to build (although you can find some low-cost prefab options) and you can train a variety of vines to grow up and over the slats in order to create a leafy, shade-giving roof in the summer.

Improve your landscaping and lawn areas:

Brown, patchy lawns are uninviting and off-putting. Weeds create a miniature backyard jungle harboring unwanted pests and rodents. Nobody likes a dead lawn or one that is infested with crabgrass. Basic, fundamental lawn care practices can help bring life back to your backyard without breaking the bank on expensive fertilizer programs. For example, is the right type of grass planted in your backyard? The backyard is usually where all of the gathering takes place and definitely where the family dog spends most of his or her time. So, homeowners are going to want to have a traffic resistant grass type in their backyard. For example, homeowners in a place like Birmingham, Alabama are most likely going to want to have Bermuda grass because it’s fast repairing, handles traffic well, and requires less maintenance than most grasses. To save money you can use seed instead of uprooting the entire lawn and replace it with sod. Because Bermuda grass (though a beautiful lawn choice) is also one of the world’s most pesky weeds it can easily overtake a lawn by spreading enough seed. Of course, other things come into play like mowing once a week and watering deeply and infrequently. However, switching your type of grass can be easy to way to boost your backyard aesthetic.

Hanging Lanterns and Outdoor Lighting

Installing lighting fixtures and outdoor lighting. throughout your outdoor space can be incredibly pricy, but luckily there are less expensive ways to implement the illumination needed to keep your afternoon soirees going late into the evening. You can purchase colorful paper lanterns at import markets or even dollar stores, in some cases. And hanging them is a cinch. You can either place poles strategically throughout the yard and run light strings between them (hang the lanterns on after) or you might dangle individual bulbs from tree branches. You could even hang lights from the edges of your pergola! From there it’s easy enough to hide the main power cable under the turf as it runs back to the outlet on the side of your house.

We love these outdoor lighted planters for your backyard.

DIY water features for your Backyard Transformation

Adding custom logo water features to your yard won’t help you to save money, but you can still get the serenity of a garden water feature by implementing your own aquatic installation. There are all kinds of tutorials online that will help you to create a water wall, koi pond, or drip system, just for example, and many require just a few basic items from the hardware store and a little creativity on your part when it comes to adding a touch of beauty.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When people think about designing their home, oftentimes, it is the interior that tends to get the most focus and attention. What’s interesting about, though, is that it’s the yard that tends to make the first impression on guests. So, if you have a small backyard deck, why not do some creative things to “spruce it up” just a bit?

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We’ve got five great ideas below:

Make it festive.

If you tend to do a lot of entertaining at your house, why not make your deck have a bit of a festive flare with a table and a few chairs and a huge umbrella to go over the table? You can string some lights from the deck and even position a few outdoor potted plants. (Yucca, Perennials and Cactuses are all great year-round options.)

Make it relaxing.

When you think of blues and greens, you tend to think of being calm and relaxed, right? If you sand and refinish your deck, that can provide the foundation for a nice “hardwood floor” appearance. Then, purchase some wicker outdoor furniture (perhaps a love seat), along with a table. Then, get some huge green and blue throw pillows for the seat and some that can be placed on the ground as well and top it off with some plants and a bowl of tropical fruit for the table.

Make it a shower deck.

If you have a fenced-in yard where you get plenty of privacy, other option can be to totally renovate your deck into your own paradise by converting it into a shower deck. This requires a bit more work (and quite possible a housing contractor), but there are some tips online on websites like eHow.com, Sunset.com, BobVilla.com and YouTube. Make sure to put “How to build an outdoor shower” in the search fields.

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Make it a kid’s play place.

During the summer months, if there’s one thing that parents probably hear themselves tell their children more than just about anything else, it would have to be “Go play outside.” Well, since they’re going to be out there, you might as well make it a play paradise for the, right? You can start by installing a vinyl fence and deck. Then, once you have sanded the deck, perhaps hire someone to paint a mural on the back of your house to make it feel like a place that is really dedicated to the children. You can purchase some “little people furniture” at places like Toys-R-Us, Amazon and even Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart. If you put a few ottomons out there, they can also be places for your kids (and their friends) to sit and also places to store their toys once they’re ready to come back inside.

Make it a romantic spot.

Is there anything more romantic than looking up at the stars, sipping champagne (or sparkling cider) while being snuggled up with your significant other? By purchasing a futon (so that you can sit up and lay back) and having a fire pit installed, you will be able to set just the right ambiance. The cost of outdoor fireplaces tend to vary, but for about $1,500-3,000, you can get one that is custom-created that will make your deck look stunning as it sets the mood for years to come.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When it comes to the outdoor furnishings you use to decorate your backyard, you might not be quite as worried about potential damage as you are with your indoor furnishings. After all, outdoor pieces are made to be resilient, with tougher materials designed to stand up to the wear and tear precipitated by the elements. But considering how expensive these furnishings can be, you probably don’t want to have to replace them every couple of years. And if you don’t take steps to preserve them that’s exactly what will occur thanks to constant exposure. So whether you live in an area that features seasonal rain and snow or you have sunny climes year-round, there are several steps you can take to ensure that your pricy backyard furniture lasts as long as the items you have indoors. Here are just a few tips for extending the life of your backyard furnishings.

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Keep furniture out of the harsh elements

The easiest way to protect these items from exposure to the elements is not to expose them in the first place. You might be scratching your head over this one. How can you use them outdoors without subjecting them to the glaring rays of the sun, the erosive nature of the wind and rain, or the damage that comes with snow, sleet, and winter weather? In truth, you cannot keep them entirely out of the elements. But you can get them safely tucked away when they’re not in use.

For example, those that experience rough winter weather likely won’t be spending much time using the backyard during these frosty months. So you can make some space in your garage or shed to hide your outdoor furniture away until warmer temperatures return. Or if you happen to enjoy a temperate climate all year you might just pull your furnishings out for events. And if you don’t want to bother with the hassle of hauling couches, chairs, tables, and umbrellas in and out of storage, simply purchase covers that will protect them from the worst of the weather.

Maintenance of your backyard furniture

Of course, most people are not willing to put in this level of time and effort when it comes to outdoor furnishings, in which case you can opt to do infrequent treatments as a means of preserving the good condition of your backyard furniture. For example, you might just remove the cushions from couches and chairs during the winter and leave the heavy frames outside. Or you might treat furnishings to an annual inspection and protection routine by which you spray fabrics with waterproofing products and check frames for damage (like nicks in the paint that could lead to rust or dried wood that will crack and splinter) so that you can do repairs and touchups (paint, varnish, and other weatherproofing).

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In truth, you don’t have to devote the same attention to your outdoor furniture that you do to the items you use every day inside your home. These items are manufactured to be tougher so that you can leave them exposed to the elements without having to worry that they’ll fall apart like tissue paper in the first seasonal storm. That said, you should take steps to extend the longevity of these spendy purchases, and considering that just a little time and effort can go a long way, there’s no reason not to.

For more backyard tips on Stagetecture, click here.

There are lots of advantages associated with a backyard wedding but to make the most of these advantages, it is necessary you have a good knowledge of some of the decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces. When you choose to have your a backyard wedding, not only do you save money that would have gone into renting hall or church for the ceremony, you are also very comfortable because you are right in your home, a place where you feel very confident and safe. Based on this, you can make your backyard wedding very elegant and romantic through proper decoration. Listed below are some helpful tips.

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Using Pine Cones and Berries:

Yes, you read right. During fall, pine cones and berries are known to look amazing when used as the focal point of a centerpiece or decoration. In order to make a long lasting centerpiece, you can use artificial berries by wrapping them round your pillar candles and sticking the cones all round the edge of the candles.

Using Candles:

This is usually the most viable among the various decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces. The reasons being that they are not expensive and if it gets darker as the ceremony lasts, you can light up the space in a special kind of way. Is it a vintage wedding? Then you should consider displaying your candles inside coloured glasses bearing in mind that the glasses could be of varied sizes, colours and designs to bring in more charm to your decoration.

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Create Cornucopia:

Have you ever seen a centerpiece that comprises of various fruits, grains and nuts? It is simply amazing. All you need do is get decorative baskets and fill them with assorted fruits, grains and nuts to the brim and even overflowing on the table. It works better if you go for those fruits that have earth colours like golden red, brown and yellow. The guests could help themselves to the fruits or even allowed to go home with the baskets to serve as souvenirs from your wedding.

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Apart from these tips on decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces, you should also pay attention to other accessories you use in your decoration so that they blend well. These include silverware, table runners and tablecloths. The theme and colour scheme of the ceremony should be incorporated into all of these accessories. At the end of the day, you will be amazed by the effect your inexpensive and charming centerpiece decoration will have on your guests.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.