60 Amazing Backyard Projects – There’s Something For Everyone

A house without a backyard is incomplete and really missing out on a ton of cool features that can be added out there, from stylish and comfortable furniture pieces to all sorts of cute accessories, decorations, and other quirky things. That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today. Check out these 60 amazing backyard projects that will make you enjoy your backyard more in cool and ingenious ways.

DIY Projects to Make Your Backyard Amazing

1. Homemade Bottle Windchimes

Glass Bottle Wind Chime

Wind chimes in general are nice and cheerful and this one, in particular, is pretty cool mostly because it’s easy to make. You need an empty glass bottle, some jewelry chain, 3 key rings, a wooden wheel, and a stone pendant. If you missing some of these things you can look for replacements and alternatives. After all, you’ll want to make your glass bottle wind chime as special as possible.

2. A Modern Pergola

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A modern pergola can really change the whole backyard but, as you can imagine, is a fairly serious and time-consuming project not to mention you’ll probably need some help along the way. Once it’s in place, however, you’ll be able to enjoy it for a long long time. If you want to you could train vines or climbing plants to grow on the pergola. That would look bohemian and beautiful.

3. Build A Deck

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Before you start focusing on all the little decorations and accessories, the big basic elements have to be in place and out of the way. That includes projects such as installing a deck floor. With planning and attention to detail, you should be able to pull this off without a problem.

4. Clear Out Old Concrete

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Sometimes before you can start building something new in your backyard you have to get rid of the old structures. For instance, any old, cracked or uneven concrete slabs would have to be removed. You can do this yourself and we can share with you our preferred method.

5. Repurpose Lawn Furniture

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Now let’s talk specifics. There are so many things you can put out in the backyard that we don’t even know where to start. A chair turned into a garden bed seems like a wonderful option. After all, what else would you be using your old chairs for?

6. Build A Big Planter

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Big planters are also always nice to look at so perhaps there’s room for one in your backyard. A pallet planter is a nice option. You make it out of reclaimed wood which is a nice touch and this design is simple and modern which is also great. feel free to add your own twist to the project.

 

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Pallets can also be used in lots and lots of other wonderful projects for the backyard. This, for example, is a pallet herb planter. It’s easy to make and very practical too. You can put it up on a wall or just let it lean against a wall on your patio. Use chalkboard paint so you can easily label your herbs. Check out the video tutorial on youtube and make as many of these as you want.

8. Craft Hanging Planters

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Don’t want your backyard planters to take up floor space? How about a pallet wood hanging planter instead? You can paint it in a bright and vibrant color so it stands out and looks cheerful. By using pallet boards you’ll keep the cost of the project low.

9. Consider A Window Planter

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Here’s a little something that you can craft to make the outside of your house look cute and friendly. These window box planters can be crafted using reclaimed wood or pallet boards to keep the cost of the project low. Give them a nice finish so they also look pretty even when they’re empty.

10. Place A Stone Pathway

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Flagstone pathways are very beautiful, especially when there’s grass growing through the stones and they look like they’ve been there for ages. If you’re interested in learning how to lay a flagstone pathway in your backyard or your garden, check out our detailed tutorial.

11. Outdoor Coffee Table

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In a lot of ways, the backyard is an extension of the indoor living area. With that in mind, you can furnish it with comfortable benches and even a table. A coffee table on wheels would be super practical. Once again, you can use pallet wood for this project.

12. Design Outdoor Seating

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Of course, we can’t ignore this colorful garden bench. It looks charming and since it rests against the fence it doesn’t need a backrest. It’s made out of pallet wood. You can customize your own bench with your favorite colors and add comfy cushions if you’d like to. If there’s no fence to act as a backrest, just add one to your bench and you can turn this into an outdoor sofa or daybed project.

13. Garden Hose Hanger

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Some of the projects on this list are meant to make your backyard look nice and pretty while others such as this one are focused more on the practical side of things. This is a garden hose hanger. It keeps your backyard clean and tidy and gives you a place to store the garden hose when you’re not using it.

14. Plan A Grape Arbor

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A grape trellis is one of those things many plan to build but keep postponing. Perhaps now would be a good time to finally do it. Nobody really knows how to build a grape arbor until they actually do it so go ahead and try. If you’re not really a fan of grapevines just use other climbing plants instead.

15. Add A Pool

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Adding a swimming pool to the backyard definitely sounds like a cool idea and you can actually do it. It can be a casual-looking stock tank pool big enough to soak in and you could build a wooden frame around it, sort of like a table so you can keep drinks and towels on it. Check out heywandererblog for details.

16. A Trellis Screen

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A trellis screen can also look lovely in the backyard. You could have vines and climbing plants trained to grow on it. Building the trellis screen is easy and would only take a couple of hours. You can find all the details of this project on practicallyfunctional.

17. An Outdoor Kitchen

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What good is having a backyard if you can’t have a nice bbq get together from time to time? Simply enjoying dinner outside would also be a wonderful experience but for that, you need to equip your backyard with a kitchen. Have something custom-made and include all the features that you like. Check out bobvila for details.

18. Invent A Mini Tiki Bar

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You know what else you could put in your backyard? A tiki bar. Something small and simple would do. You could build it out of reclaimed wood to give it more character. You can include shelves for storage or other details and accessories in your own design to make it special. Check out the project on brooklynlimestone.

19. Put Up An Outdoor Chalkboard

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Chalkboards are super fun and make great educational tools but they’re not exactly great indoors since they can make quite a mess. If you were to hang a chalkboard outside in the backyard however things would be different. You can attach the board to the fence and add hooks to the frame so you can hang containers with chalk and cleaning sponges. The idea comes from loveandrenovations.

20. Don’t Forget A Playground For The Kids

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If there’s enough space in your backyard you could even build a playground for the kids. You can make the project easier and faster by reusing shipping crates. The playground doesn’t have to be complicated from a structural point of view but it should definitely be fun as well as safe. Check out frugalmomeh for tips and instructions.

21. String Up A Swing

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Swings are always fun no matter how old you are. They’re also easy to build, especially the rustic ones with only a piece of wood as a seat. This project would be perfect if you have a big tree in your backyard. Just make sure you hang it securely so be sure to check out themerrythought for all the details.

22. Reuse A Wine Barrel

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A wine barrel can be upcycled into a table, a storage module or, in this case, a water feature for the backyard. Although you could simply fill the barrel with water and call it a day, that wouldn’t look too interesting so check out the project featured on aloandbeholdlife for a more comprehensive understanding of the concept.

23. Dig A Fire Pit

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How about a fire pit for the backyard? You could build one out of concrete pavers and you could place comfy chairs all around it. Keep the project and the design simple. It’s the ambiance you create that matters the most. You can find out more about building a fire pit on keepingitsimplecrafts.

24. Add A Built In Cooler To Your Table

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Backyard bbq parties and other casual get-togethers are great when the ambiance is friendly and they’re even better when you can enjoy an ice cold drink on a hot summer day. That’s when this project comes in handy. It’s a table with built-in coolers. This is something that you can build yourself so check out remodelaholic for instructions.

25. Create A Pond

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Another cool feature to have in the backyard would be a pond. It doesn’t have to be big. Find a corner or a piece of ground in a convenient area and you can put your new pond there. you need a container which you’ll be placed flush with the ground. Place rocks and plants around the edge. You can find more details about the project on ohmy-creative.

26. A Garden Spiral

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A bunch of rocks can spruce up your backyard quite nicely. They may not look like much individually but you can use them to create all sorts of cool designs, like this vegetable garden spiral featured on ohmy-creative. It’s a nice and creative way of making your garden look less boring and mainstream.

27. Hide Your Garden Hose

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Remember that garden hose hanger we mentioned earlier? Here’s another ingenious project that lets you store your garden hose with ease and this time out of sight. This is in fact a planter made of pallet wood. It has a little door at the bottom which reveals a secret storage compartment. Check out the details on diycandy.

28. Put In a Patio

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We showed you how to build a fire pit for your backyard so now let’s see how you can also build a beautiful patio around it. Obviously, this takes some planning and you won’t finish this in a day. We love the round patio concept featured on recapturedcharm. The stones look lovely and there’s a nice border framing the whole area, with grass growing around it.

29. Planter With Umbrella Stand

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In case you happen to have a wooden barrel and you don’t know what to do with it, an idea can be to turn it into a planter that also serves as an umbrella stand. It’s a combination that works out great for cozy backyard settings. This quirky idea comes from spruceyournest.

30. Use Pea Gravel To Build A Patio

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There are several different ways in which you can build a backyard patio and one of the most important choices is the palette of materials. This right here is a pea gravel patio. It’s fairly easy to set up but it does require planning and all the materials and tools involved can end up costing quite a bit. Check out the details on cityfarmhouse.

31. Hang Up Lighting

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Good lighting is always important and that also applies to the backyard. Conventional chandeliers and pendant lamps won’t work here but that gives you an opportunity to be creative. Hang some string lights on poles all around your backyard patio to create a magical and cozy vibe. You can find out everything about the project on cityfarmhouse.

32. Dream Up A Vertical Garden

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Vertical gardens are not just cool-looking but also very space-efficient which is great if you have a small backyard and you don’t want to turn it all into a garden. Check out this vertical garden wall from homemadelovely. It has a sturdy construction and it looks chic and stylish at the same time.

33. Stack Stones For Decoration

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What’s fun about backyard projects is that you can improvise and create all sorts of things such as a bench made of stacked stones or concrete blocks with a piece of wood on top. You can use that to set up a cozy sitting area. Add more benches if you want to or build something else like an outdoor sofa or perhaps a fire pit. Check out linapalandet for more ideas.

34. A Monogram Planter

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Vertical planters can make lovely decorations both indoor and outdoor. A monogram planter would for example look beautiful out on a wall, perhaps as an ornament for your front entrance or a focal point for the backyard area. Depending on which letter you choose, this project can either be super easy or a bit more complex. Check out remodelaholic for more details.

35. Set Up An Outdoor Bar

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Planning some backyard parties this summer? Then how about an outdoor bar to make everything more fancy while still being focused on the practical side of things? You can build the bar out of wood and you can give it shelves for storage and even an ice bucket compartment. You can find all the details of this project on aburstofbeautiful.

36. Fabricate A Drawer Planter

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We love DIY planters and we have a feeling you do too so here’s a bunch more ideas that you can use when you’re decorating your patio or your backyard. One is a tiered planter made out of two reclaimed drawers, complemented by two metal planters. Together they make a charming trio and individually they have just as much character. Check out beyondthepicket for the details.

37. An Outdoor Movie Theater

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Having a backyard opens up a whole world of possibilities. You can do a ton of cool and fun things out here, including to set up an outdoor movie theater. You need a projector (unless you want to use the wall of your house instead) and some comfortable seats. This project from notjustahousewife shows you how to accomplish the second part.

38. Fashion Funky Outdoor Furniture

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We mentioned before that you can make a comfortable outdoor sofa for your backyard so now let’s see how it’s actually done. This sofa featured on funkyjunkinteriors is made out of pallet wood. It has a funky-looking backrest and a comfortable seat cushion. You can even add a crate as your footstool.

39. Extend Your Living Area

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Think of the backyard as an extension of the indoor living area. Out here you can create a second lounge area with comfortable chairs, a sofa, a coffee table and even a cool faux grass area rug to go with it all. You could use this beautiful seating area setup from lizmarieblog as a source of inspiration.

40. Spruce Up Your Fence

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A fence is needed if you want to physically delineate your backyard and to give it privacy at the same time. We found this really cool idea on gardendrama which shows how you can decorate a simple wooden fence with colored marbles. You need a drill with bits in sizes that match the marbles.

41. Include Games

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Remember hopscotch. It’s one of the few old-school playground games that are still somewhat popular to this day. Wouldn’t it be cool to add something like this to your backyard? You can use bright colors to create an eye-catching design and you can use pavers for the actual tiles. This idea comes from happinessishomemade.

42. Harness The Benefits Of Mirrors

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Hanging mirrors on the exterior walls of your house is another interesting and ingenious idea. The mirrors can reflect the surroundings which work out wonderfully if you have a nice garden or a cool view that you want to make the most of. These vintage mirrors from thebrambleberrycottage and made of old window frames and beadboard.

43. Colander Planters

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That’s right, these hanging planters are made out of colanders. That actually works out great for them because the colanders have a bunch of holes that keep the soil aerated and prevent too much water from building up at the bottom. You can hang these out on the patio or in the backyard and you can spray paint them if you want the colors to pop. Check out the project on countryliving.

44. Customize Walkways

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It’s nice to have all sorts of different areas in the backyard with different functions. One section for example could be a little garden and it can stretch across the yard. You could build a small walkway so you can pass through without walking on dirt. Use pallet wood for this. It makes the project super easy and super cheap. Check out funkyjunkinteriors for inspiration.

45. Ladder Layout Vertical Planter

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Here we are with yet another vertical planter idea. This time we’re looking at a ladder-inspired design with rectangular boxes placed on multiple levels, all easily accessible and in plain view. If you want to find out how to make your own tiered garden planter check out the tutorial on ana-white.

46. Build A Cinder Block Bench

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Cinder blocks and lumber, that’s all you need to make an outdoor bench for your backyard. You can paint the cinder blocks if you want to and this will give your bench more character. The lumber pieces simply go through the blocks and are supported in between. Add cushions or a mattress for comfort. Check out lenasekine for more info on the project.

47. Reuse Old Tires

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Old tires can be useful too. As long as the tire is still in one piece you can clean it, paint it and turn it into a beautiful and original planter. You can put your new planter up on a wall, either inside the house or outside or you could hang it from a tree in the backyard. Check out both options on diyshowoff.

48. Wine Bottle Tiki Torches

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Wine bottles can be upcycled in all sorts of ways too. Most commonly they’re turned into vases but you can also use them to make tiki torches which you can put outside in your backyard. No worries, it’s all easy and safe as long as you follow the instructions offered on designsponge.

49. Design Outdoor Chandeliers

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The usual indoor chandelier obviously doesn’t work outside but that doesn’t mean you can’t add magic to your backyard in other ways. You could make a unique outdoor chandelier to make that happen. Use grapevine spheres and string lights. The idea comes from allthingsheartandhome.

50. Outdoor Platform Bed

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The last backyard project we want to show you today is a pallet daybed. Building the pallet platform and overall frame is quite simple. Add wheels so you can move the bed around and use metal pipes and fittings to make a support frame around the seat. As for the actual daybed seat and cushions, that’s up to you to pick whatever type you want. Check out prettyprudent to find out all the details of this marvelous project.

51. Erect A Shed

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With all of these projects you’ve now got going on in your backyard, it’s probably ideal to put a shed where you can store the items that may be damaged by the weather. There are a number of different types of sheds you can choose to build in your backyard, from free-standing ones to those which can be added as sort of an addition to your house. It’s typically easiest to build these types of sheds out of wood, and they can generally be painted/designed to suit your desired aesthetic. For free shed plans and ideas of the type of shed which is best for you, check out The Spruce.

52. Construct A Potting Bench

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When you have plants in planters and pots, it’s quite likely that they will need repotting or replanted at some point. Constructing a potting bench can help save your knees and back from the pain of constantly bending over! A potting bench is fairly simple to make, and if you’ve been using pallet wood for other projects, you can use it for this one as well. Or, if you’d rather get fancy, check out this potting bench by The Handyman  made from cedar wood.

53. Enjoy A Gazebo

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Although constructing a gazebo may sound difficult, it really isn’t any more challenging than designing the pallet furniture you’ve already created. However, it is highly recommended you buy nice wood for this project to ensure your gazebo will be able to withstand the weather conditions in your area. You will probably also need a few friends to help with the final steps, so it might be worthwhile to have a ‘building the gazebo BBQ.’ No two gazebo structures look alike, making this an excellent and unique addition to your yard. Check out Home Stratosphere for helpful tips and tricks in designing your gazebo. 

54. A Home For Your Furry Friend

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Your dog or cat is probably watching all of this construction and wondering what is in it for them. Building a dog or cat hangout is very easy, and can be done using leftover pieces from other projects. DIY Craftsy has numerous different plans you can use to build your furry friend a home, or you can get creative and use your imagination. Just make sure whatever home you build has sufficient ventilation, and room for your pet to stand and turn around, otherwise they may not want to use it. 

55. Be More Zen

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Looking to find your inner peace? Consider being more ‘zen’ with the addition of a zen garden to your backyard. This project generally requires its own assigned space (and tends to last if pets can’t reach it!) and materials such as sand, stone, and simple plants. But for those who have kids or pets, don’t give up your dreams of a zen garden just yet, as there are several aspects such as those outlined in Fresh Patio, which can be used to spruce up your outdoor space without getting too fancy. 

56. A Hammock

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Lounging around in a hammock is a great way to relax and enjoy the peaceful space you’ve created. And hammocks are a very formidable project which can be made out of different types of materials and be made to fit any yard. Even if you don’t have two trees hammock distance apart, you can build a stand or even make a hammock chair. Bobvila outlines the types of materials which should be used to build a hammock depending on where you live and the type of stand you are planning to have. 

 57. A Treeless Treehouse

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Give the kids a space of their own without having to worry that someone may fall out of a tree and hurt themselves. A treeless treehouse is easily built on a platform like this one in Made With Happy, you just need the space in your yard and the materials. But you do need to take into account the height of your children as you build, this way they will be comfortable hanging out in their new spot for years to come. Once you’ve built the outside shell, it’s easy to paint the inside a cheerful color, and hang up decorations such as the outdoor chalkboard mentioned above to keep your child busy. You can even add in some of your DIY pallet furniture so your kids will have a comfy place to sit!

58. Style A Storage Box

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If you decided not to go with the building a shed idea above, you may still be struggling with where to keep all of your items that need to be put away when it rains. Build Basic recommends building a storage box out of wood and then styling it to match your other outdoor furniture. Just ensure that if you live in an area with a lot of rain that you pick a wood that won’t swell or be otherwise damaged by the rain.

59. Arrange A Rope Light Sign

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Add a nice positive message to your new space by hanging a rope light sign in any shape you want. This is especially useful when it comes to lighting up what may be a dark corner of your yard. It’s easiest to add this to a wall or fence, but you could be creative and add this lighting to a trellis or vertical garden as well. A Beautiful Mess can walk you through the steps of this project which can typically be accomplished in just a few hours. 

60. Make A Plant Bench

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Creating a plant bench for your yard is so simple, yet it creates an amazingly refined space for reading, sipping on tea, or just relaxing. You just need some long pieces of wood (pallet wood worlds great!) to place across two potted trees. The potted trees you choose should have pots that are high enough off the ground to make sitting comfortably. Then you just need a pillow, or any other sort of colorful upholstery to make the spot comfortable! Check out this easy-to-follow, full walk-through on Monsters Circus to get more ideas for your plant bench. 

No matter what the current state of your backyard is, with a little love and a few of these projects, you can go a long way towards creating the backyard of your dreams where you can spend hours relaxing. Not only will you have a great space to entertain and impress your family and friends, but you will also be able to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space all season long. So don’t delay, and start doing some amazing backyard projects in your free time today. You may be surprised just how easy transforming your space can be!