36 DIY Patio Ideas to Transform Your Backyard

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Lay Pavers as a Foundation

DIY Paver Backyard Patio — Stacy Risenmay, Not Just a Housewife

This DIY patio idea shows how adding a patio to a yard can make a huge difference to the total design of the space. Not Just a Housewife tackled this project and shares how to build a patio out of pavers. Seating is added as well as planters and string lighting. The final result is a wonderful place that can be used for both relaxing and entertaining.

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Redesign From Roof to Floor

Colorful Backyard Patio — The Handmade Home

Bloggers Jamin and Ashley Mills of The Handmade Home wanted to take their yard and completely redesign it, from top to bottom. A 10-foot by 10-foot concrete paver patio provides an area for outdoor furniture, including a porch swing. There’s a separate dining and lounging area, giving them two spaces in one. Chairs are set around a DIY firepit to encourage conversation.

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String Some Lights

Over at Young House Love, they’ve ripped out their back deck and added a patio made out of pea gravel. This is a great way to build a patio if you’re on a budget. It also is an easy project that you should be able to do yourself. Outdoor furniture and landscaping are added, and string lights are hung to provide some ambient lighting.

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Assemble an Outdoor Living Room

Living room style outdoor DIY patio — Home Stories A to Z

Home Stories A to Z shows how a patio can be an extension of your home. The key is comfortable outdoor seating. The goal is to create a living room outdoors by adding a sectional and some chairs. End tables are also included and an outdoor rug ties everything together. This DIY patio looks great and is easy to put together.

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Create Decorative Focal Points

A woman watering a plant on a patio — A Piece of Rainbow

A focal point is often what someone notices first about a space. It can be just about anything that the eyes like to rest on, and you can have several in a space. Bringing plants and flowers onto the patio is just one way to create a focal point. There are directions on how to build this planter from A Piece of Rainbow.

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Make It Modern Style

Modern-style DIY patio — The Merry Thought

The Merrythought shows you how to take a patio and make it modern. The fence is painted a moody black and furniture with clean lines are added. Just because it’s modern doesn’t mean it has to be cold. This redesign has pillows and blankets that provide a cozy feel.

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Put Up a Two-Tiered Space

Elevated pool DIY patio — Savannah Kay Designs

Here’s a beautiful DIY patio idea that will make your backyard feel like a resort. Savannah Kay Designs came up with this two-tiered lounge area and it makes quite the inspiring patio space. Comfortable seating and heavy-duty patio umbrellas have been added to the patio and can be enjoyed all day long.

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Choose Alternative Furniture Materials

This outdoor furniture can be put together in just a few quick and easy steps. Afro Bohemian Living will inspire you to create your own seating out of wood pallets. The style doesn’t end there, plants, pillows, and a rattan roof are added to make it even more welcoming.

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Build a Pergola

Patio DIY pergola — Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

A pergola is a great way to make a patio feel like a legitimate space where someone would want to spend time. It’s also a great way to provide some shade during the hot months. Here, Home Made by Carmona styled her pergola with climbing vines, string lights, plants, and even wind chimes.

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Add All the Decorative Details

Decorative items set out on a patio — Fynes Designs

Another DIY patio idea is to add decorative details that make your patio feel comfortable and cozy. Decorative details can be set out like this with a tray, fruit, plants, and some drinks. Fynes Designs has a lot of other ideas on how to dress up your patio.

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Build a DIY Firepit

A backyard with a patio and fire pit — Studio DIY!

This stunning backyard from Studio DIY! embraces color with colorful cushions. There are two patios here, giving people a place to eat and lounge around the DIY firepit. There are also lots of plants added here, making it feel like a comfortable outdoor room.

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Upgrade in a Weekend

A dining room table on a patio — Jessica Welling Interiors

The idea behind this patio makeover by Jessica Welling Interiors is to pick a weekend and only use that time to upgrade the patio. A rug is added to define the space and then string lights, a vertical wall planter, and lots of accessories are added.

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Mimic the Surroundings

A coastal themed DIY patio setup — H20Bungalow

Another DIY patio idea is to decorate the area based on the surroundings. H20 Bungalow created a coastal-themed patio that fits in perfectly with the lake that the patio overlooks. Besides furniture, there are a lot of other accessories that go along with a theme.

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Make a Patio Out of Bricks

Bricks are the foundation for this lovely patio that’s tucked away in a garden. A fire pit is also built from bricks, making it look like it belongs there. A table, seating, and accessories are all added. Amber Tysl shows you how to do this easy patio makeover.

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Decorate the Entire Patio

A patio with an outdoor table — Design Improvised

The patio over at Designed Improvised has been perfectly planned and executed. The whole patio is decorated from the rug on the ground, to the table settings on the dining table. There’s also a color scheme here, which makes it easier to stay focused when decorating your patio.

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Use Concrete for the Base

A backyard DIY patio — The Sweetest Occasion

A simple concrete base is inexpensive and a quick way to get the patio of your dreams. The Sweetest Occasion has done just this and created what can only be called an oasis. Lots of seating and string lights pull everything together.

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Look at the Smallest of Spaces

A tiny backyard doesn’t mean that you can’t have a patio. The Merrythought was up for the challenge, and it turned out fantastic. The patio is gravel here, proving that you can make a patio out of just about anything. Plants, loungers, and a rug make the space feel full but not crowded.

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Choose Tile

Blue and white tile on a patio — Lovely Indeed

Using tile for your patio is a unique choice that will stop the neighbors in their tracks. Especially if you make a bold color and design choice as Lovely Indeed did. She took a brick patio and used tile to give it a complete makeover. A table, chairs, and potted plants make the tile pop.

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Add Seasonal Decor

A table and chairs on a patio — Jessica Welling Interiors

Change the patio decor seasonally for an easy DIY upgrade. You’ll be surprised at what a difference some new accessories can make. This patio at Jessica Welling Interiors has been redesigned into a place to relax in the summer, boho-style.

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Use Every Corner

An outdoor patio in the corner of a yard — Lovely Indeed

Even the corner of a yard can become a patio. Just use some brick pavers to achieve the look as Lovely Indeed did. There’s just room enough for a couple of chairs and a fire pit. It makes for a cozy place perfect just for two.

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Paint the Concrete

An outdoor living room on a patio — The Turquoise Home

An easy DIY patio idea is to upgrade the actual patio. At The Turquoise Home, a concrete patio has been cleaned and painted, making it look new. New seating and a rug make it feel like a new room, right outside your back door.

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Wheel Out a Bar Cart

Greet your neighbors and visitors with a beverage from your outdoor bar cart. This project from The Inspired Hive uses a laundry basket frame for the bottom and then the top is built from wood. It’s a simple cart that’s great for a smaller patio.

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Hang a Macramé Planter

A macrame plant holder in a tree — The Inspired Hive

Even if you’re working with a small patio, you should still have some hanging room. That’s the perfect place for a DIY plant hanger from The Inspired Hive. This simple one uses jute and a metal container, giving it a casual rustic look. Basic macrame knots are used to create the rope basket.

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Create Outdoor Storage

A white IKEA dresser on a porch — Chatfield Court

This DIY patio idea from Chatfield Court is an easy IKEA hack that you can finish in an afternoon. You’ll paint it, add some wheels, and then add some interesting handles. You can sit it on your patio or deck and use it for extra storage.

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Stencil an Outdoor Rug

A blue painted outdoor rug — A Joyful Riot

Adding a rug to your patio is a great way to make it feel more like an extension of your home. This DIY project from A Joyful Riot takes an existing rug and shows you how to spray paint it and add stencils for a one-of-a-kind rug that’s perfect for your space.

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Treat Your Backyard Birds

Here’s another DIY idea that’s so small it can fit in any space. It’s a small bird feeder from Delia Creates made with just a few supplies. It has a modern look to it and would look good on just about any patio. Not only does it make a nice decoration, but it also serves as a spot for birds to perch and visit.

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Build a Simple Sofa

A porch with a green couch — Vintage Revivals

If you have a large patio, you may want to consider adding additional seating. This project from Vintage Revivals shows you how to build a platform couch that you can use inside or out. You’ll need to know a little about building, but this is a good intermediate project to try out.

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Hang an Herb Garden

A paint can herb garden — Simple Stylings

Adding an herb garden to your patio is a great idea! to add greenery and you can use some to cook with whenever you want. The best thing about this herb garden from Simple Stylings is that it hangs on a wall, so it doesn’t take up extra room. This project has all the directions you need to create the paint cans and the rest of the herb garden.

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Whitewash Terracotta Pots

A collection of whitewashed flower pots — Tidbits

Give terracotta pots new and brighter life with a stylish whitewash treatment. Anyone can take on this super simple project from Tidbits. Whitewash a few or a bunch and then fill them with flowers and plants for your patio and deck.

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Plant a Sculpture Garden

Here’s a DIY idea from The Garden Glove that’s really budget-friendly and gives your patio a modern vibe. You’ll just need some cinder blocks and some strong glue. Arrange the blocks vertically in a design you like and you have part sculpture, part planter.

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Uplevel a Pallet

A palette love seat on a porch — Funky Junk Interiors

If you’re after the rustic look, you’re going to want to check out this loveseat by Funky Junk Interiors. Believe it or not, it’s built almost entirely from wood pallets. There are also lots of tips for how to style the loveseat to get a similar look.

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Hang Mason Jar Lights

A hanging mason jar lantern — A Piece of Rainbow

These hanging mason jar lights from A Piece of Rainbow will give you a nice soft light as you enjoy an evening out on the patio. They’re made from a few supplies you probably already have and they can be put together in minutes.

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Add Privacy Curtains

Update your patio instantly by adding some soft, billowy curtains. This is a great way to add privacy and create a cozy outdoor room that you’ll never want to leave, just like the one from Polkadot Chair. This DIY project shows you how to make your own rods for the curtains, which you could buy or sew yourself.

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Shine an Outdoor Chandelier

A green outdoor chandelier — Hey There, Home

Add some elegance to your space with an outdoor chandelier. You could buy one that’s already done or use this project to upcycle your own. This tutorial from Hey There, Home shows you how to take apart a chandelier, spray paint it, and put it back together again.

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Brighten With Hanging Luminaries

These hanging star luminaries are meant to be holiday decorations, but there’s no reason you can’t have them up year-round. This project from Polkadot Chair starts with paper lantern stars and calls for a bundle of lights to be inserted inside.

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Transform Timber Into a Table

Small side tables make a great addition to an outdoor area. They’re able to hold a drink or a book without taking up too much space. This project from Francois et Moi takes a piece of timber and transforms it into this side table, which would look great in any patio space.

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