Wanna make your backyard awesome this summer? Whether your idea of summer backyard fun is quiet nights having dinner al fresco with friends, or a yard full of giggling and squealing eight year olds, we have the DIY outdoor projects to make your backyard awesome! Pick one for major fun, or smaller projects to make the entire space just a little bit cooler than it is today. And make this summer your awesomest.
What is summer without the beach? This amazing tutorial by ‘Sunset‘ magazine shows you how to build a beach, in your own backyard! So dig out the beach towels and sand pails!
Now that you have the beach, how about an outdoor shower? Learn how to make this simple one from Sweet Paul magazine.
‘Brambleberry Cottage‘ created these DIY garden mirrors from old windows. What a great way to make your backyard magical. The mirrors double all the amazing DIY backyard projects in your yard!
Now, you need a place to kick back in this gorgeous yard of yours, so learn to make your own hammock! ‘Outside Mom‘ has great instructions to make one using fabric, some rope and a sewing machine! (Also check out our post on DIY Hammocks!)
This DIY backyard project from ‘Camille Styles‘, is another great option for a nice lazy day hammock. This one made from muslin.
The ‘Art of Doing Stuff‘ gives us directions on how to make a dollar store pot lantern. Yes, dollar store! Great for those evening meals in the backyard this summer. Or forget the meals, and make it Merlot. Or tea, but I prefer the Merlot. :)
‘Home Sweet Homemade‘ made these seashore wind chimes. No tutorial on this, but lots of close up photos for you DIY’ers with a detective in the family. Just remember, the knots are everything! Just what you need to “sing” you to sleep while you kick back in that amazing hammock you just made!
This modern family table by ‘BHG‘ has a short and easy to follow tutorial. This DIY outdoor project is so easy, I would do it by myself! But it looks very high end. Love the clay chimney flues as a base!
You may need a place for everyone to hang out when they aren’t eating, so try this DIY outdoor sectional by ‘Shoestring Sophistication‘. Made from pallets and left over 2x4s, this is a budget and earth friendly DIY backyard project.
This drive through kid bike wash sprinkler by ‘Momfluential‘ is so cute. I can imagine kids using this as a sprinkler toy all summer long!
The folks at ‘DIY Network‘ give us step by step’s on how to build a bocce ball court. If you’ve never played, you should start. It’s a great lawn game! One of our local wineries here in Washington wine country has even created courts at their outdoor seating area. They are always full on summer evenings. Find out how to play bocce ball.
Really want to make your backyard awesome? Check out our post on making a backyard movie theater!
Light your way to the twilight “feature” with this cool DIY backyard idea we found on Pinterest. Instead of just sprinkling Tiki torches around the yard, bunch them into pots. It makes a better statement, and concentrates the light source. And they are cheap, so you can afford to go a little crazy!
Also from Pinterest, hanging globe lights over your backyard makes for magical summer nights. So easy! I like the globe lights at Target.
‘Domesticated Engineer‘ built this DIY patio table with cooler for less than $140. They show you exactly how to do it, complete with their lumber supply list. Can you imagine, not even having to go inside to the fridge?
Lastly, what summer is complete without a good ol’ fashioned fire pit! Check out the tutorial from Lowe’s on how to make this one or check out one of our previous posts on how to Make a backyard fire pit!
We hoped you loved our post on Easy DIY Outdoor Projects to Make Your Backyard Awesome! Now jump on over to Fun & Funky Backyard Ideas!
[image-credits]
These are great ideas for backyard projects! That shell wind chime looks so fun to make. I will love having a project for all the shells I collect!
how do you make the tikki torch planter? Are there any directions?
Hi Gail! As we mentioned, this was just a Pinterest pin we found, so there is no tutorial… However, we suspect you would just have to pack soil tightly around the tiki torches in the planter, perhaps place some racks in the bottom of the planter for stability, and then fill with plants of your choice. Hope this helps!
The garden mirrors are a horrible idea!! Think of how many bird you’ll kill! Talk about a death trap.
Dont be so silly. In 1982 we had lunch in a pub that had mirrors in the beer garden and my mum installed large mirrors down one side of the garden a year later. Never has a bird been injured let alone killed!! Abit like the killjoys who ranted abt chinese latterns a couple of years back, how they would drop out the sky n set fire to unsuspecting field animals. All highly unlikely. You make it sound like birds are gonna be beak-diving in record numbers…..hahaha…..no it duznt happen….and lemmings dont jump off cliffs either…..
We have to say that while we don’t think its an absolute, we have had birds crash into our windows and get killed (can’t do anything about windows!) so its possible the same could happen with mirrors… And we were offered the idea of Chinese lanterns for our wedding, but we are here in the western US, and dry fields were a real concern for us… That having been said, everyones risk for anything is different based on their own circumstances, you have to judge for yourself! Thanks Janice and Nicki for giving your opinions!
Mirrors are less likely to cause birds injury than windows are. They can see their own movement more clearly as they approach a mirror, whereas with windows it tends to be more of either a glare, blinding them, or see-through. I know many people with mirrors in their gardens and not once have any of them mentioned birds hitting them.
Thats actually a pretty interesting theory! I hope thats true, I love mirrors in the garden!
These are so good! Especially the garden mirrors, I absolutely love those. :)
These are some really good ideas here! I wish I was more handy at building things. That awesome table would be perfect! Great post!
The Torches are Solar, you can see the little solar panels on top of each…what a great idea!!!
These are solar & have a flame that makes them so ‘real’!! I have them around my koi pond & they add an ambience of a tropical paradise at night! I bought them online & they are around $10 each… I love the look & have received so many compliments on them!
Are those tiki torches above electric? I don’t see any flames like the usual ones.
I believe none of the torches we featured are electric…
Solar. Look at the top of them.
I want the table with the cool beer
My husband made that table, but with some modifications. He made it taller like bar height. He put flower planters to hold the drinks and ice. He also made a hole in the center for an umbrella. It turned out great.
What a great idea! His modifications sound terrific!