You can spruce up your patio design while staying within your budget. As a matter of fact, all you need is a bit of creativity to make your space shine without spending too much.
If done correctly, small patio decor ideas on a budget can feel high-end despite the miniature cost. Make smart decisions and realize your small patio design dream.
It might seem troublesome to browse the web for small patio decor ideas on a budget, but it’s worth it. In this review, we’ll discuss several small patio decor ideas on a budget, but first, you need to have a plan to guide your small patio design.
Small Patio Décor Plan
Similar to all decorating projects, small patio decor ideas on a budget must start with a plan. Some of the things you need in this plan include:
Budget
Even if you want small patio décor ideas, you still need to have a budget. Exactly how much do you want to spend on your small patio?
Knowing what you want to spend helps keep your plan on track. But since this is a small patio, you won’t need something like a well drilling service because you’re not building an entire house.
Function
Consider how often you’ll use your patio once you’ve come up with a budget. Do you want a deck for relaxing during weekends or hosting parties from time to time? Considering the function will help you avoid wasting cash on unnecessary things.
Style
Now that you have a budget and function, it’s time to consider style. What do you want your patio to look like? Do you want a beachy, bohemian, classic, or modern style?
Decide on the overall style of your patio prior to shopping for supplies because this will help you buy only what you need for your décor needs.
Some of The Best Small Patio Decor Ideas On a Budget Include:
Add Plants to Your Patio
Greenery breathes life into any space, including patios. So you can buy planters, potted plants and sprawling vines for your deck. For the best results, especially during hostile weather conditions, go for all-weather plants.
The containers where these plants are installed also help add color to your patio. To save money, make your own plant containers from corrugated plastic, add the plants and mulching to trap moisture inside so that your plants don’t dry.
Connect Your Interior to Your Patio
One of the most common small patio decor ideas on a budget for designers worldwide is connecting the indoors to your outdoors and, in this case, your patio.
You can do this by using a similar color scheme and décor pieces to what’s already indoors. This is especially handy if your home has sliding French doors. All you need to do is slide your doors open, draw the shades and your patio appears more extensive than it actually is.
Cheap Paving
If you’re looking to pave the area surrounding your small patio but don’t have enough money to pour and spread concrete or use pre-cast concrete pavers, you can use crushed gravel or rock, which is less expensive.
Gravel offers a more casual surface for outdoor dining areas and lounges. Rocks, on the other hand, give the area surrounding your patio an aesthetic appeal.
DIY Fire Pit Instead of Buying One
If you love camping, you can recreate a similar experience on your patio by building a fire pit. The best part is there are several ways to DIY fire pits on a budget.
For instance, you can stack paving stones or bricks in a circle to create a fire pit or buy a sizeable metallic container and add firewood to it.
DIY Outdoor Movie Theatre
Another way to implement small patio ideas on a budget is a DIY outdoor movie theatre. If you have a projector, you can use an existing white wall or build a screen from cheap materials.
This cheap and straightforward undertaking can be connected to a smartphone projector, and once you ready your popcorn, you have the perfect summer outdoor movie theatre.
DIY Patio Hardscaping
One of the most expensive undertakings in building patios is fencing services which include edging and retainer walls. But you can use the stones leftover from local landscaping as a less expensive option to undertake these tasks.
The good news is that you don’t need a lot of them for small patios; all you need to do is place them together in a stack. This way, the stones look natural, as if they have always been part of your yard.
DIY Planter Bench
Patio furniture can be pricey, but one of the best small décor patio ideas on a budget is building DIY outdoor furniture such as a planter bench. This affordable patio décor idea looks modern and trendy, so you have nothing to worry about.
Basically, you need to buy concrete blocks, dry-stack them and cover them with a foam pad. It’s also a straightforward undertaking, unlike when you call well installers, and they take weeks. So you can have your planter bench up and running in a couple of hours.
This DIY bench offers a lot of seating space, even in a small area. Best of all, you can customize it to suit your patio’s needs, including color and size.
Faux Boxwood Hedge
If your patio is close to the fence, you might be considering a privacy hedge. Unfortunately, they take longer to grow, are expensive to maintain and can’t grow in some areas.
So what’s the solution? A faux boxwood hedge is your cheapest and best bet. Its practicality makes it rival other more expensive solutions.
Ideally, this is a ‘living wall,’ so it requires little to no maintenance and is protected from UV rays. Best of all, you can tear it down if you’re relocating.
Handmade Décor
You can use fabric and vintage finds for small patio décor ideas. Sweeping sheers from yardage sheets add beauty and elegance to your small patio.
Plus, they can shield you and your guests from intense sun rays. You can also repurpose vintage elements into light fixtures instead of buying ready-made expensive ones.
Identify One or Two Main Pieces for Your Patio
One of the best small patio decor ideas on a budget is getting one or two high-quality furnishings. Think of something like an aesthetic dining set or a large comfy outdoor couch. Such pieces allow you to establish a cohesive space on your patio.
Plus, they can also act as guides when shopping for other patio décors. Also, they help you save cash because you’re not buying multiple items for your small patio.
Paint Existing Furniture
When considering the total cost of patio construction or renovation, paint is pretty cheap. Paint can have a massive impact on any indoor or outdoor space.
As a result, painting existing outdoor furniture can help you save cash instead of buying new ones. Not only that, you can paint any existing piece apart from furniture to give it a brand new look and avoid unnecessary purchases.
Paint Existing Tiles
If you want to decorate your patio on a budget, you can skip buying and installing new tiles by painting your cement floor or tiles with various colourful patterns.
Just make sure that you use colors that aren’t contrasting to the patio furniture. The idea is to have a matching theme on the entire patio.
Pair Existing Features with New Décor
One of the best small patio decor ideas on a budget is working with what you already have. If your garden has an attractive nook, you can transform it into a scenic escape.
For instance, you can set up a small atmospheric patio underneath an overgrown pergola. You just need to call a yard drain service to clear the surrounding area, install a cheap roof, and have a lovely patio in your backyard.
Plant a Privacy Wall
Planting a privacy wall is one of the best small patio decor ideas on a budget. Unlike hedges, this method creates a private screen for your small patio, but it retains the open-air vibe we all love. Just ensure you water your plants regularly during summer, so they don’t dry up.
Think Vertically
Just because your patio space is small and you have budget restrictions doesn’t mean you can’t have style; you just need to think vertically. Why? Because there is no limit to how high you can go when it comes to vertical gardening.
You can plant herbs in your vertical garden or have a wall of your favorite peppers. The choice is yours, and the possibilities for a vertical garden are endless. Note that you’ll need S-hooks to suspend the vessels where your plants are situated.
Use OTS (Off-The-Shelf) Materials
Custom materials will increase the price of your small patio decor ideas on a budget, but you can get creative and recast for the same function at a fraction of the price.
For instance, you can use ordinary blocks for shed building endeavors. Just place them on top of each other, and they become tall enough to qualify as a bar. Also, you can use off-the-shelf materials to create outdoor coffee tables, dining tables etc.
Use Outdoor Curtains for Enclosures Instead of Walls
If you want privacy on your patio but don’t want to lose natural light, you can use curtains as enclosures instead of building walls on your deck.
Curtains are cheap compared to walls, and they are especially handy for renters who have patios but are too close to their neighbors to feel comfortable in their outdoor spaces.
Use Outdoor Lights as Statement Pieces
Modern lighting takes various forms, most of which are budget-friendly and appealing. For a small patio, you can add paper lanterns and string lights. The string lights can extend all the way to your sprinklers so that you can have a light show at night.
If you want something even cheaper, you can go for the good old candles. Overall, outdoor lights are available in various styles and will definitely add ambiance to your small patio.
Use Pavers to Increase Patio Square Footage
If you have a limited patio budget, it means you can’t afford to pour concrete on the designated area, so what do you do? Well, you can call paving services to install concrete pavers. For a fraction of the price, you can increase the size of your patio in style.
After adding concrete pavers to your patio, you can have grass tucked between the pavers. It’s best to buy faux grass because it doesn’t wither and requires no maintenance.
Use Poufs Instead of Seats
Instead of having to buy a lot of seats, you can buy poufs instead because they’re cheaper. They ensure you never run out of seating space without crowding your small patio.
You can store them under your patio table if you have one, and since they come in various colors, they help add some personality to your patio space.
Use Turkish Bath Towels Instead of Expensive Fleece Blankets
Durable outdoor fleece blankets are pretty expensive, meaning they aren’t suited to small patio décor ideas on a budget. So what’s the alternative to help protect your outdoor patio furniture? You can get Turkish bath towels instead.
You can spread these enormous 100% cotton fabrics underneath your outdoor cushions to protect them from the weather and your pets. Best of all, Turkish bath towels are lightweight, so it’s easy to clean and dry them.
Work Within the Confines of a Defined Color Scheme
Keep in mind that you need to have a defined color scheme for your patio before you start shopping for décor pieces and furniture.
You’ll be more assured about the small patio decor ideas on a budget you’re trying to recreate and know the exact pieces to buy; in the long run, you end up saving cash.
Final Thought
As you can see, numerous small patio decor ideas on a budget are available for you. You don’t need to implement all of them; simply cherry-pick the ideas you like, come up with a plan, buy what you need and build your dream patio.