DIY Backyard Patio Ideas on a Budget

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This easy DIY backyard patio is a perfect weekend project for your yard! If you’re on a budget or looking for a simple change, adding a brick paver patio can be a total backyard game changer.

DIY Backyard Patio
DIY Backyard Patio

Get ready gang, because this project crosses over from the realm of “DIY” into the realm of “home improvement!” I love putting together larger projects now that we have a home where we can really make things our own. So these DIY backyard patio ideas on a budget are easy and wallet-friendly way to freshen up the backyard.

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Our Best Outdoor DIY Ideas

Our yard has transformed since we created this patio! Want to see what else we built? Here ya go!

DIY BAckyard Patio Ideas On a Budget

I think my biggest problem is that I just want to do it all at once! But if there’s one thing I’m learning as a homeowner, it’s that you have to knock things out one at a time or you’ll make yourself crazy.

A simple DIY brick paver patio like this one was a great place to start for our yard.

We had an unused corner of our yard, inside a wide brick mow strip, that was begging for an update. We knew we didn’t have the budget for a full yard makeover, but this brick paver patio idea solved a few problems:

  • It created a conversational space where before there was just a dirt patch.
  • The supplies were totally affordable and within our budget.
  • We were able to create a use for the space without removing the mow strip.

Choosing Brick Pavers for a Patio

We decided on the brick pavers for our DIY backyard patio not just because they’re budget friendly, but because they would be easier than laying single bricks. They cover a little more area and there are fewer opportunities for misalignment.

However, if you happen to have bricks available, you can use single bricks to make an easy backyard patio as well!

Just be sure that you take plenty of time in the grading process, and use a level as you’re laying your bricks.

How to Make An Easy DIY Patio

Materials

Additional Items

Make Time: 12 Hours

DIY Backyard Patio
  1. Start by working the ground where you want to place your brick pavers. The ground will need to be somewhat soft, so if you’ve got compacted dirt be sure to shovel and hoe to break it up. You’ll be glad you did later! Also, clear away any weeds or debris.
  2. If you want the brick pavers to be sunken, remove a layer of dirt so that your ground will allow for the height of the pavers.
  3. Next, start to grade your ground and make it level. Use the rake to move dirt around so that you have a smooth, level surface for your brick pavers.
  4. Start placing your pavers. Use a level to be sure each paver is flat, and even with the neighboring pavers. Start in one corner, ensuring that your cornerstone is squared off and oriented in the direction you’d like.
  5. Continue placing brick pavers until your patio area is completed.
  6. If you’d like, sprinkle sand or dirt over your pavers and sweep it into the cracks in between to secure the bricks in place. Once you sweep your sand, you can sprinkle the area with a little water to help everything settle. Adjust any pavers if needed.
  7. Plant some vegetation around the edges of the pavers. We live in the Central Valley of California, so we chose mandevilla and bougainvillea in the hopes of getting them to grow along the fence. Otherwise we planted tropicana and some grasses, with potted succulents to break things up.
  8. To soften the edges of your brick paver patio, place river rock along the sides. You can use this to create curves or paths along the sides of your patio. Fill in the rocks around the pots and plants, being sure to leave space for things to grow or adjust.
  9. Add your final touches and a seating area! See our materials list for links to the furniture and pieces we used.
DIY Backyard Patio
DIY Backyard Patio

I am SO PUMPED to have this little DIY backyard patio completed! It’s a great beginner home improvement project, and it packs a big punch on a small budget.

Did this DIY Backyard Patio Last?

Updated March 2020: We have since repurposed half of this patio to create a sandbox for our kiddos, but the other half remains intact and working perfectly!

It was an easy DIY patio and has definitely stood the test of time. I’m still totally pleased with the space we created.

Later on I created this painted patio umbrella and added it for some shade. We also host lots of backyard movie nights and this space is still perfect for conversations and hanging out.

Leave any questions in the comments section! xoxo

DIY Backyard Patio
DIY Backyard Patio
DIY Backyard Patio
DIY patio with brick pavers and plants

DIY Backyard Patio with Brick Pavers

Yield: Brick Paver Patio
Prep Time: 5 hours
Active Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 10 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Estimated Cost: $200

Make an easy backyard patio with this simple DIY tutorial! Brick pavers are the perfect material to create a DIY backyard patio for entertaining and more.

Materials

Instructions

    1. Start by working the ground where you want to place your brick pavers. The ground will need to be somewhat soft, so if you've got compacted dirt be sure to shovel and hoe to break it up. You'll be glad you did later! Also, clear away any weeds or debris.
    2. If you want the brick pavers to be sunken, remove a layer of dirt so that your ground will allow for the height of the pavers.
    3. Next, start to grade your ground and make it level. Use the rake to move dirt around so that you have a smooth, level surface for your brick pavers.
    4. Start placing your pavers. Use a level to be sure each paver is flat, and even with the neighboring pavers. Start in one corner, ensuring that your cornerstone is squared off and oriented in the direction you'd like.
    5. Continue placing brick pavers until your patio area is completed.
    6. If you'd like, sprinkle sand or dirt over your pavers and sweep it into the cracks in between to secure the bricks in place. Once you sweep your sand, you can sprinkle the area with a little water to help everything settle. Adjust any pavers if needed.
    7. Plant some vegetation (according to your climate zone) around the edges of the pavers. We live in the Central Valley of California, so we chose mandevilla and bougainvillea in the hopes of getting them to grow along the fence. Otherwise we planted tropicana and some grasses, with potted succulents to break things up.
    8. To soften the edges of your brick paver patio, place river rock along the sides. You can use this to create curves or paths along the sides of your patio. Fill in the rocks around the pots and plants, being sure to leave space for things to grow or adjust.
    9. Add your final touches and a seating area! See our materials list for links to the furniture and pieces we used.

Product for this post graciously provided by AllModern.

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29 Comments

  1. I really appreciate and love your back yard Brick Paver DIY Paver brick installation project you have and glad it is complete! I’m the same way when it comes to Paver Installation DIY Projects. But I have to remember that it’s about doing it right and making sure the proper foundations have been laid so it will last for the long term.

    BTW…when will you have the fence installed?

  2. Wow! Really really great looking space! I think it’s key to add some plants along your pavers to soften the look, too. The succulents are so perfect and are very trendy right now. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Girl, this is definitely home improvement! Great job! I have the same chairs. Can’t wait to redo my patio.

  4. Yiu cant just plop diwn bricks without support. You first dig a hole in the area you want to put the bricks. Usually two to three feet in a square or rectangle pattern for the shape of the patio. You buy sand from [Home Depot] along with pebble rocks mixed with sand. You later sand, rocks, sand. Then you use a tamper to make the area completely packed down. Now place stones. Otherwise every time it rains, your patio will sink over time and become uneven. It’s not just about pretty.

    1. Hi Helen! No, it’s definitely “not just about pretty,” as you so kindly put it. For me, it’s about using what you have and making it work in a way that’s appropriate to your own situation. In this case, we knew the patio would be short-lived (it’s already gone, with a sandbox in its place), so we went with a temporary build. But thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Cheers!

  5. ❤ Love the look of this so much! Approximately how far away from the wooden fencing did you locate the fire pit? Did you ever have any issue with flying embers, or did the screen keep them pretty much contained?

    1. Hey there! No issues with embers whatsoever, the screen really keeps them contained. Our pit was probably about 7 or so feet from the fence.

    1. Hi Van! We didn’t run into any weed problems. This area was just dirt before, so there were no lingering roots of much of anything that was going to pop up. Every couple of months we might get an errant sprout between them, but I just pull that out at the roots gently and it’s no problem.