How to Make a Welcoming Outdoor Space in Less Than a Day

If you happen to live in an open space home, you should probably use it. Whether you have acres of land, a compact backyard, or an apartment balcony, it’s entirely possible to create a dedicated, welcoming space where you can sit and enjoy the great outdoors, even if you don’t have the budget, time, or necessary skills. build a beautiful patio.

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Here are a few things you can do during the day to make your outdoor space usable, which is definitely better than nothing.

Select and clear an area

Full disclosure: This part may take more than a day, depending on the condition of your backyard or balcony.

First, figure out where you’d like to create your outdoor space (if that decision hasn’t already been made for you). In many cases it makes sense to place it around the tailgate – for the sake of convenience – but this is not the rule.

Once you have a rough plan for your future outdoor seating area, clear out any weeds, debris, random backyard tidbits, and anything else that gets in your way.

Put a border around it

Even if you have the remnants of a patio or concrete slab, you’ll probably want to put some sort of boundary around the area to separate it from the rest of your yard. This is even more important if you are converting the open area of ​​your yard into a dedicated space for (comfortable) outdoor enjoyment.

The border can be as simple or complex as you want. Some options include:

  • Stones (even better if they are already on your territory, they are free)
  • Bricks (see above)
  • Cinder blocks (can be painted)
  • Several large pots around the perimeter
  • Wooden crates or pallet sections (which can often be found for free)
  • A collection of items found in your yard/garage/attic or purchased from a second-hand store or second-hand store.

Cover the ground (if you like)

If you are going to cover the ground with your space, now is the time to do so. While you can certainly leave whatever is already there – such as grass, concrete, or gravel – you can also make the area more cohesive (and homey) by adding something to cover the ground. This could be a thin layer of gravel, a piece of artificial turf, or a large outdoor carpet.

Add seating

Then add a seating area and a part that can function as a table. Again, if you’re working on a small budget, you can use whatever you have on hand, even if it doesn’t fit. There are also several DIY outdoor seating options .

Customize the space

Technically, this could stop (and if you limit your project to one day, you may have to do this). But once you’ve created a dedicated outdoor seating area, you can add some personal touches to make it more comfortable.

For example, if the place isn’t in the shade (at least part of the day), you might consider installing some sort of sun shelter – even if it’s two sturdy poles supporting the canopy fabric . You can also add a few containers of flowers and/or plants (real or fake), a string of lights, or other decorations to make it more inviting.

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