Unlocking the Secrets to an Enchanting Backyard Retreat
Ah, the sweet scent of summer. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, our gaze naturally shifts towards the great outdoors, beckoning us to step beyond the confines of our homes and immerse ourselves in nature’s embrace. And what better place to bask in this seasonal splendor than our very own backyard?
The beautiful thing about spring and summer is that we get to extend our living space using our backyard. I love that. The snow, ice, and cold are gone, and we can sit outside for hours enjoying the fresh air. The kids get to treat the great outdoors as their playroom, and I get to enjoy a whole different way of entertaining.
Elevating the Humble Backyard
Often, we think of styling our front porch, but why do we leave out the backyard space when we think of decorating? I’ve collected some backyard decorating ideas to make your extra living space extra beautiful this year.
Swinging Into Serenity
I am fortunate enough to have a forest behind my house, where I can create a secluded, romantic swing area at the end of a little pathway. But even if you don’t have this option, a swing is a beautiful backyard decorating idea. It adds extra seating and also some character and whimsy to any space. You can put it on your deck or your lawn, wherever it fits the space best. Then, add decor items like throw blankets and cushions to the swing. Surround it with accent tables for your guests to set cold drinks on and some potted plants for atmosphere. Twinkle lights are, of course, the perfect touch. I wrapped a nearby tree with Christmas lights and put a line of string lights up behind it for effect. I added lanterns as well. For my own swing, I did not do any DIY (shocking, I know!) and ordered the Wood Canyon Patio Swing from The Brick with this project in mind. The swing looks so rustic and cozy, and I’m very happy with my choice. This is one of my very favorite backyard ideas.
Cozy Firesides and Starry Nights
Backyard get-togethers don’t always happen in the heat of the day. If you want to make your fire pit area cozy for late-night sessions of marshmallow roasting and glasses of wine shared with friends, this post is perfect for you. True, it is geared toward fall, but we all know that in this part of the world, even summer evenings are cool. So, adding blankets and pillows to an outdoor living room is not out of place, even in July.
I found these amazing Muskoka chair kits at Costco online. I painted them to fit with my chosen color scheme and then added accessories to create an outdoor oasis. You could use flower pots, planters, or planted greenery and herbs as focal points to really make your fire pit area shine.
Privacy, Please!
If you want some extra privacy or have some ugly landscaping you want to cover, like I did on our back patio, using inexpensive lattice is an easy idea. We had some old PVC lattice panels from our Little Lake House renovation, so I decided to mount them on top of our retaining wall in our back patio to hide an ugly dirt hill. To mount them, I screwed some lumber onto the bottom of our deck and then screwed the lattice panels to the lumber with wood screws. For added ambiance, I strung some string lights across the panels, and I love how this makes our back patio look so much more finished.
Hammock Haven: A Cozy Respite
As soon as it finally warmed up here, I couldn’t wait to put up my romantic crochet-edged cotton hammock in our back woods again. A hammock is such a great backyard decorating idea. It can transform part of your outdoor area into a comfortable yet practical place for rest and relaxation. Whether you bought your hammock new or got lucky and found it at a thrift store, you’re probably going to need to clean it at some point. My hammock is white, so it needed some attention to return it to its original glory before I could put it back up again. Let me give you a tutorial on how to clean your hammock properly and then style it with pops of color using cushions, flowers, lanterns, or candles and a beautiful accent table that makes it the perfect place to read a book with a cup of tea in the morning or afternoon.
Balcony Bliss: Transforming Small Spaces
Don’t forget that balconies are backyard spaces too. Just because you don’t have a large backyard doesn’t mean you can’t convert your balcony into an outdoor room that will bring you joy all summer long. You could add a small outdoor dining set or a conversation set of chairs to help you enjoy your space.
I recently proved that balconies can be cozy when I styled my parents’ lake house balcony area. This balcony was inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest with a striped, fringed umbrella. I added a patio set of two chairs and an accent table. To create a French-inspired umbrella, I glued some trim onto an Amazon umbrella and placed it on the balcony to offer some shade. My mom made some beautiful blue floral cushions from April Cornell napkins. They added such a lovely vintage charm to this set. I added some decor pieces like an old wicker tray I had on hand, some vintage books and cups from Value Village, a faux plant from Michaels, and some faux Dollarama roses. My mom always has beautiful plants and flowers on hand in the summer, so we added them to the patio with some lanterns and jugs. I love how it turned out, and it proves that one of my best backyard decorating ideas is to add decor and little colorful accents when you can, even if it feels silly to decorate outside. It is worth the effort!
Patio Perfect: Refreshing Your Outdoor Oasis
The temperature is heating up, and summer will be upon us before you know it. So, now’s a great time to get your patio clean and decorated for the season. I’m sharing 5 tips to get your patio gorgeous and ready for entertaining. You’ll find spring cleaning ideas, tips on how to use paint to refresh your space, a simple pillow DIY project to make your furniture look finished, examples of how to use florals and greenery to your best advantage, and, of course, twinkle lights. I’m also sharing a tour of our own colorful summer patio for extra inspiration.
Here are some ways that I’ve decorated our patio for summer on a budget, and how you can too. Learn how to make a DIY mosquito repellent luminary in a mason jar, the best place to find cheap patio decor in Canada, and how to make a faux ivy wall. If you have a smaller backyard like we do at our Tiny Lake House rental, you can still make it functional and cozy. Last year, we built a beautiful privacy fence from MicroPro Sienna treated lumber in the backyard. It’s the perfect backdrop to the cozy firepit in the backyard of our lake cottage. The patio was here when we bought the place, and it’s a faux stone patio created with concrete and a concrete form like this one. I added my favorite budget-friendly Costco wooden lounge chairs to the patio to create an outdoor seating area and painted them a beautiful mint green. We added a firepit made by a local company and a BBQ grill to the back deck. It’s a small but beautiful, functional outdoor living space, and our guests love it.
Backyard Bliss: Bringing the Cozy Indoors Out
It’s almost summer. Are you looking forward to cozy evenings on the patio with a fire and lots of twinkly lights and lanterns? I love using Duraflame Stax Crackling Firelogs to light a quick fire in our patio fire pit. To start a fire, you simply have to stack two of these fire logs in a cross pattern. Next, light the wrapper of the bottom one, and you’ll have a large, crackling fire within a few minutes.
Besides the cozy fire that is a must for an outdoor summer hangout session, I also make our patio warmer with throw pillows and blankets spread over the patio furniture for my family and friends. The nice glow from the lanterns and votive candles also helps make our patio feel warm, cozy, and sparkly. I hung my DIY macrame chandelier from our patio umbrella for some extra ambiance. It’s so easy to move and quickly hook up anywhere with its chain. If you have a ceiling covering your deck, it would be perfect there too. I also put out a lit birch tree decoration I had from Christmas. I love adding twinkling lights to an outdoor space for any season.
Backyard Bashes: Hosting Memorable Outdoor Gatherings
Looking for backyard party decor ideas for your next outdoor gathering? My girls and I like to have an outdoor tea party or a picnic every year. Today, I want to share with you one of those little backyard parties with the hope that it gives you some inspiration for your own outdoor gathering. If you are planning any sort of outdoor celebration – whether it’s a little get-together, a birthday party, or even a wedding – I think you’re going to love these DIY ideas. I’m giving tips on seating arrangements for your party, dining space, table decor, and a super fun idea for a s’mores station.
There you have it, so many backyard decor ideas for beautiful and cozy outdoor living. Anything you think we should add to the list? Put it in the comments or tag me @thediymommy with your own backyard oasis.
