We’re about to officially dive in to our back porch makeover, so I thought we’d kick things off with a fun roundup of creative ideas for your back porch or patio. Read on for DIY outdoor furniture, planters, patio floor ideas, and more!
It’s hard to wrap my brain around the fact that summer break is already almost halfway over. We’ve got just over a month left before school starts back up, which gives us right around 6 weeks to finish the backyard transformation that we committed to at the beginning of summer!
It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but I actually think it’ll be plenty of time for us to wrap up the projects. We’ve been planning, gathering wood, and drawing designs for the last couple of weeks while we catch our breath from the DIY pea gravel patio that we just finished, and now we’re ready to dive headfirst into this makeover.
I don’t have any official updates to share with you yet (though you should keep an eye on my Instagram stories this week because I’ve started the first big project!), so I thought today would be a fun time to take a few minutes to look at some inspiration. There are so many amazingly creative and talented bloggers out there who have done some amazing back patio projects, so let’s take a moment to appreciate them, shall we? Maybe we’ll get some ideas for my back porch, or maybe you’ll get some ideas for your own patio!
DiY BAck porch ideas {DIY Patio furniture, planters, and more!]
First up, let’s just look at some smaller DIY ideas for outdoor decor. I always love a creative planter idea or some pretty art for the yard – here are a few of my favorite smaller projects:
DIY planters, art, and decor
Simplicity in the South – Succulent Centerpiece
You know I love an affordable project – this little succulent planter is made from supplies found at the Dollar Store! This would be so cute on a coffee table, or you could even make a few of them to go down the center of an outdoor dining table!
Juggling Act Mama – Simple Pallet Planter
I actually tried to talk Corey into doing something similar to this DIY pallet planter recently! We got a pallet delivered with the pavers for our patio, and I have always loved the idea. But, he told me I already have too many plants (true), and we didn’t really have a great place for it (also true). So, maybe one of you can tackle this cute project and I’ll live vicariously through you?
Making Lemonade – How to Hang Patio Curtains
I love the look of breezy white curtains on a back porch! We considered tackling something like this (I’ve had a few requests for ideas on how to increase privacy!) but we have a pretty private backyard already thanks to lots of mature trees, and I don’t want to add anything to the porch that would obstruct my view of the kids playing outside. But, if you ask me, this is one of the simplest and prettiest ways to add some privacy to your back porch!
Chatfield Court – How to Build a Planter Box
I love that this almost feels like an entry table for your back porch. I’m a fan of anything for the backyard that does double duty, and this cute little planter box has a really handy shelf underneath it for storage or decor! It’s a really simple build that would be perfect for beginners, too!
Ideas from the archives
Don’t Want to DIY? Here are some shopping options!
DIY FURNITURE + PATio furniture makeovers
Next up is one of my favorite outdoor project categories – furniture! Whether you’re building your own furniture or just giving an existing piece a makeover, there’s so much you can do to personalize your patio furniture a bit.
PMQ for Two – DIY Patio Loungers
These cute little patio lounge chairs were made from an Ana White plan, and I just love how colorful and fun they are. They look comfy, too! This is a great alternative to buying pricey lounge chairs, and you can make sure they look exactly how you want them to.
DIY Danielle – DIY Outdoor Chairs
I love these cute outdoor chairs – and they’re so simple to build! One lesson I’ve really learned this summer as we prep for our back porch makeover is that building your own patio furniture is faaaaaar more affordable than buying it, so it’s worth the extra work to us!
Saws on Skates – DIY Outdoor Coffee Table
This adorable little coffee table hides four more little side tables underneath it. How smart is that?! This is great for a small space where you really want to be able to entertain a lot of people but just don’t have room for a huge table. People can use the small side tables as stools, they can pull them over to set a drink on, or they can hold snacks while the main table holds a game! So, so smart.
By Brittany Goldwyn – DIY Outdoor Dining Table
I can’t do a roundup of DIY furniture ideas and not include a table! I really love this modern outdoor dining table – it’s a simple build, and the finished result is so, so beautiful! This is a great alternative to buying one, because you’ll save so much money and can get exactly what you want. Win-win!
Ideas from the archives
Don’t Want to DIY? Here are some shopping options!
patio storage ideas
One of the hardest parts about making your backyard beautiful is figuring out good solutions for storage. A lot of the stuff you keep outside isn’t always pretty, so you need your furniture and decor to be functional and hide some of it! Here are a few of my favorite DIY ideas.
The Handyman’s Daughter – DIY Outdoor End Table with Storage
Need a spot for a cooler but don’t have a ton of extra room? This DIY end table has a built in cooler for drinks, and you can cover it right back up when you’re not using it! Of course, you could just make this a little opening to store kid toys, or other things you don’t want sitting out. I think hiding some storage is an end table is genius!
DIY Huntress – DIY Planters with Hose Storage
The gardening hose is one of the trickiest things to store, if you ask me. It’s bulky, it’s ugly, and it just seems to be all over the yard all the time (just us?!). I love this option for a really cute and creative way to store it! Bonus points if you just drill a hole in the back of the planter and keep it next to the spigot so you don’t have to re-attach it every time and you can hide the ugly plumbing off the side of the house!
Our Handcrafted Life – DIY Outdoor Storage Bench
How incredible is this cedar outdoor bench? The top lifts up for some storage, and it would be a beautiful addition to any back porch or yard. I love, love, love the white contrasted with the cedar, and I love how much storage this would provide!
Ideas from the archives
Don’t Want to DIY? Here are some shopping options!
The big projects: Patio flooring, lighting, and more
And, of course, we can’t talk patio projects without talking about how to make the patio itself look great! Here are a few fun ideas for patio flooring, patio lighting, and other projects to spruce up the back porch.
Amber Oliver – DIY Patio Makeover
Hi, I’m Amanda and I have this thing for yellow doors. How good is that color?! I love Amber’s striped patio floor, and it’s really hard to believe she made such a huge transformation to her patio over a weekend! A few coats of paint really can work wonders, my friends.
The Honeycomb Home – DIY Patio Light Arbor
Probably my number one must-have item for a cozy back porch is good lighting. There’s nothing like some twinkly lights on a warm summer night! If you don’t have a covering for your patio or porch, making your own faux arbor out of lights is a great alternative. It looks beautiful, and is pretty simple to tackle on your own!
Charleston Crafted – DIY Fire Pit and Benches
This cute little fire pit area was pretty simple to put together, and it’s really beautiful! I love the wood benches and the built-in planters, and I imagine an area like this would get a ton of use! S’mores, anyone?!
Table & Hearth – DIY Planked Privacy Wall
This is another beautiful idea to add a bit of privacy to your back patio. It’s a pretty simple project and it looks absolutely gorgeous! If you have a porch that needs a bit of privacy, this is a great way to make it really feel like an extension of the house and help you not feel quite so exposed all the time.
Ideas from the Archives
- DIY Paver + Pea Gravel Patio
- Styling an Outdoor Patio
- DIY Grill Cart Mini-Patio
- DIY Rose Bed
- How to Paint an Outdoor Building
Don’t Want to DIY? Here are some shopping options!
Want Even More outdoor ideas?
This isn’t the first roundup I’ve done with amazing ideas for your exterior. Here are a few more posts you might love if you just want to keep those creative juices flowing!
Anna Wolff says
Wow! These back porch ideas are stunning. Never thought you can do such design. I wonder how it would look like if it will be applied to our newly improved home. Thanks for sharing Amanda!