Frugal Ways to Re-Decorate Your Indoor or Outdoor Patio

Frugal Ways to Re-Decorate Your Indoor or Outdoor Patio

Light it up

You don’t have to opt for an expensive lighting system to brighten up your patio at night. There are a variety of budget-friendly options out there to fit whatever aesthetic you’re going for. Citronella candles pull dual duty by providing great bug protection and a decent amount of light. Tiki torches are another option that can add some style, too. And if you’re really looking for cheap flair, try buying some white Christmas lights off-season and stringing them up. In the right atmosphere, they can seem positively elegant.

Tiki Torch

Plant the seed of change

One of the best ways to decorate a patio is with some nice flowers or greenery, but some full-size plants can be quite pricy. If you want to save a few bucks and practice your gardening skills, buy seeds and grow your own. As a bonus, you can even opt for less expensive plain pots and repaint or decorate them yourself.

Forget stores—use yard sales

Patio furniture can be surprisingly expensive if you just head out to a regular store but luckily there are other options available. If you live in an area with frequent yard sales, make a day of it one weekend and see if you can pick up a few bargains. You never know when you might come across something amazing that will look just perfect in your space. And if there are a few nicks or some peeling paint, don’t worry. Those things are easy, cheap—and often fun—to fix!

Patio Furnitture

Skip the outdoor kitchen

In some areas, outdoor patio kitchens are becoming quite the rage but installing everything you need is likely to cost you a fortune. Buck the trend and go old school by getting a grill instead. Today’s grills are able to help with a wide variety of cooking tasks, depending on how high-tech you want to go, but even the most basic models can still help you to whip up some mouth-watering treats in the hot summer months.

Patio Grill

Spray away

Before you opt to spend a lot of money to replace your current patio table or chairs, try giving them a face lift first. You would be absolutely shocked to see the difference a few cans of spray paint can make in terms of creating a whole new look for your patio. If you really like the look, you might even want to try it out on your table or other patio furniture.

Not in my house

We all have items in our house that we hate. Maybe your husband can’t part with that old kayak he never uses anymore or those gaudy fluorescent beer signs from his college days. Or your wife is obsessed with African tribal masks or garden gnomes—even though you don’t have a garden. The point is that sometimes things that look hideous inside the house can actually fit in quite well outside, depending on the theme you’re going for. Take a look around and see if there’s anything that you can get rid of—er, we mean re-purpose.

Patio Flowers

Make your own bamboo rug

Head out to a local carpet store—or even a warehouse like Home Depot—and you’ll quickly discover that rugs are not cheap. There is another way, though, that will barely cost you anything. Pick up a bunch of bamboo beach mats (typically about $5 each) and use carpet tape on the bottom to stick them together. Then all you have to do is place some of your patio furniture on top to keep it down – instant rug!