Complete DIY Budget Backyard Patio Makeover | Before & After

I am SOOOO excited to share this with you. This was one of those projects that I ended up having a two week timeline. My sons 4th birthday party was approaching and my goal was to have it outside which meant I should really get that outdoor space looking and feeling amazing. Because I work and am a single mom the past two weeks have looked like go to work, get off, pickup kiddo, eat dinner, work on projects, put him to bed, blog about said projects and do it all over again. Learning to squeeze in 20 minutes here and there for Youtube tutorials, and scouring FB Marketplace for deals.
Now, we rent so that presents challenges of just how much we can do, and how much is actually worth investing in.

The before is bad. Honestly it’s just plain. There was NOTHING there and what was there was filthy. I mean look at that concrete slab. It’s almost black it’s so dirty.

First up was power washing. The concrete slab hadn’t been cleaned in ten years according to my landlord. YIKES! There were parts that were seriously black. BARF!

Now I will say I was blessed enough to be gifted some of what you are seeing. For example the back patio concrete slab desperately needed to be power washed and a co-worker let me borrow their power washer so I was able to save a couple hundred dollars and completely refresh the ground. Sidenote, if you have never power washed or are nervous to, don’t! It’s sooooo much fun.

So I had grandiose plans of using the beautiful black line Edison bulb outdoor string lights but quickly learned the small pine boards I used were not going to hold. So I had to go to plan b and use some string lights I already had. I am fine with how it looks and honestly I figured out how to make the string light planters cheaper than I had seen anywhere else so I am happy with results I got for the budget I had.

And the AFTER…

Power washer: Amazon

Outdoor Rug: Opal house at Target
Patio Table: Amazon
Patio Bench: IKEA
Egg Chair: Walmart
Outdoor Patio Set: World Market
Outdoor Patio Cushions: Pier One
Patio Umbrella: Amazon
Firepit: Ace Hardware

Planters: Lowes
Pine Boards: Home Depot
Concrete: Home Depot
Soil: Home Depot