DIY Ideas For Your Next Backyard Reno

Here in Australia, we’re lucky to have good weather most of the year. And if you’re anything like us, we often can’t stop thinking about our backyards. We’re always itching to get out there, get our hands dirty and spruce up the space.

We’re always on the lookout for DIY projects to try in our backyards and have rounded up some of the best ones below! 

DIY Garden Ideas

Nothing beats a peaceful morning in your garden. 

Try out a few of the DIY garden ideas below to create the Eden of your dreams:

• Raised planter box: Protect your plants with a raised box. You can make one easily with a few planks of wood and your favourite stain.
• Fire pit: This is great for summer nights! Using leftover pavers or bricks, you can easily build your own firepit right outside your garden.
• If your backyard is compact, finding DIY small garden ideas on a budget can be difficult. We’ve got a few. You only need one small DIY project to change your outdoor space completely!
• Stepping stones: With a small batch of concrete and a simple mould, you can create a few picture-perfect pavers to lead you to your garden. Get creative and recycle broken glass or porcelain on top for a mosaic effect! This is our favourite cheap DIY garden path idea.
• Ladder herb garden: Sometimes the best use of a small space is vertical. Stand an old ladder up against a wall or fence and use s-hooks to hang metal planters from the rungs. 
• Cinder block succulents: Save on expensive planters–just DIY them! Paint cinder blocks in your favourite colour, fill in with soil and plant your prettiest succulents.

DIY Chicken Coop Ideas

The promise of fresh eggs is an enticing one, but keeping chickens means you’ll need a coop to house your feathered friends. Often, it can be cheaper to buy one than to build one.

Many websites, like Etsy, have cheap DIY chicken coop plans available to purchase and follow to build your coop right in your backyard.

Once your coop is ready to go, you’ll need some important accessories to make sure your hens feel at home. These can make for some fun DIY projects as well:

• Nesting boxes: You’ll need at least one nesting box for every four hens which can be made from wood. These should be fairly roomy at 30’Wx30’Hx45’D.
• Roosting bar: Chickens prefer to get their beauty rest while perched rest high off the ground. A roosting bar is a necessity and can be made easily from a single wood plank!
• Enclosed run: Chickens need plenty of exercise. Building an enclosed run around your coop will give them a safe space to spread their wings. You’ll need wooden posts, a small amount of concrete and wire fencing to DIY your run.

DIY Greenhouse Ideas

Greenhouses can be a great addition to your backyard and easy to build yourself! You can search for plans online or to save the most money, try out the simple DIY greenhouse projects below:

• A-frame greenhouses: A-frame greenhouses are some of the easiest to DIY. You can construct these with many different kinds of materials like old windows, straw bales, wooden pallets and plastic sheeting.
• PVC hoop greenhouses: These are another easy DIY. All you’ll need is flexible PVC pipes to bend into arches and bury both ends in a garden bed. Simply cover the hoop structure with plastic sheeting and you’ve got yourself a greenhouse!

DIY Retaining Wall Ideas

If your backyard has some uneven landscaping or you’re building a raised garden bed, you may need to install a retaining wall. 

These walls hold back the earth that’s raised higher than the ground below and keep your space clean. 

Though they can be pricey, you can save money by utilising cheap DIY retaining wall ideas. If you want to build your own there are plenty of materials you may already have that you can repurpose:

• Bricks
• Cinder blocks
• Stones
• Wooden pallets
• Flagstone
• Logs
• Recycled tires

Another cheap and easy idea is pouring a small batch of concrete or using concrete blocks to build your retaining wall.