8 DIY Outdoor Decor Projects

The best outdoor spaces are packed with useful, weather resistant and nice looking furnishings. The nicer this decor looks and the better it functions, the more expensive it becomes. Before you get intimidated, remember that you can save a lot of money with DIY projects, which are meant to be as fun as they are inexpensive. As an added incentive, decorating the exterior of your house not only improves curb appeal, it creates another usable space that feels like home.

Essentially, your outdoor living space should always look and feel like an extension of the inside. These DIY outdoor decor ideas work to enhance the livability of your home’s exterior while also amplifying your personal style. The projects range from patio decor ideas, porch improvements and even include a few ways you can stylize your garden.

If your welcome mat is all function and little style, you’re missing a big opportunity to add some personality to your outdoor space. When guests arrive, a welcome mat is one of the first things they interact with at your home. Make it count. Stenciled DIY welcome mats like this one are so inexpensive, you could have one for every season.

When it comes to outdoor decorating to improve curb appeal, the devil is in the details. A cheap, plastic house numbers sign is going to detract more from your home than you might realize. There are numerous ways to upgrade your house numbers, but there are a few key points to remember.

Make sure the style of the numbers is in keeping with the age and style of your home.
Position house numbers underneath an exterior light so people can see them easily from the street.
Keep the number font simple and highly readable. Some fancier scripts are nearly impossible to read from a distance.

Signs are a great way to welcome guests into your home or make a powerful statement that speaks to your family’s values. You can craft just about any sign for your porch area that says just about anything. Put some thought into the feeling you want to create. Do you want it to be welcoming? Perhaps a simple “Welcome’ sign will do. Do you want it to be cozy and conducive to small gatherings? This lowercase “gather” sign would work perfectly.

If you’re going to add window boxes to your outdoor space, consider using cedar. It is a little more expensive, but this wood ages beautifully. Creating window boxes yourself ensures that you will have the right size box for each window you want to enhance. Window boxes are an efficient way to show visitors that you take pride in your home and you’re not afraid to show it.

People should stop taking their gardens so seriously. A whimsical yard and garden can do more to improve your mood than a plain garden with no personality. This mini flower garden is fun for the child in all of us and is an even better project to tackle with your kids. Once you create your mini pots, incorporate them into a fairy garden in your flower beds.

Let there be light! In this case, let there be candlelight. Not all of us are lucky enough to have electrical wires running out to our patio or backyard. And even if there is an area for overhead lighting, this converted chandelier makes a beautiful accent light. Too much light outside is not nearly as relaxing as the ambiance of candlelight.

End tables and plant stands are so important in an outdoor space, but they are one of those things that often gets overlooked. Have you ever sat in someone’s backyard or on a patio and had to put your drink on the ground? A few end tables like this one would have solved that problem.

In theory, succulent planters are low maintenance and easy to do. However, it’s still worth learning exactly how to make a large planter like this one because mistakes can be made. Once you get the basics down, you’ll be able to create some eye-catching focal points in your outdoor living space that will get your neighbors talking.