Safe, durable and cozy on a cool summer’s night, we’ll show you how to build a stone fire ring that will be the center of family gatherings for years to come. It’s one of our absolute favorite DIY yard ideas. Whether you’re hosting a cookout, campfire jam session or just taking in the stars, this attractive feature will be the highlight of your yard.
Who says functional storage can’t be beautiful? Whether your style is Craftsman, modern or country, you’ll find a garden shed to make all your storage dreams come true. Check out our extensive library of shed plans, complete with the materials, steps and tools you’ll need for success.
Create a living privacy screen. These planter trellis combo plans feature a simple planter and trellis planter made with bamboo. You can do it in a weekend for about $100. If you’re wishing for wisteria or craving clematis, you can plant them just steps away in this planter and trellis for your deck or patio.
This super-simple potting bench will make your gardening projects much more enjoyable—and it’ll help you stay organized, too! Get the potting bench plans. We designed this bench to be strong without complex joints. An experienced woodworker can complete this potting bench in a day.
For the ultimate in DIY outdoor furniture projects, why not challenge yourself with this grill gazebo? It can be fully customized to include bench seats, lighting, built-in coolers, wine glass storage and more. And it will accommodate most standard grill sizes (see our guide to choosing the best grill fuel source), yet it’s compact enough to fit onto a small deck or patio.
A rain garden is easy to build, reduces yard maintenance and even helps the environment. Follow these simple DIY rain garden plans to put one in your yard. Nurture the land in your yard and protect the environment by channeling rain water and runoff from gutters into a rain garden planted with deep-rooted, colorful native plants.
For large outdoor gatherings, copious seating is a necessity. This outdoor couch can fit several adults, and oversized arm rests act as end tables for drinks. Before getting started, you’ll want to pick up the cushions for the couch first; depending on their size, you can make any adjustments to the cut list necessary for the perfect fit.
Expand your home’s living spaces with a screened porch, perfect for hot summer days where you want some of the breeze and none of the bugs. It’s a multi-day project, but you’ll get many seasons of use per year out of this DIY addition. Built with standard dimensional lumber available at home centers, we designed this project not to have heavy beams or complicated joints. Straightforward construction plans make this project ideal for someone who is comfortable building decks or sheds.
Besides gracing the back yard with its splendor and calming presence, a gazebo is the perfect place to entertain. One look at this beauty and you’ll be picturing it filled with family and friends, celebrating a graduation or even a backyard wedding. Get these charming gazebo project plans.
This timber garden arbor can be your place to get away for a quiet retreat or a nook to chat with friends. Get the garden arbor plans here. Building it is enjoyable too. The main structure goes together like an old-fashioned timber frame with tenons and notches you cut into wooden 6x6s with your circular saw and handsaw.
This small deck, one of our favorite DIY backyard ideas, is packed with features: composite decking, cantilevered seating nooks, a cedar pergola, custom railing and cascading stairs.Find the full dream deck project plans here.
A hardscape wall in your yard doesn’t have to lack flowers or vegetable plants. The wall butting up to the patio serves double duty as a beautiful garden planter. A yard wall planter is an easy DIY project. Here are some plans to build patio wall planters yourself.
Climbing plants like vines and roses lend a lot of charm to an ordinary garden, especially when they’re winding up a trellis as stunning as this one. And its character just grows richer as the wood turns gray and the copper develops a beautiful green patina. DIY planter trellis plans.
This 3-season planter box uses plastic containers or liners to keep moisture and dirt away from the wooden parts, meaning it will survive the outdoors a lot longer than other planters. Learn how to build the 3-season planter box here.
Build a raised planting bed and have tonight’s salad at your fingertips! This attractive cedar design uses perforated drain pipe to store and distribute the water. Get the full plans for this raised-bed planter here.
Build this simple seating/planter/arbor project to create a quiet, private space in your yard or on a deck. It provides shade and comfort as well as a welcome screen from neighbors. You can install it on an existing patio or build it on your deck. Get the full plans for this arbor and benches here.
Use a plastic storage bin for a dog house. A nice little doghouse that will hold up in the rain can cost $100 (though dog carpenters can cut down on labor costs). But you can make your own for a fraction of the price using a plastic storage bin. Cut a small hole in the bin, flip it over on its lid and stick a dog bed inside it. Your dog will love watching the rain from inside his snug little house, and you’ll save $85! Don’t be surprised if your cat likes it so much you’ll have to make one for her too.
The curved wall of this project adds an impressive design element, and it’s the perfect height for a cozy seat around a fire pit. This outdoor project is a big one, but you can do it yourself with these flagstone and stone block patio plans.
Answer the soothing call of water as it trickles in your own DIY backyard idea. If you’re ready to add outdoor projects with wow-factor to your yard, this is it. This DIY water garden stream uses pre-formed shells for ease of construction, and the result is a stunning feature that is part pond, part waterfall—and all parts awesome. If a full pond isn’t in your budget, consider this handy pond in a box, which will fit small spaces beautifully.
There’s a time and place to fraternize with the neighbors, and that time isn’t necessarily when you’re trying to kick back and enjoy a little quiet time on the patio. We built an airy, attractive screen that serves as the perfect solution to achieving a little outdoor privacy for homes a bit too close for comfort to the neighbors.
Kick your outdoor space up a notch with the addition of an elegant, vine-covered pergola. This project will keep you and your guests cool while creating a relaxing spot to spend hot summer days. Building the pergola on top of your existing patio will reduce the cost and simplify the labor involved.
You can customize this design to suit your yard without changing the basic construction. Our fountain is about 4 ft. in diameter. You could make yours half as big or twice as big using the same materials and methods. Check out the details DIY stone fountain here.
A fire table is a beautiful addition to your outdoor living space—and an invitation to gather around. It’s also a stylish centerpiece that gives you a great opportunity to showcase your DIY prowess.
Water is one of the most relaxing sounds in an outdoor yard space. In this natural waterfall, the water from the rain spout is funneled to fuel the waterfall – both ecological and delightful. A hardscape DIY backyard waterfall can be built in one day, and you can see how to build a stone fountain right here.
This tiled table is simple to make, but it’s engineered to hold up in any weather. All the materials are available at home centers and you can build this tile-top table with simple tools and basic skills. Plus, you can customize the top with your choice of any pattern and colors of tile.
