Cheap Patio Ideas

Patios can be a great place to entertain guests or spend family time outdoors, but not if all you have is a boring concrete slab. Patio furniture can be expensive, but if you shop carefully and don't mind doing some of the work yourself, you can have a guest-ready patio in very little time and without letting go of much cash.

Reuse and Recycle

Give your patio a luxurious garden feel and help the environment at the same time by making other people's castoffs into your garden creation. Check with your local retailers to find out what they do with their used delivery pallets. If they discard or recycle them, volunteer to take a few pallets, even broken ones, off their hands. This gives you a free supply of heavy-duty wood you can nail together to create open-bottom planter boxes (your patio's concrete will form the bottom). Make the boxes about 18-inches high (usually three planks from a pallet) and square. Then set two squares 18 inches apart, connecting them across the top with more plank strips, creating a bench between the two boxes. Scout your area for constructions sites that are offering free fill dirt and use that, mixed with a small amount of potting soil, to fill your planter boxes. Create as many as you need to offer the amount of seating and greenery you want.

Expanded Mesh

Expanded metal mesh outdoor furniture is often the cheapest style available. While it doesn't look like much on its own, try creating a look of your own by weaving ribbons through the mesh on chairs and tables. Purchase clear decorative glasses and fill them with pretty stones or pebbles you've found, painted with clear nail polish to keep their shine. Wrap the glasses with ribbons that match your furniture to tie the look together.

Outdoor Tea Room

Mix Asian and American influences to create an outdoor tea room. You can often find bamboo mats at low prices at discount and overstock stores, especially in spring when patio furniture is on sale. Start with the mat as your base, then find an old coffee table at a thrift shop and cut off the legs to make the top rest at about 16-inches high. Paint it a solid color (ask for leftover paint from neighbors or try a recycled building materials store) and surround it with pillows bought at a discount or overstock store. Decorate the area with found stones, driftwood and bamboo for a natural feel. Potted plants will also go well with the tea room style, and pots are often available at thrift stores.