Create Dreamy Outdoor Spaces for Under $300

Itching to enjoy the outdoors, but your patio is ho-hum? You don’t have to spend a fortune to make it a dreamy space. With a bit of ingenuity and $300, you can create dreamy outdoor spaces.

The patio space I decorated was about 10×10. Of course, depending on your space, you can adjust the plans for size. I even included a graphic to help you determine how much furniture you’ll need. Let’s get to it!

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1. Plan out your outdoor living space.

Measure your space carefully to figure out what will fit once you get into the store or shop online. Here’s what my space looked like along with a few area measurements to keep in mind, in terms of how much space these items typically take up.

You also need to ensure plenty of walk space between furniture and people, about 22 inches between objects, and about 12-18 inches between a coffee table and couches or chairs.

2. Grab some outdoor furniture.

Depending on your space, you can go with a simple bistro set or all out with a 5-piece set. Here are two sets I found at Walmart that can easily fit within a $300 budget. I went with the 5-piece set.

3. Buy a strand of outdoor lighting for $6.84.

To help light up your space so you can use it day or night, grab a strand of incandescent outdoor lights. I recently bought a strand for about $7 at Target.

4. Grab an outdoor grill for about $21.

If you ain’t grillin’, you ain’t chillin’. I believe any outdoor living space needs a grill to make it special. Prep your patio area for summer with an inexpensive grill from Amazon. This little guy is a win-win. You can use it in your backyard or take it on the go.

5. Scoop up plants and flowers at Lowe’s and Walmart for $1 each.

Save on plants and flowers when you head to Lowe’s and get plants on clearance. My store had a variety of plants marked down as low as $1.

Please note that clearance varies by store. Be sure to check the garden center at your local Lowe’s to see which plant deals you can score.

You can also find perennials like Daffodils, Tulips, and Muscari Hyacinth for $1 each at Walmart.

For my project, I spent $20 on 20 plants.

PRO TIP: Compare prices on everything to help stay within your budget. Check Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, and Target for their price matching policies.

6. Buy some flower pots — otherwise, get them free from Home Depot’s recycling program or DIY them.

If you don’t have pots for your new plants, grab some from Lowe’s or Walmart while you’re picking up your flowers and plants. Rather go cheap? How about free? No problem. Look for free planters through Home Depot’s Plant It Again recycling program or craft DIY planters for free. I couldn’t resist this blue planter from Lowe’s.

PRO TIP: Check Raise or Gift Card Granny for discount Lowe’s or Home Depot gift cards. You can save anywhere from 1-8%.

7. Pick up mini raised gardening beds including plants for under $20 each.

Lowe’s has these absolutely adorable miniature raised gardening beds for under $20. They have three kinds: strawberries, potatoes, and onions. I grabbed one of each.

8. Grab an outdoor rug or two.

For less than $20 at Walmart, you can dress up your deck or patio area with a decent size rug. If you like the layered look, grab a couple. Since I went with the more expensive furniture set, I got just one rug to stay under my budget.

9. Throw in a few outdoor pillows.

Pick up a few outdoor toss pillows and make your company feel right at home. I bought three of these cute pillows from Better Homes & Gardens I found cheap at Walmart.

10. Calculate your total costs.

How’d you do? Were you able to stay on budget? Here’s what I spent to dress up my 10-foot x 10-foot outdoor living space:

I made it under my budget by $0.84. Yay!