Seven Back Porch Approaches on a Budget

The useful part is the sizing, the storage, and what still worked after the first month. Spring is finally here, so it's time to freshen up our outdoor spaces and start enjoying them! Today I'm sharing 7 back porch approaches on a budget (you could use the same approaches for a patio or deck too!) to help you create an outdoor space that you, your family, and friends will enjoy all season long. Let's get to it… (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})

One. Bring it to Life with Plants

There's nothing that livens up an outdoor living space more than plants. If your outdoor space is covered like mine, putting a potted plant (with a drip tray under it) inside a basket like {this colorblock basket} is one of the preferred tricks for dressing it up:

I also love hanging baskets of plants on porches, patios, and decks. Last year, I decided to create a wall of plants on our bare back porch wall using flat-backed hanging planters:

I didn't want to drill into our brick to add hangers, so I was initially stumped on what to do, but then I discovered {these spring-loaded hangers} that clip onto your bricks (and worked beautifully!):

Project “wallscape” of greenery was officially a go! I had previously found flat-backed ceramic hanging planters that I loved, but they were over $30 each, and I didn't want to spend that kind of money since I needed six. I ended up finding {these hanging planters} on Wayfair that are a much more budget-friendly option at under $7 each. And I prefer plastic over ceramic for outdoor use in case one were to ever fall.

The design of the planters is super smart, with a self-watering feature. There's an inner black container with holes on the bottom and a string coming through it that sits inside the outer white hanging planter:

When watering the plants, any extra water that drains through the bottom of the black planter will be wicked up the string when your plant starts drying out. I bought a few large Rio dipladenias (continuously flowering plants) and split them up among my six hanging baskets:

It is worth laying out with how it turned out!

These hanging wall planters would be well suited to a hanging herb garden too!

Two. Add Style and Pattern With an Outdoor Area Rug

I decorate our outdoor space in a similar way to our indoor rooms – going neutral with most furniture pieces and bringing in pattern and color with rugs and accessories. Outdoor rugs are typically MUCH less expensive than indoor rugs, so you can use them to add a ton of style to your outdoor space without spending a ton of money. It's exactly why adding an outdoor area rug is one of the preferred back porch approaches on a budget!

Our back porch is long and narrow, with the same brick on our porch floors as the walls surrounding it, so adding some color and pattern with two of {these outdoor rugs} was a real shift!

The household has had them for three years now, and they still look like new! Along with the rug I chose for our back porch, The household has gathered together several other outdoor area rug favorites, many of which are part of Wayfair's current sale. Obviously, I gravitate toward blues and greens, but most of these rugs come in several other color options too:

Rug links: 1. Palmetto pattern rug | 2. Herringbone rug | 3. Navy geometric rug | 4. Diamond pattern rug | 5. Multicolor rug | 6. Medallion rug | 7. Geometric border rug | 8. Center diamond pattern rug | 9. Tribal stripe rug

Three. Create a Conversation Area

A strong choice is the combination of two chairs, a loveseat, and a coffee table for an outdoor conversation area. But the cost of this combo can get over $1000 pretty quickly. I went on the hunt for 4-piece conversation sets for under $500 with high ratings and found these four favorites:

Conversation Set Links: 1. Alexann acacia conversation set | 2. Kirstine acacia conversation set | 3. Palace rattan conversation set | 4. Kuhn gray acacia conversation set

I decided to try out set #3 ({this woven conversation set}) in the natural color and think it's a really great set for the price! I placed the two chairs on the far end of our porch, near our new plant wall:

And have the loveseat facing them, with the coffee table in the middle:

The set arrived just a few days after I ordered it and took about two hours to assemble, which is well worth it for the money saved. A strong choice is the look of it, especially the design of the chairs and loveseat when viewed from the side!

The cushions are thinner than those in some more expensive sets, but they still sit comfortably since the seats of the chairs and bench are made with a supportive weave (vs. wood or metal slats).

The perks of thinner cushions are that if you bring them inside (like I have been lately so they don't get covered in pollen!), they don't take up a ton of space, and they dry quickly if they get wet. I like that they're zippered so the covers can be removed for washing.

Are the frames of your outdoor furniture still in good shape but your cushions are a dirty mess? See my post on how to clean outdoor cushions to get them looking like new!

Four. Give Old Outdoor Furniture a New Look with Patterned Pillows

Don't need a new patio set but want to add some life to the one you already have? Adding a few new outdoor pillows is one of my back porch approaches on a budget that gives your space a whole new look! These 18″ blue patterned outdoor pillows, which are on sale {here} for a great price, add so much to our outdoor space:

And {this pair of Sunbrella outdoor pillows} that are navy with green edging is well suited to our loveseat:

These are some of my other outdoor pillow faves you can find at Wayfair:

Source links: 1. Green palm pillow | 2. Blue fish pillow | 3. Blue medallion pillow | 4. Pink & orange ikat pillow | 5. Green appliqued pillow | 6. Blue pillow with green piping | 7. Blue and white geometric pillow | 8. Yellow paisley pillow | 9. Pink palm pillow

Five. Bring Shade to Your Space

Until we moved into our current home, which has a shaded back porch, I never realized how much more we would use our outdoor space when we could enjoy it in the shade. If you have an uncovered porch or an open patio or deck, definitely add an umbrella or two so you can create shade when you need it.

I'm a sucker for the look of a scalloped umbrella! These are my stylish favorites that are currently under $200, have the tilt feature (a must-have in my book!), and have great reviews:

Source links: 1. Scalloped umbrella | 2 & 3. Layered scallop umbrellas | 4 & 5. Greek key edge umbrellas

If you have an outdoor dining space that you'd like to be shaded but no hole in the middle of your table for one, a cantilever umbrella like {this one} will do the trick.

Six. Move Indoor Furniture Out

Another of my back porch approaches on a budget is to dress up your outdoor space with side tables that can find a home both inside and out! Ceramic garden stools are my go-to outdoor side/drink tables for this exact reason. Most of the year, they can be used indoors (next to your tub to hold a bath towel or drink, next to a reading chair to rest a book or magazines, etc.) but they can be moved outdoors once it gets warm.

It's an especially smart move when you live up north and have a shorter outdoor season, since it keeps you from buying extra outdoor furniture for the few months a year that you'll use it. Two garden stools that I use both indoors and out are {this wavy edged concrete stool}:

and {this white cut-out garden stool}:

(FYI, I also love {this cream rug} from the house office and saw that it's on big sale! )

These are a few other kept garden stools that would look polished both indoors and out:

Sources: 1. Geometric patterned garden stool | 2. Brushstroke stripe garden stool  | 3. Medallion cut garden stool  | 4. Diamond cut garden stool  | 5. Diamond patterned garden stool | 6. Blue floral garden stool  | 7. Classic blue and white garden stool | 8. Black and white patterned garden stool

Seven. Create Ambience with Outdoor Lighting

One of the most budget-friendly ways to add instant ambience to your outdoor space is with outdoor lighting. First, swap out any old outdoor lights that are dated or corroded due to exposure to the elements. You can do this in a VERY budget friendly way, and it makes a big difference!

I replaced my porch light with {this clean-lined lantern matte black wall fixture} which is under $100:

Also look at {this outdoor wall light} that's on sale for under $100 if you're looking for something more petite.

Another lighting change you can make on the cheap is hanging string lights! When the sun goes down and your string lights go on, they instantly give your outdoor space a magical feel! Rounded globe string lights such as {these} are my favorites. Look at my post with simple pointers for hanging string lights on your covered patio for more details.

It would help if you enjoyed today's post and found a few budget-friendly ways to dress up your outdoor space for spring!

XO,