Budget-friendly backyard patio plans

We are finally starting to feel a bit of warmth in the breeze here in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It has been a long, snowy winter and we are all ready for spring! I am looking forward to feeling the sun on my face and preparing our patio for some backyard barbecues with family and friends. We practically live on the back patio from May through September.

This year, with the help of my dad and the hubs, I’m planning on making some upgrades to our patio, starting with this hot mess:

To begin sprucing up the space, we’ll be pouring a concrete step off of the back porch. After doing some research on how to do this project – I recommend this video tutorial – I created a game plan. I’ll begin by cleaning up all the yard debris; digging out a spot for the stair, which will run the entire width of the porch; forming up the area where concrete will go; and preparing for a successful pour by removing and killing any weeds and grass in the vicinity using Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer.

Photo via Spectracide.com

I have been around a lot of concrete pours, both large and small. But I have never actually been heavily involved in the process before. This will definitely be a learning experience for me. I’ll be sharing all the details along the way so those of you who are thinking of tackling a similar project will get the information you need. If you haven’t already, be sure to “like” me on Facebook here, as I’ll be sharing the daily progress there.

I’ll be glamming up the patio with some other thrifty DIY upgrades, too.

In addition to removing weeds and debris and pouring the stair, I’ll be refurbishing the ceiling fixture (a project I’m really excited about); adding my $160 upcycled patio dining set; and filling some stylish planters for the new patio stair.

To see some of the inspiration behind this project, check out my Outdoor Pinterest board here. Here are some of the elements I’m planning to incorporate into my space:

Thrifty DIY patio set

Torches in planter

Adding color

DIY outdoor ceiling fan update

The coolest part of this whole backyard endeavor is that I’m working hard to make sure the project is one of my thriftiest makeovers yet. I’ll be sharing all my money-saving strategies along the way so you can make your backyard gorgeous, too, without busting your budget.

We’ll be going to work on the project hopefully this week, so more details and photos will be coming soon.

In the meantime, if you have an outdoor project that requires the use of weed and grass killer, save yourself some money by heading over to the Spectracide Facebook page, “liking” them, and snatching up their $2 off and $5 back coupons.

To all of my yard warriors, whether you are after a total yard overhaul or just want to keep your yard looking its best, visit the Spectracide Facebook page for tips and savings to get started.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Spectracide. The opinions and text are all mine.