Designing a beautiful landscape for your yard without breaking the bank is possible. There are easy ways to create a lovely, stylish area on the cheap by taking advantage of old treasures and do-it-yourself projects. With a little ingenuity, creativity, and shopping savvy, you can achieve a custom, high-end look in your yard.

Here are some ideas for adding that special “something” to your future landscape without spending all of your cash!

Hunt for Cool, Vintage Pieces
Yard sales and thrift stores are full of amazing finds that can become even more amazing with a coat of paint and a perfect spot in your garden. Look for old fences, doors, pots, window frames, garden furniture, birdhouses—whatever speaks to you. Choose a vibrant color that coordinates with your home. Reclaimed benches and rustic gates can provide a huge impact without costing very much. Over time, you can swap out these objects and colors so your outdoor design is always fresh.

Create Tailor-Made Views with Fabric
A bit of indoor/outdoor fabric can go a long way—especially if you’re seeking privacy and style. Many homeowners in new developments are lacking mature trees around their patios and porches. Rather than splurge on fully-grown plantings, try installing a porch curtain in a fun, breezy fabric. Drape colorful prints from a pergola or simple archway. For a few hundred dollars, you can achieve a more secluded space while you wait for your saplings and privacy hedges to fill out.

Have Fun with Concrete Paint
Concrete paint speaks for itself, and it might as well say, “walk this way!”  It comes in a broad range of colors, adding new appeal to cold, fractured concrete. Try painting your concrete-slab patio in blue and burgundy stripes, or paint your patio border a rich green. Concrete paint can bring your old front steps back to life, and lend a bit of whimsy to the end of your driveway. Wherever you use it, guests are bound to notice.

Pare Back on Accessories
Sometimes more is less. If you can’t afford a new porch this year, try making over your old space with a clean, simple look. Mismatched hanging baskets, dusty planters, decorative signs, dirty area rugs: this kind of outdoor clutter can make an aging space look older than it is. Put a ban on sports equipment and kids’ toys, then power-wash the entire area. Repaint with a crisp white, or in the exact color of your house, for a monochromatic look.

Experiment with Lighting
Solar lights placed along your front or back walkway look stunning during the evening. You won’t have to use electricity, so there’s no need to be concerned about utility costs! When you have more room in your budget for outdoor lighting installation, you’ll already know which areas need brightening.

Ready to start shopping?  Here’s one more tip: bring a photo of your outdoor space (in your cell phone or purse) whenever hunting for landscape features. You’ll make smarter purchases, and wind up with fewer returns.