7 Charming DIY Rustic Backyard Ideas For Summer Relaxation

Cozy up with a cup of tea as you flip through these dreamy and budget-friendly DIY rustic backyard ideas for your home. 

Transform your backyard into an outdoor living space perfect for hosting your loved ones or just relaxing by yourself. 

We will cover how to make or find rustic home decor and the importance of including all of your senses in designing your outdoor space. 

I hope this guide helps you to create the rustic backyard of your dreams!

This post is all about the best DIY rustic backyard ideas.

What are the key elements of rustic backyard design? 

Rustic design includes using natural materials like wood, stone, cotton, and plants to create a space that feels like you are in the countryside even if you live in a bustling city or suburban community. 

In this guide, you will find plenty of natural elements that offers an earthy feel. This will help you to create a space that looks cohesive rather than a collection of DIY backyard projects pieced together. 

Even if your current backyard space has a more modern feel, we can carve it down to a more lived-in feel with the use of vintage decor and natural decor.  

The Best DIY Rustic Backyard Ideas

1. Rustic back porch ideas

Let’s start with the area that is truly an extension of your home, the back porch. 

Whether your back porch is screened-in or open-air, there are plenty of ways to give it that inviting and cozy feel. 

This section is where you can incorporate more delicate design elements because it is shaded from the elements. To give it that relaxing patio feel try to add in soft textures, subtle patterns, and neutral colors.

Back porch rustic home decor ideas: 

• Outdoor rug: jute rugs give that natural cozy feel and are pretty durable
• Table setting: Opt for a wooden ottoman for small spaces or a long wooden table for larger porches for hosting 
• Stone pavers leading to the backyard
• Diy rustic wall decor: hanging air plants, hanging porch plants, locally made artwork, shelving with light potted plants, wind chimes, welcoming quote prints 

With a trip to the thrift store and a bit of creativity, you can transform some of the ideas above into your very own DIY rustic decor. 

2. Add in a rustic water feature

Designing a space goes far beyond just what it looks like. It is important to tap into your other senses to imagine how you want the space to ultimately feel like when it is complete. 

Imagine yourself resting in your backyard to the soothing sound of water trickling over stone as you cozy up with a cup of coffee and a good book. 

DIY rustic water feature ideas: 

• Outdoor shower
• Birdbath
• DIY simple pond
• Garden fountain
• Hydroponic garden (extra bonus because you get food or flowers!) 

{RECOMMENDED POST: 7 Best Hanging Plants for Your Shaded Porch To Create a Charming Oasis}

3. Backyard rustic dining area

Being able to host your friends and family (or just you!) on those cool summer nights in your backyard oasis is such a surreal feeling. 

Whether you have an outdoor kitchen or a dining area set up, find ways to make it extra special with these little touches. 

• Metal buckets to hold drinks 
• Flower vases galore
• Neutral table runners, placemats, and cloth napkins 
• One-of-a-kind thrifted bowls, plates, silverware (or pottery from local artisans)
• Fairy lights or candles in table runner 

4. Include a rustic garden

Rather than hire a landscape designer, tap into your inner gardener and design the cottage garden of your dreams!

 I suggest writing down your ideal type of backyard garden, your favorite plants and considering how much time you have to maintain it. Maybe you want to grow food, strictly have ornamentals, or a mixture of both. Start with a few simple plants and then add on as you go. 

Here are a few garden options you can intermingle throughout your yard:

• Vegetable garden
• Herb garden
• Container gardening
• Hanging porch plants 
• Flower garden
• Raised flower beds

Try your best to include native plants either in your chosen garden or your general backyard landscape design. 

Native plants blend into the natural scenery of your unique area and make your space look more cohesive. 

They also help the surrounding ecosystem since they can attract the critters that naturally call them home. Lastly, you can support local growers and gardeners that are trying to preserve native species. 

It’s a win-win for your community and your cozy backyard space. 

5. Rustic backyard landscaping ideas

So how do you tie it all together? Landscaping! 

Backyard landscaping can be used to block out nosy neighbors, connect the different areas of your yard, and make it look seamless. 

Again, native plants will be your best friend in this department because well, they’re native. They know what they’re doing.

The rustic design includes lots of lush greenery to give it that country vibe and natural feel. Large plants are great to use around your hot tub (stock tank hot tubs are budget-friendly and trending right now!) or backyard pool. 

• Hardscaping with stone walls or brick walls 
• Dry creek bed 
• Use salvaged wood for garden beds and fencing
• Gravel patio 

Maybe having a full on garden in your backyard is not ideal. Choosing a few of your favorite plants to put around your gard still counts as gardening and can help the space to feel alive. 

Best plants for rustic backyard landscaping & gardening:

• Roses 
• Geraniums 
• Peonies
• Foxgloves
• Sweet peas
• Gardenia 
• Carnation
• Honeysuckles
• Snapdragons
• Mint, lavender, lemongrass, citronella grass (help to keep away bugs)

{RECOMMENDED POST: 20 Best Plants For Hydroponics Beginner Gardeners}

6. Rustic outdoor furniture for a cozy seating area

Aside from your dining area, try to add a variety of seating around your backyard. 

Cozy up in wooden seating around a fire pit. Or relax in a rocking chair or hammock with a good book. 

Having multiple seating options primes your mind to opt for relaxation at every turn.

Here are a few rustic outdoor seating options to get you started! 

• Adirondack chair
• Porch swing
• Hammock
• Wooden benches
• Tree swing
• Pallet couch (be sure to use outdoor fabric for cushions)

7. Extra outdoor backyard rustic decor ideas

To fully complete your backyard oasis, consider adding in a few finishing touches from the list below. 

These items are not necessary but can help to make your backyard feel more unique and cottage-like. 

• Outdoor string lights, fairy lights, solar walkway lights etc. 
• Candles
• Bird feeder
• Wooden privacy screen
• Projector for movie night
• Gazebo & Pergola
• Garden shed for gardening, hobby room, guest room
• Garden archway for cascading leaves and flowers
• Wooden stump for side table 

Where to buy items for your DIY rustic backyard

Most of the items on this list are just one diy project away while others can simply be bought. 

I encourage you to start with upcycling items you already own to incorporate them into your backyard decor. This will help so much with keeping this project low cost. 

The next step is to check out local thrift shops, flea markets, second-hand shops, or vintage stores. These options will help you to save money and not have a backyard that looks identical to your neighbors. 

Lastly, if you need additional items for your backyard DIY projects, there are always big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes. These stores are convenient and offer a large selection but try to shop at your local hardware store or garden center first to support those in your community! 

Please share all the ways you plan to decorate your rustic backyard! I would love to hear any of your organizing tips and I’m sure it will help others as they are trying to figure out the best ways to decorate and organize.

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Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about the best diy rustic backyard ideas.

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