Backyard Hacks can transform you yard to an outdoor oasis. These easy DIY ideas will transform your yard to an outdoor oasis that will make your backyard the envy of your neighbors!
I am a little bit obsessed with Life Hacks. I have talked about Kitchen Hacks, Holiday Hacks, Travel Hacks – you name it, I have hacked it!
As a reminder, life hacking refers to any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. In other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in an inspired, ingenious manner.
Well, I am moving on up in the world of life hacks – I am moving out of the house and into the BACKYARD!!! Backyard hacks mean that it is time for summer and for me that is some GOOD news!
Me and my family love spending time in our backyard over the summer. We have the whole winter to watch tv or play video games – so when summertime hits – we are all about our backyard. We have been working hard to make our backyard a real oasis – almost like a resort with tons of places to hang out, play games and entertain.
That is why I am always on the lookout for great backyard ideas (check these out – they are fun!)! We also love playing games and I found a ton of great DIY Backyard Games to share as well!
Swedish Torch from Instructables
Don’t have a firepit – not a problem – all you need is a long and a chainsaw!!
Brick Edging from World of Lush Gardens
Now you can get the lawn mower right up to the edge!
Glow in the Dark Ring Toss from Mamma Did It
How fun would this be on the 4th of July!
Rinse off your feet in a waterproof box filled with flat stones
This would be great to have right near the backyard door! Get your feet nice and clean and THEN come in the house (if only I could get the kids to do this too!!)
Make a skateboard swing from Little Bit Funky
This looks like SO much fun…. my boys would be ALL over this one!
DIY Fire Pit from Indulgy
We actually did this one in our backyard and it was SUPER easy and works GREAT. You better keep lots of s’more ingredients on hand!
Make shapes on your lawn with flour
I cannot wait to try this out for the Fourth of July! The possibilities are endless!
Swimsuit and Towel Door from A Turtles Life for Me
This is a MUST do for our pool this year!! I have been looking for a solution for a place to hang all of the towels (AND it’s AH-dorable)
DIY Hand Washing Station
This feeds into two of my OCD problems – washing hands before eating and not trampling in from the pool to wash their hands and tracking water through my house – perfection!
DIY Outdoor Lamp
I just love this!! How nice would it be to sit outside next to the warm glow of a homey lamp! Bring the indoors outdoors! (thank you to my great readers for finding the instructions here on Houzz!!)
Walkway using picture frame and cement from Refreshing the Home
This is SUCH a great idea!! What a fabulous idea for a walkway!
DIY Concrete Fire Bowl from eHow
I loooovvvee this!! This is great if you want to bring the fire pit onto a wood deck!
Did you know your could spray paint old metal chairs in adorable colors? From Kelly’s Moonlight
How did I not know this!?!?
Wondering what to do with that old tree stump? (source unknown)
Do you love life hacks too? Check these out!!
Not enough? Here are even more Life Changing Life Hacks!
How about some specific hacks just for your home? Amazing House Hacks! 
Love Love Love all your hacks, and enjoy your website….Just wanted to tell you I cringed when I read your favorite hack about mosquito bites…Searing your skin with a hot spoon! Oh Goodness No! I live in Alaska, where the mosquito is considered the state bird, and my grandma gave me the best advice I need to share….just put amonia in a small bottle, I use Martha Stewarts paint bottles, purchased at Michaels Arts and Crafts, because it has a very small hole with a cap on top, and drizzle a bit of amonia on the bite, and rub it in…instantly the itch is gone for good, without any painful sizzling of skin, and scarring forever….a q-tip would work well too.LOVE from ALASKA!!:) Ps. if you read the ingredients on AFTER BITE, the main ingredient is you guessed it! Amonia, and a whole bottle of amonia is SUPER cheap…avoiding the ever expensive product.
Thank you so much for sharing that information!! I love it when I learn from people around the country and the world. Please thank your grandmother for me as well. 🙂
Another way to stop a bite before it happens is to take Super-B Complex vitamins. Well, it works for me anyways. 😀
Love the hand washing station. I think I’m going to your idea for birthday parties. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Oh my goodness! As a mom of 2 boys who hate shoes and myself who has a OCD issue with dirty feet, (that’s just one) I love love love the backyard foot washer!!!
These are great ideas that my wife and I will start to implement. As for the OCD comment, nothing about that was even remotely close to being offensive. I was offended by her questioning what you said about your self. She is just a drama queen. Anyways you handled that much better then I would have. Shows good character. 🙂
What a fabulous collection … want to try so many of these particularly ANYTHING that can stop the family tramping the garden through the house, Alice
I love these! Now I need my own house so I can do some of this.
I worked in a non profit the last ten years, the last six as a supervisor. I’m now a stay at home mom too. It was a bit of an adjustment but I’m loving being home with my daughter . Love your blog and tips!
Do you have a link for brick edging? The link on this page does not seem to work.
Great ideas! Can’t wait to try some!
Don’t know what happened, but it should work now!
I can’t get any of the photos to link to directions on “how to’s” either.
Hi Lonna – Any of the hacks that have instructions are linked – you should be able to click on them. If I couldn’t find the original source, I didn’t link them… but most have them. Let me know which you are looking for and I will see what I can do!!!
TIP to everyone who thinks you can click on the first picture you see. You MUST click on “click here to continue reading”. The scroll down until you see the directions. THEN click on the photo of the project you are interested in. Thank you Jenn, I love your site. So many neat ideas!!!
Could I get the info for how to do the brick edging?
Love these clever outdoor innovations!
Aren’t they great!!! Visit the websites for how to’s!!
Do you actually have OCD? If not, you should know that it’s very offensive to say things like that. I know people who would not have read past that and put you on blast on Facebook telling everyone they know to boycott. I’m not one of those people, but I did find it offensive as well. Just wanted to let you knoww. 🙂
Hi Tammy – so sorry if I offended you. Not my intention. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi there, I have OCD and I am not offended one bit. Some just read into things a bit to much.
You have a wonderful article, always do.
Thank you!
I have OCD and am not offended at all. Lots of great ideas. Thank you for sharing
Love the outdoor hack ideas! The outdoor lamp is at the top of the to-do list! [BTW, as a mental health professional I must say that if someone gets offended because of your use of the term OCD (or, how you used it) then they certainly have deeper issues that merit intervention. Keep doing what you are doing.]
I’m surprised that a mental health professional would make a comment like “if someone gets offended…..then they certainly have deeper issues that merit intervention). Not very professional.
I’m not sure what you thought was not “professional” she is merely speaking from experience! Anyone who can’t embrace their disorder or takes offense to a disorder them there self’s don’t have then yes there is an underlying condition associated with accepting what you have or even what you don’t have! I’m sure Tammy doesn’t suffer from OCD so im not sure who nominated her as our spokes person but she definitely made us out to be unforgiving basket cases! For you to question her years put into helping people who can’t help themselves make you no better then our voice Tammy who clearly knows what we will and won’t except!
Lol…I agree Doc…..that seems to be an issue with control?? Maybe a little narcissism? I am trying to put my finger on it..someone who has security issues. I guess I’m rambling but agree I love her artiçle
Hey I’m not offended by this post, however I don’t claim to have OCD, but I’ve reserched a lot about the issue (maybe not the science of it but the social and emotional part of the experience) the person who had first expressed their offense somewhat failed to express why someone with OCD might be offended, the reason is because a lot of people claim to have OCD as if it is somthing by choice or another word for “having things in the way and order I prefer” or “being orderly and clean” but if you think about it this kind of thinking isn’t an abnormal thing, a lot of people can and will say they like things a certain way, but what’s abnormal about OCD is that it is not a choice, it could be cleaning your hands or having things straight, but there are a lot of other things like, turning the lights on and off 12 times, or checking the locks over and over, counting steps, not touching your face more then 10 times, having everything at an even number, and a lot of these things lead to one thing, and that is the severe superstition that if these things aren’t done then somthing bad will happen. So a person with OCD might feel in the deepest part of themselves that if they don’t count their steps their family will die in a car crash or somthing (not joking that is a cosequence someone had used to explain their own OCD) so what might be offensive to someone with actual OCD is that it is labeled and downplayed as a silly preference and choice that is completely at the fault of that anal retentive person, when in reality it is a condition that the person does not have control over, in fact it is their own personal hell because they don’t want to do these things as they are quite inefficient and just build up the stress that the person already has. So I don’t really Blame that person for being offended, because when people say “oh yeah I am so OCD because I can’t stand to have dust in my cabinets” it’s supporting the thinking that people with OCD are just very into cleanliness but are very obnoxious about it. So I think rather then getting mad about someone using the mental disorder wrong you should educate them and tell them what it really is, an then maybe they’ll tell someone else.
Also, by the way, I love these garden hacks! So well put together. Thank you!
Sooo i do have OCD and all i want to say is….
Everyone needs to lighten up!
Please just chill.
Thanks : )
There are many forms of OCD. I have the type that causes my brain to over concentrate but I’ve learned to live with it over the past almost 60 years. I have so many gifts such as creativity, individually, and task completion, I have managed to build 3 successful small businesses and I credit my parents and educators to accept my unique style of learning. The disability has also made me a much better teacher and guest speaker in sharing my abilities with others. Let’s just accept all the unique attributes of others as a “positive” instead of being so critical of others. Just my observations.
snowflakes melt
shit happens
Thank you for explaining on behalf of the person who brought attention to the possibility of offense. I have lived with it and experience with my child who has suffered from OCD as well.
I am NOT offended, but understand how someone could be and neither stance is wrong.
The blogger was gracious and humble to receive the information and apologized for possibly offending. It is not our place (social media scrollers) to tell someone else to “lighten up” because we can not empathize with their view or position. What offends me may not offend you (vice versa) and that is OK. no need to bully, just take what you can from another person expression of pain and try to be better in our next set of actions. We could all use a bit of empathy and understanding in this world. I LOVE YOUR BLOG and your compassion and humility just made me a fan. Thank you.
Thank you so so much!
Very nicely said. I totally agree. I don’t think it could have been said any better than that. You are a great person to think and feel this way and be willing to share it with everyone. You show consideration for people with and without OCD.
I feel that sometimes no matter what a person says or how they say it, someone, somewhere, is going to be offended by it, and that is their right. So I say “Live and let live.” You can’t please everyone at the same time.
Thank you for sharing,
Robin
I love your postings. I have severe OCD with multiple things. (Labels facing forward, groupings of items, colors, sorting, making sure my clothes & kids clothes are folded the same sizes & grouped together properly. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.) I didn’t find anything offensive.
Agree…I also have the types of compulsions that you mentioned and wasn’t offended at all by the original post!
You know Jordan, It sounds like you are just a great organizer and planner to keep your day running smoother. If you are any worse than this, it’s probably because you have done it for so long and found the comfort in how your day runs. So, you go on and move on to other things in your home or travel (whatever it may be), that assists you because we all know as parents, IT’S NOT EASY! In all that we do. How many times do we here parents scream….”THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN A DAY!” There is nothing wrong with those of you that have been labeled OCD. Who wants eat germs, drag it in house, sloppy home… think about it. It’s life.
Jesus Christ why has this turned into a discussion of OCD?! I’ve heard and said that exact phrase a million time… he’ll I said it 3 times today (not in a row…get it?! HAHA) Seriously though if you feel the need to voice your opinion then go where everyone else goes to bitch and moan about irrevilant, trivial Bullshit and pretend that picking ONE commonly used phrase and your opinion about it is Just. That. Damn. Important. Btw I was referring to Facebook. And now who would like to actually um, I don’t know, maybe post some hacks of their own or links to other cool shit which is why I even went to the damn comment section. But since we’re on the subject keep in mind all of this acknowledgment of every little difference and preachingtolerance of everything and everyone just divides us into smaller and smaller categories by our differences, leaving us isolated by our differences and easily offended by others “ignorance” of everyone’s feelings which must be protected at all costs bc God forbid someone feels badly for a half a second for anything. Let’s bring this back around by adding another life hack:
When someone says something you think might offend someone somewhere and you get so mad you almost fall off your pretty puffy pedestal just take a can of Pam, spray your hair generously, and slowly pull your head out of your butt. It not only removes your head but your hair will look shiny and healthy as well!
NOT offensive AT ALL!! People who have OCD wash their hands many times a day so the comment fit the image.
” Just so you know “
Generalizations are actually what people with “labels” like OCD find offensive. Not all OCD sufferers are compulsive hand-washers. I have OCD and am not a hand-washer; however my son, who also suffers from OCD, is…..and despite how clever this outdoor hand washing station is (love it!), he would NEVER use it, primarily because of the heightened “germiness” of the outdoor set-up (imagined, of course, but that goes with the territory). To each his own, I guess!
No, not all people who have OCD wash their hands that often. It is a common compulsion for SOME with OCD. Your statement is exactly what is offensive. OCD itself has nothing to do with cleanliness. It is about people having an uncontrolled obsession to the point that they are compelled to do something over and over, even when it seems to make no sense. That might be hand washing, or folding clothes a certain way, or planting their garden a specific way – with a specific pattern, and with precise plant spacing – and the need to correct it until it is “perfect.”
Lady are you serious? If you are that thin skinned, you must have a heck of a time getting through a single day in 2014. I honestly don’t understand how people can read so far into something and find some far fetched reason to be offended. These hacks are INCREDIBLE and I cannot wait to share them with my wife. We’re relatively new homeowners and these are outstanding little things that are functional and affordable. Tammy, if something like a quip about being OCD bothers you that much, then you obviously have no clue as to what goes on in the world. Go volunteer at the humane society, a soup kitchen, or children’s hospital; you’ll find out pretty quick what really matters. Jenn, keep the articles coming. They are fantastic to those of us that have our heads on straight.
Made my morning! Thank you!
Well said!
Bravo!
I have OCD. It sucks and it hinders my life in so many ways. Luckily Fore though I only suffer from OCD and not the clearly debilitating ‘stick up my ass disorder’ you obviously suffer from. Shut up lady. I’m pretty positive you don’t have it and are just trying to be a troll because if u did u would love the good press she’s giving us. She was sayin it like it’s a good thing.
Tammy please get a life and some thicker skin.
Are you serious? Are you so fragile that a wonderful, creative blogger using a popular urban colloquialism is going to cause you pain? Dig deeper in your counseling sessions, dear.
Tammy do you even know what your talking about I offended by your comment and trying to assume what people like me would take offensive! I have been on medication to help control my OCD that was ruining my life! Nothing said was offensive except your judgment on how we may feel! Take a seat and worry about your own problems we can speak for ourselves!
Did I mention that I’ve been medicated since I was 11years old it doesn’t get much worse then that!
Wow, Tammy, wound a little tight or what? She was just kidding about being obsessed with life hacks, okay? We all say things like that in everyday conversation, and those of us with OCD are not offended. Speaking for myself, at least. Maybe you need to take a chill pill.
Hey Tammy. You’re whats wrong with this world. You can’t go around all day watching everything you say so carefully so not to offend somebody. No matter what, people are going to find something to be offended about. I have OCD and couldn’t give two shits about it.
YOU’RE AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suffer from OCD behaviour and I am not offended in the least. I have to make fun and look at the lightside of my issues. Humour is very important in dealing with anxieties. I think you are an overly sensitive person.
Pull the twisted panties out of your butt and go for a run, or a massage, listen to quiet calming music, go to the beach, etc. Find something else to do, rather than go on the internet. Like the real world, the internet is a big, bad, scary place for the easily offended people, such as yourself. ? Peace! ✌️
I DO NOT suffer from the condition: OCD. However, as a result of my Marine Corps training I DO fold my underwear in a particular fashion and store it neatly in my drawers. I DO wear my clothing in “military alignment.” There are a number of other things I do that (other) people MIGHT think of as being peculiar, but I tell them it’s a “Marine Thing,” and that seems to satisfy. Discipline is a learned life-long thing. “Courage, Honor, Duty.” “Death before dishonor.” Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). God bless you all.