As long as you spend your money wisely, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune to give your garden a makeover. We asked affordable design experts, Topology for 6 budget friendly DIY hacks, projects and upcycling ideas to transform your outdoor space for under £50. Here’s what they’d do

Now that we’re finally allowed to host up to six friends or family members from two households in our gardens and outdoor spaces, it’s time to think about getting whatever space we have outdoors visitor-ready. Over the next three posts, we’ll show some affordable, but transformational, garden renovations for £50 (keep reading), £250 and £500.

First up, here’s six really easy ways to take your outdoor space from winter drab to partying fab for under £50 - and we’ve even curated a handy Pinterest board to help you see the kind of transformations you can expect for £50.

Upgrading your existing pots - less that £10

For a super quick upgrade on your existing garden pots, try using a Rustoleum spray in one of their ‘stone’ finishes to make a bland terracotta pot into an earthy, stoneware planter. These spray cans cost around £5 and can be used on multiple pots so you get more bang for your buck.

Buy masonry paint - less than £20

Got some tired old bricks that need a little TLC? Buy a can of masonry paint in black or white to give your garden a super easy and affordable new lease of life. Black will absorb heat so if you have a garden that is a bit of a suntrap, perhaps stick to a white wall.

Rent / borrow a jet washer - around £12

Jet washing is not only quite a fun DIY job but also absolutely amazing for making old, tired patio tiles feel brand spanking new again! If you were to buy one first hand they can be hundreds of pounds, so in order to do this cheaply consider asking friends or family if you can borrow one or try renting one from a website such as Fat Llama. This only costs around £12 per day, leaving you with £38 spare change to continue tarting up your space.

Wooden pallet DIY Furniture - Free!

Wooden pallet DIY tutorials can be found all over Pinterest and YouTube and are super easy to make if you have some basic tools and a friend to help. What’s more is that you can easily find these for free on websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle or Gumtree. Head to our Pinterest board to see some amazing ideas on what you can do. One word of warning - if you plan to use your pallets to grow things to eat, make sure the ones you source haven’t been used to transport things containing chemicals.

DIY Herb Garden – less than £5

Creating a good vibe with friends and family can mean hosting delicious outdoor nibbles and even meals in your outdoor space. With a £50 budget you’re restricted in terms of buying new stuff, so tablescaping and decorating can feel limited. Instead, how about a DIY herb garden to add a little bit of flavour to your outdoor feasting whilst also sprucing up your garden decor?

Whether you use empty cans (which you can pierce on the bottom for drainage), old jars, terracotta pots or recycled wood, the possibilities are endless. We particularly love the idea of using old pots or jars and using a chalkboard paint to paint their herb names on - head to our Pinterest board to see how it can be done using a few simple materials.

As for the herbs themselves, you can pick up pots from the supermarket for a little over a pound each or, if you’re feeling green-fingered and want to be super budget-friendly, you can grow them from seed. You’ll need to wait a few weeks, but your outdoor space will soon spring to life with green scented plants.

Patio stencils - less than £15

Patio stencils are super hot in the interiors industry right now. Why? Well they can create an epic outdoor space and only cost a few quid! Whether you want to go for something colourful, modern, traditional or monochrome , there’s so much to choose from. Use these stencils as a way of zoning your outdoor lounge space or creating a focal point.

So there you have it - six budget friendly ways to liven up your outdoor space without breaking the bank. Remember to check out our Pinterest board to see all the ideas together plus others! Happy hosting...