How To Make A Gravel Patio

Jennifer Priest
by Jennifer Priest
4 Materials
$200
2 Days
Medium
A gravel patio is an affordable way to finish your yard and make a pad for entertaining. Our backyard has been a tough place to rehab since we got this house eight years ago. We've been trying to find a solution to our side yard, an area where we wanted to put our firepit and pots of flowers so we can relax while barbecuing. The backyard has been an eyesore and we want to have a space we can enjoy. Let's get started!
Once you know where you want to place the gravel patio, make sure the ground is level and free of any large stones. Then, roll the felt out and cut to fit the space. Make sure seams are overlapped by at least 12″ to prevent weeds from peeking through the gap between the fabric.
Start filling the area with gravel by starting in the middle and spreading the gravel with a rake. Make sure the gravel is at least 2″ deep in all areas. This side yard patio area took 2 “scoops” of gravel from a backhoe. Once the felt and gravel were in place, it was time to add some color to this gravel patio! I chose bright, colorful flowers to plant in terra cotta pots I already had: geraniums, gerbera daisies, snapdragons, and more. I also created a few pots of succulents to take advantage of the partial shade on that side of the house and to add some greenery.
We took the yard from super drab to totally fab in one weekend! Isn't this awesome?! I have since added some pavers in the gravel to give it a different look and to discourage my outside cats from using it as a giant litter box.
You can check out a step by step tutorial, PLUS a video of this process on the blog linked below. For a s'mores recipe to go with your new firepit check out this recipe https://www.smartfundiy.com/make-gourmet-elvis-smores-as-a-weeknight-dessert/ Check out this post for tips on pretty potted plants https://www.smartfundiy.com/how-to-make-a-patio-with-gravel/
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Jennifer Priest
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Ejjemom0612 Ejjemom0612 on Sep 08, 2018

    how close is your fire pit to your house?

  • Shuganne Shuganne on Sep 08, 2018

    I don't see a barbecue. Is it in another section of the yard or do you put a grill on top of the fire pit?


    It looks warm and cozy-a great place to entertain!


    Also, what's in front of the grey bars? The front yard?

  • Bev32395284 Bev32395284 on Sep 12, 2018

    How about the "felt". Is this roofing paper??

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