Outdoor Decor Ideas: 8 Budget-Friendly Ideas!

I’m so excited to gather with family and friends this summer! Entertaining outdoors is such a fun and low stress way to host a get-together and it’s easier to dress up your outdoor space on a budget than you might think. Today I’m partnering with Walmart to share eight outdoor decor ideas to make your next outdoor gathering a hit! If you haven’t shopped Walmart Home online, you might be surprised by the huge selection and affordable prices you’ll find! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})

Sources: 1. Outdoor string globe lights  |  2. Yellow throw pillows  |  3. White metal planter with stand  |  4. Striped tumblers  |  5. Blue striped Turkish towel  |  6. Round woven tray  |  7. Lemon print melamine plates  |  8. Outdoor friendly folding chairs  |  9. Glass pitcher  |  10. Blue check tablecloth

1. Do a Simple Salad Plate Switch-out For a Fresh New Look

You don’t need to invest in an entire dinnerware set to bring a fresh new look to your outdoor dining table – simply mix some colorful salad plates in with your everyday dinnerware! For our outdoor space I layered {these cheerful melamine lemon plates} on top of our everyday dinner plates and love the pop of color:

They come in a set of four with four different lemon patterns and are dishwasher safe. I added {these inexpensive yellow striped kitchen towels} under my dinner plates for napkins and {this blue checked tablecloth} to pull my yellow, green, & blue color scheme all together:

Citrus decor is definitely trending this summer and Walmart Home has tons of other colorful citrus home decor pieces in their summer home lookbook you can check out {here}. The other citrus piece that I snagged was {this super cute lemon mat} that I put in our laundry room (it would also be great as a bath mat!):

2. Add Lemon or Lime Slices to Your Ice Cubes

Have you tried silicone ice cube trays? You can make large ice cubes in all sorts of shapes and they’re flexible which makes the ice much easier to get out than with traditional trays. Try adding small slices of lemon or lime to the water in the ice cube tray before you freeze it:

It makes a plain glass of water a lot more colorful and fun:

I LOVE {these shatter-resistant striped glasses for outdoor dining} along with {this glass pitcher} that comes in a set of two – it has the cutest shape!

3. Create a Stylish Outdoor Dining Space With a Simple Folding Table & Chairs

When you think of a folding table and chairs, a utilitarian metal table & chair set is probably what comes to mind. But there are more stylish options out there than you might think! Whether you want to create a budget-friendly outdoor dining space for your family or just need extra dining space for when you entertain, a folding table and chairs can make it happen.

I have {these indoor/outdoor folding chairs} (they come in a set of 2) for our outdoor dining space and love the lines of them (they remind me of chairs you see at swanky outdoor weddings!):

They’re nice enough that I’ll use them when I need extra seating indoors too and I love that they fold up compactly for storage (which will come in handy when hurricane season rolls around and I need to get everything off the porch):

Like millions of other items on Walmart.com, they shipped for free with 2-day delivery which is available for most orders of $35+ 🙌🏻 And I loved the added assurance that they could be returned for free if they didn’t work out.

My round table (I have {this 48″ one}) folds flat for storage too – mine is made for indoor use but I’m comfortable with leaving it on our outdoor porch since it’s covered. You typically think of folding tables being square or rectangular so a round folding table covered by a cute round tablecloth, gives a totally different vibe:

You can find similar folding table options {here} including {this indoor/outdoor table} that folds in half to store in even smaller spaces!

4. Warm Up Your Space with Woven Finds

Outdoor spaces tend to have a lot of hard surfaces since that’s what holds up to exposure to weather. Adding in a woven find or two will immediately add style and warmth to your outdoor space. Along with woven baskets for plants (more on that in a minute!), I often use woven trays for outdoor entertaining and have several woven baskets holding outdoor essentials too.

One of them is {this tank basket} that’s actually made for storage on top of your toilet tank but can be used for lots of other purposes too! I keep mine filled with sunscreen & bug spray in one section and a pair of {these striped Turkish towels} in the two other sections (I am ALWAYS cold so love having them to throw over my legs or shoulders when it’s chilly outside):

I simply grab the basket on our way out to the porch so I have everything at hand without having to hunt all over the house. This basket would also work well to hold utensils, napkins, and other tabletop accessories for an outdoor barbecue or large gathering. Just pick a lane and don’t use it as a toilet basket AND for your outdoor space ok? 😉

Walmart Home has lots of other woven & rattan home decor pieces that I love too including this mirror, braided spiral & paint dipped poufs, woven lamp, basket sets, & round rug:

Sources: 1. Round rattan mirror  |  2. Braided spiral pouf  |  3. Plastic lined natural & black baskets  |  4. Paint dipped pouf  |  5. Rattan table lamp  |  6. Toilet tank basket  |  7. Set of handled baskets  |  8. Circular natural fiber rug

5. Set the Mood with Music & Lighting

Along with pretty decor pieces, you can help set the mood of both indoor and outdoor summer gatherings with music and lighting. We have {this waterproof, portable speaker} that works perfectly for playing music from our phones. And when outdoor gatherings go past dark, a few strands of glowing string lights add instant ambiance! {These affordable round globe lights} are my favorite:

6. Make Your Plants Mobile with Handled Baskets

I have a few plants that live indoors during the winter and out on our porch during the summer. Keeping them in handled baskets makes it easy to move them from indoors to out and to move them for watering. I recently added {this set of two planter baskets} which has the genius addition of a clear plastic liner covering the entire inside of the basket that make watering worry free:

The 12″ size is perfect for my large snake plant and the 15″ size would be just right for something larger like a fiddle leaf fig tree:

7. Savor the Smells of the Season

Whether it’s diffusing a favorite seasonal oil or lighting candles with fresh summer scents, savoring the smells of the season can set the mood as much as your decor!

I LOVE the smell of {this lemongrass ginger candle} that adds a subtle scent to a space even when not lit:

8. Turn an Elevated Planter Into the Perfect Drink Cooler

For large outdoor gatherings, it’s nice to have a cooler or bucket to keep drinks on ice for guests to grab. Bonus points for an elevated cooler where they don’t even have to bend down to check out their drink options! {This white metal plant stand} is my new go-to:

The “planter” section separates from the stand which means you can bring it inside to fill with ice and drinks:

and there’s a hole with a plug in the bottom of it so you can easily drain any water that accumulates from the melted ice (the plug works well too – even once your ice totally melts, water doesn’t leak out!):