17 Cheap Garden Path Ideas and Helpful Tutorials!
Here is a list of 17 cheap garden path ideas to use as a source of inspiration for your own yard.
We have been working on creating new pathways in our yard and as a result I’ve been doing a lot of research on types of walkways to make and how to best create a path.
That’s what inspired me to put this post together. I found these to be not only just creative and cool ideas, but most include tutorials as well, so you aren’t left hanging.
Weaving a garden pathway through your outdoor space is one of the best ways to define the space. And it will make such a large impact.
I’m learning a lot with each new path building experience, what a difference the right type of path can make.
In addition to helping with function, walkways of any kind will sculpt and shape your landscape.
What’s The Cheapest Way To Make A Garden Walkway?
The cheapest way to make a garden walkway is to first remove the grass and weeds and then compact the soil.
You can lay down landscape fabric to act as a weed barrier and then top it with either gravel or much.
Then you’ll need to use inexpensive materials to lay the path.
Inexpensive Path Materials To Use For A DIY Walkway
- Natural materials such as wood chips
- small stones like pea gravel or crushed granite
- brick edging
- landscape fabric
- Natural stone such as Flagstone or fieldstone
When it comes to high impact areas or heavy foot traffic, concrete walkways are the best choice.
Not sure whether you should buy stepping stones for the path and have them installed, or if you should do it yourself? Then you may want to check out this guide that will help you choose whether to make your own garden path or pay to have it installed.
The Best Material For A Garden Path On Uneven Ground
Layering different-sized gravel is usually your best bet for leveling uneven ground.
If your slope is minor, you should be able to get away with one-size gravel, but make it small, like crushed granite.
Larger slopes will require larger-sized gravel, with a layer of crushed granite over top.
Check out the beautiful garden path ideas below to start your garden design.
There are plenty of options for every skill level so you can get started right away.
17 Amazing Cheap Garden Path Ideas & Tutorials!
How To Lay A Budget Friendly Gravel Path
Gravel pathways are a simple way to create easy access in the front yard from the driveway to the porch or front door.
The charming edging adds to the curb appeal of the landscaping in addition to providing a practical purpose.
A great tip from this DIY tutorial: Use landscape fabric to act as a weed barrier under the gravel.
You’ll want to avoid this one with bare feet though. :0)
DIY Concrete Stepping Stones That Look Natural
Flagstone pathways can be pricey to put in, but a way to save on the cost of the natural stone is by using concrete instead.
Check out the detailed step by step instructions for making your own concrete stepping stones at a fraction of the cost of real ones.
Easy Upcycled DIY Garden Wood Pallet Walkway
Wooden pathways are great for creating an easy walkway.
With used pallets that you can get for free and just a few power tools, you can make this clever and cost-friendly wooden walkway in no time.
DIY Gravel Garden: Easy & Low Maintenance!
How about making your entire garden a gravel path! Check out this amazing garden made with gravel.
It's 80% less maintenance than a standard garden bed! It allows for so many options for pathway stones.
This one has handmade stamped concrete pavers, in addition to modern square ones to go with her paver patio. Oh and look at the cute DIY mosaic stepping stone!
How to Plant a Garden and Install a Path to Help with Water Drainage
Mulch pathways are a terrific way to go when creating a cheap garden path, not only for their good, natural looks, but also to help with drainage issues.
DIY Danielle created a mulched path around her garden beds which really compliments her beautiful plants.
How We Built a Reclaimed Brick Garden Path - A Tutorial
For ideas on how to make a cheap garden path on a slope, check out this DIY project using reclaimed brick.
This lovely Victorian brick path extends along a hill from the house, past a garden shed and is charming, to say the least!
Using concrete to set the bricks also allows for heavy traffic, so pulling wagons for carrying tools and such, back and forth is a cinch.
DIY Faux Pavers For Concrete
Deal with boring concrete sidewalks by painting your own concrete garden path.
There’s no need to leave those concrete slabs as is, give them some visual interest by turning them into faux stone pavers.
How to Make a Flagstone Walkway in Your Lawn
Here's a great idea! Create a flagstone path directly on dirt! Look how pretty it looks with the moss growing between the stones.
And best of all, she got the moss for free from a neighbor and transplanted it! Check out the detailed tutorial and tips.
Easy, DIY Stamped Concrete Pavers For Cheap!
These beautiful stamped concrete paving stones were made without using a rubber or silicone mold! And you can make any design you'd like.
This method is a super easy and low cost way to customizing your patio and path stones.
Gorgeous DIY Garden Path Idea
Create a cheap pebble garden path. You can add more visual interest to a garden area by wrapping a path around it.
This DIY’er had a good idea to repurpose square stones from her yard and mix them with pebbles for a low-budget pathway.
Make a Mosaic Stepping Stone: Fun DIY Garden Art!
Using colorful stepping stones is a great way to weave a path through a garden.
Take a look at this detailed DIY tutorial for an easy way to make mosaic garden stones.
DIY Brick Pathway
This paver walkway was cleverly made using old bricks that were smashed up to be used as filler in between the pavers.
Then the path edging was created with landscape timbers. With a little creativity in materials, you can definitely make a cheap garden path.
3 Easy DIY Steps for a Weed Free Gravel Path
Here are another one of those easy garden path ideas that the end product makes looks harder to create than it was.
This is probably the simplest way to get a weed-free and cheap garden path. Check out the post to see how it was done.
Here are 21 ideas specifically for using rocks to landscape your yard with.
How To Make Stamped Garden Stepping Stones
Repurpose a common home material to make these super creative stepping stones. Such a simple way to make a stylish pathway.
The upside to using stepping stones for a path is that you may not need to add a sub-layer underneath.
This makes it a quick way to create a walkway without spending a lot of time or money.
Pea gravel path changes
Jennifer Rizzo is full of walkway ideas, with many paths weaving through her yard. Most use natural stone pebbles, along with larger pieces of natural stone.
Check out her post to see how she designed pathways to connect the various outdoor areas.
Easy DIY Outdoor Stone Steps for Your Yard You’ll Love
If you love natural stone, then you’ll love this tutorial for how to make a stone step pathway on a budget.
Dealing with a slope in a yard is never easy and always comes with some challenges and using stone to create stairs is the perfect way to deal with a steeper incline.
The Sunnyside does an excellent job of breaking it down, including offering a video tutorial for landscaping the steps.
Garden Stepping Stones
Use pebble mosaics to adorn a stepping stone for a cute and cheap garden path. This is a quick and fun DIY tutorial project.
You’ll also have lots of flexibility in design and the different colors of mosaic materials available.
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