Smart Ways To Improve Your Lawn Without Spending A Dime

If you're looking to improve your home's curb appeal, you may be worried about the cost. Many projects that are often recommended — from repainting the front door to adding some new shrubs to planting flowers — aren't always in the budget. Fortunately, you don't need any money to improve your lawn and give your home's curb appeal a major upgrade. With a little creativity, some tools that are probably in your shed, garage, or cleaning supply closet, and some good ol' fashioned effort and elbow grease, you can make big changes that won't cost you a dime.

Ahead, we've rounded up a list of some of the ways you can improve the look of your grass, garden, deck, patio, and outdoor space for free. Soon, your yard will provide an inviting welcome to visitors and serve as the ideal outdoor destination.

One thing that can really kill the look of your lawn is weeds. Instead of people noticing those pretty daffodils or tulips in your front yard, they will direct their attention to all the wild vegetation popping up in the grass. Therefore, doing something about the weed problem is a surefire way to improve the look of your yard instantly.

Removing them doesn't have to be expensive or super time-consuming. Several weed removal hacks only require some effort on your part, and don't rely on expensive (and possibly toxic) chemical killers. For example, you can remedy the issue by simply pouring a pot of boiling water over them. This hack will be most effective on newly sprouted weeds that don't have the deeper and stronger root systems that more established ones do. You can also simply pull them out by hand. When doing so, it is essential to make sure that you're removing the entire root system. Otherwise, the plant will likely resprout.

Once done, continue monitoring for new growth. If you stay on top of these new growths, pulling them out immediately, you'll be able to maintain your home's curb appeal and save yourself from a future hours-long weeding session.

Life happens. It is easy to get caught up with everything else that is on your to-do list and to neglect your lawn and garden. Over time, decor items and outdoor furniture may start to rust from rain or get damaged by strong winds. Trash may even blow into your yard from a neighbor's tipped-over garbage can.

Take a look around your yard. Are there any items such as these that are making your outdoor space look cluttered or dirty? If so, a relatively quick and completely free solution is to grab a trash bag and a pair of gloves.

Before you simply throw everything out, however, there are a few questions you should ask yourself. First, consider whether a particular item should be tossed or recycled. Old plastic furniture, for example, is recyclable (though you may need to check with your local jurisdiction about whether it can simply be placed on the curb with your cans and bottles). You should also evaluate whether a particular item could be salvaged or reused in another way. For example, a broken planter could be fixable — or you could save the pieces to make something new, such as a mosaic.

Weeds and trash aren't the only things that can detract from the overall look of your lawn. Scattered leaves, sticks, and other debris will also make your yard look unkempt. Instead of seeing a large patch of lush, green grass, visitors will see unsightly piles of dead, brown leaves and twigs. Taking care of this problem is something you can easily do without spending a dime. As long as you have a rake, you'll only need to commit an hour or two of your time to cleaning up the space.

Following a few clever tips can make raking leaves easier, such as raking downhill instead of uphill or using the breeze to your advantage. This will make it so you spend even less effort completing the task. After raking the leaves, you'll need to decide what to do with the piles. Depending on where you live, you may be able to put them out on the curb to be picked up with the recycling. You can also mow over them to chop them up to use as mulch for the garden or add them to your compost bin.

One thing that can have a negative impact on your space is dingy or dirty surfaces. If your deck, patio, or outdoor furniture is looking much worse for the wear thanks to a layer of dirt, then it is going to bring the look of the entire space down. Thankfully, this is another problem that you can solve without spending any of your hard-earned money. You likely already have all the supplies and tools you'll need to spruce up these surfaces and give the whole yard a boost while you're at it.

Knowing how to clean your outdoor furniture is important. The type of furniture you have will dictate which cleaning supplies and tools are safe to use. You may want to try mixing vinegar, dish soap, and water for a DIY cleaning solution for most pieces. Then just break out the hose and grab a scrub brush to get to work. However, while you can use this method to get rid of the dirt covering your resin or plastic furniture, a vacuum cleaner and microfiber cloth may be safer options when it comes to taking care of your wicker furniture.

Take a stroll through your neighborhood and observe some of the features of the homes with great curb appeal. We bet one thing you'll notice about many of these homes is that they have well-defined garden beds. Edging your gardens — and other areas of your yard — offers a range of benefits. First, it helps to clearly outline each area in your yard, helping you highlight desirable features — like your beautiful flowering butterfly bush. Landscape edging can also help maintain each of these areas, as mulch will be less likely to blow out of your garden if there is a bit of a raised edge to help hold it in place.

Now, you may be thinking that you can't edge your gardens for free because you'll have to head to a local gardening store to pick up the materials you'll need. However, this simply isn't the case. With some creativity, you most certainly can come up with some garden edging ideas that make for the perfect landscaping without spending a dime. One option that doesn't require any materials is to simply dig a narrow trench following the shape of the garden. This will serve to clearly define the area — and you can even get a bit fancy or flowy with your lines. Other free options could include gathering large stones from your yard and using them to fashion a wall along the border of the garden or chopping a few wooden logs to create a taller wall.

If your garden is looking a bit bare, some new flowers could bring some much-needed visual appeal. Naturally, if you go to a lawn and garden store, you'll have to pay to pick up a few new plants. There is another option to consider — and it won't cost you anything. You can ask friends or neighbors to exchange or share a few clippings from their plants. Their garden can remain as beautiful as ever, and you can turn the small clippings they gave you into an entirely new plant, thanks to propagation.

Take a 4-inch cutting of new growth from the stem of a plant not currently in bloom and remove all the leaves except for the upper set. Put the clipping into a small pot with soil, and water it well. Consider leaving the clipping in your bathroom, where it can benefit from the higher humidity levels. Once the plant has started growing and gaining strength, you can transplant it into your home garden.

Another zero-cost yard improvement project is to prune the bushes in your yard. Stray shoots of shrubs can bring down the overall aesthetic and functionality of your outdoor space. These growths can throw off the balanced look of your bushes, pull attention away from other more aesthetically pleasing design elements, and even create a potential hazard when they spread onto or over a walkway.

With a pair of pruning shears, you can get your shrubs back into shape (literally). Before you start pruning, though, it is important to understand the difference between thinning and heading. Heading refers to trimming a branch right above one of the buds. Doing so will allow it to branch off and make new growth. Thinning, on the other hand, is used when you want to create more areas where light will be able to reach through the branches to help the shrub grow. To thin your shrubs, you'll want to cut off full branches — not just portions of them. There is one other crucial point to note: You shouldn't just pick up a pair of pruning shears and start going at it right away. Instead, it is important to pick the right time to prune. Otherwise, you could threaten the growth of the plant or prevent it from flowering. Many shrubs should be pruned right after they finish flowering as this won't threaten the growth of the new buds for the following season.

You might not think it will make that much of a difference, but mowing with dull blades can make your lawn look, well, dull. When mower blades are no longer sharp, they struggle to cut through each blade of grass. As a result, the grass ends up getting torn instead of sliced. This means that the surface of your lawn will be ragged and uneven — not clean and crisp. Moreover, those unevenly torn blades of grass aren't going to be as healthy as they otherwise would. You could end up with more lawn problems, including weeds or pests.

If your mower blades are dull, now is the time to carefully sharpen them. First, make sure that your mower will not inadvertently start as you are working. If you have an electric model, this will involve unplugging it or disconnecting the battery. For gas mowers, you'll want to drain the gas from the tank. With the mower on its side, you should be able to easily see the blades. Use a marker or piece of painter's tape to label the bottom side of the blades and remove them. Before sharpening, carefully wipe down each blade with a rag to remove any accumulated dirt or grass. Then, you can either sharpen blades using a metal file or, if you have one, a grinder.

Some new or new-to-you patio furniture, garden flags, or other lawn items could help you give your yard a makeover. And, believe it or not, there is at least one way to get some of these items that don't involve spending any money. If you haven't already, look into joining your local Buy Nothing group. The mission of the Buy Nothing Project is to help community members share or lend goods and services through local gift economies.

Each group is focused on a small region, helping neighbors and community members support each other. Many groups are on Facebook, and you may be able to find your local community by searching for "Buy Nothing" and the name of your city or neighborhood. Once you've joined the group, you can look through the posts of other members to see if anyone is gifting any items that could enhance your lawn. As a member of the group, you can also post "asks" and share with members what you are looking for. You never know who may be ordering a new patio dining set and looking to get rid of their old model, or who might be tired of a lawn decoration that could bring joy to your yard.

Did you know that there are several creative ways that you can repurpose tires in your backyard and garden? One idea is to turn old tires into planters. You can leave them their natural black color or plant them first, then simply choose a spot in your yard with good lighting, add some soil, and transplant a few flowers from your garden (or those plants that you propagated from a friend's clippings). If you want to plant any herbs or vegetables in a tire, a good first step would be to lay a garden tarp inside the tire before filling it with soil. Doing so will help ensure any chemicals from the tire don't come into contact with edible plants. However, there is little risk of your plants absorbing these chemicals in the first place, since they would leach very slowly into the ground — much slower than the plants would grow and be harvested. If you want to be cautious, only grow plants that climb or grow above ground.

Other ways to use tires to upgrade your yard include making a tire swing, turning one into a table for your deck, or even fashioning a few into a patio chair.

If you don't have any old tires lying around in your garage or shed, you may be able to find some for free. Consider checking with your neighbors, looking on sites like Craigslist or your local Buy Nothing Group, or even calling a few tire repair shops.

Dirty siding can be an eyesore and take away from the overall aesthetic appeal of your property. Even if you have a beautifully manicured lawn and garden, is it really going to look all that great with a dirty, moldy, or algae-covered backdrop? If you have a pressure washer, you can use it to clean up your walls. But even if you don't have one, you can still make your vinyl siding look new again with some supplies you have on hand.

Fill a large bucket with water and add several drops of dish soap (you want the water to be sudsy). Then, use your hose to wet the siding and wash away any loose debris. Dip a cleaning brush into the bucket and begin scrubbing the siding to remove any stuck-on gunk. Rinse the soap and gunk away and assess whether further scrubbing is necessary. One quick note before you start cleaning: If you have any flowers or plants close to the side of your house, you will want to protect them from damage by covering them with a tarp before you start working.

One way to spruce up your yard and make it look cheerier and more welcoming is by adding some colorful planters or cute lawn decorations. If you use some creativity, you can find things around the house that you can upcycle into a new work of art for your outdoor space. For example, there are many common household items that you can turn into beautiful planters. A few of these include old candle jars, teapots, baskets, or even an old wheelbarrow. With a few coats of paint, some ribbon, or other accessories, these items that you otherwise wouldn't need anymore will have a new purpose.

In addition to making some DIY planters for your front porch or yard, you can also find ways to turn items you no longer need into a piece of art to brighten up your space. For example, a bowling ball can become a stunning gazing ball and an old garden house can be transformed into a wreath.