Easy Outdoor Upgrades Under $75
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hang a tree swing and paint it a fun color. Catching the breeze on this backyard classic will make you feel like a kid again. Unfinished cedar adult-size rope swing, about $60; breezyswings.com WeatherAll exterior semigloss in Hot Rod, about $12 per quart; truevalue.com for stores READ: 25 Thrifty Ways to Create Outdoor Dining (ThisOldHouse.com)
Turn a trough into a water garden. Fill a container you have on hand with water. Anchor each plant in its own pot of clay soil, topped with a ½-inch layer of pea gravel. Place on bricks so that the plants' crowns are above the water surface. Grassy aquatic plants, about $9 each; lilypons.com READ: Easy Upgrades For the Weekend DIYer (ThisOldHouse.com)
Create a relaxing—and romantic—destination in the yard by hanging a rope hammock fit for you and your sweetie. Two-person fabric cotton outdoor wood-frame hammock, about $36; amazon.com (ThisOldHouse.com)
Run rope lights under your bottom deck rail for atmospheric night lighting. American Lighting's indoor/outdoor 50-foot rope lighting kit with mounting clips, about $60; amazon.com (ThisOldHouse.com)
Paint Adirondack chairs a cheery color. Impervex Latex High Gloss Metal & Wood paint, about $23 per quart; benjaminmoore.com for stores (ThisOldHouse.com)