Lady disliked her bare, muddy patch of yard. Here's her makeover

Do you have an area around your home with no landscaping? Does that area have a serious tendency to get weedy and muddy, especially on rainy days? If this resonates with you, your yard may be in need for makeover.
The good news? Yard makeovers don't need to cost a fortune. We've gather up some very creative, nifty yard makeover ideas that not only look good but also don't break the bank. Check them out below:
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Thea's clever idea
Thea and her husband were in desperate need of a yard makeover. Her husband leveled the area, covered it in landscape fabric and filled it with black shale rock. He even created a nice border with paver blocks, and Thea felt it looked "much cleaner... but it was a bit plain-looking, so I came up with an idea!"
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Thea, a retired teacher, had several colored glass gems that she had used as counters with her math students (they are sometimes called "flat marbles" and can usually be found at a dollar store).
She sprinkled them along the strip of black shale, in a thin meandering line, creating the effect of a "river of glass." The splash of color against the black is very effective, although she notes that her husband thought "it looked like I had just spilled something over the rock. Oh well."
Thea's "glass river" is stunning because the glass gems naturally catch and reflect light, making them really stand out against the black shale. Why not use this inherent property of the gems to your advantage when adding beautiful whimsy to your garden?
Fire it up
If you want to spruce up a more barren looking yard, try building an outdoor fire pit. It's also a great way to entertain family and friends. You can even forgo grass all together and use mulch instead. The fire pit shown in the photo above just took $50 to construct! Get the full tutorial here.
Light it up
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An affordable option to level up your nighttime curb appeal is with the addition of outdoor lights. Traditional landscape lighting can be expensive and overwhelming to think about. Instead, opt for a solar light option that charges during the daytime. Even better, create your own DIY solar lights by following the tutorial here.
Add decorative edging
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Believe it or not, a clean-looking edge can make all the difference in terms of a lawn. Plus, there are so many inexpensive options to choose from, such as cinder blocks, wooden logs, river rocks, and even wine bottles!