Reusing Old Materials to Create Beautiful Pathways for Your Yard

When planning to lay a lovely path in your yard, you may be able to recycle older materials on hand rather than buying new ones. If you have done prior outdoor construction or renovations, there is a good chance you may have leftover materials that can be used to create a useful and attractive walkway. If you don’t have them on hand, you can probably buy them cheaply. Here are some possible items to consider.

Recycled Bricks

Recycled bricks can be used as they are to add classical or historic style to your lawn or garden paths. Brick was a primary building material for homes and roads in the colonial era and has remained popular since due to its sturdiness and durability. You could also clean the brick for a newer look before laying a new walk around your garage or leading to the backyard shed. Brick paths make lovely wandering areas in gardens or yards, especially when accented by seasonal shrubs and flowers.

Leftover Gravel

Gravel can be used to help drain soggy areas or as a foundational element for septic tanks. Driveways made of gravel are also common. Some people use gravel to decorate their gardens or to protect landscaped areas from erosion. Put your leftover gravel to good use by laying an outdoor walkway between the house and the garage or around the perimeter of your lawn or garden. Gravel looks neat and is easy to maneuver when creating a natural-looking and well-kept path.

Lawn-Cleared Stones

After clearing your lawn or nearby rural areas of flat stones, you may be able to coordinate them size-wise to craft a unique walkway with different sizes of stones. You might also find various color shadings that are attractive and functional. If the stones found in your yard are not similar enough to lay a footpath, you can use the more striking colors and shapes as points of interest along your garden walkway.

Landscape Pavers

Terraces, gardens, patios, and driveways are often constructed with paving stones. If you have extras from your last yard project, put those pavers to good use by designing a sidewalk from the front to the back of your home or leading from the driveway to the front door. A paved walkway has a charm of its own that looks both natural and well-designed.

You might also consider older materials laying around like timbers, railroad ties, and planks to customize a lawn path. Use your imagination and leftovers to create an artistic walkway that everyone will enjoy.

Author Bio

Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.