How to Organize a Small Backyard

This post has been sponsored by Rubbermaid®. All thoughts and opinions are my own. See my full site disclosure here and thank you for supporting my small business.

If you live in a location where the summer is year-round or maybe just a few short months like we have, an organized backyard will make those warm days much more enjoyable for relaxing, entertaining, and playing.

We live in the city and our yard is tiny. I mean very small probably compared what you know of outdoor spaces. See our makeover and more pictures of the space here.

So we use our garage, a Rubbermaid® Outdoor Storage Shed, storage bins, and multi-use furniture that can move around to keep our space organized, clutter free, and useable.

Even if you have a larger space or want ideas on how to better use your outdoor areas, this is how we manage all of our stuff in our small city backyard.

Here are several tips on how to organize a small backyard and have a fun and functional space.

Take Inventory

One of the first tips in having a functioning home is to know what you are working with. Make a list of all the items you use outside year round.

Then check where you will store them. This can be inside, outside, in a garage, shed, or other storage area. Now you will know which items you can organize where and how.

For example, if you have space, furniture can inside for the off season (like in the basement), and smaller items can get stored in bins or on shelves. Look for instructions on your furniture if it can come apart or can stay outside (some assembled furniture should not be taken apart). Never leave cushions outside, even if they are water-resistant over the winter or in the rain.

Get rid of any items you are no longer using and clean as you go. Decluttering will clear up space too.

Get Storage

When we first moved into our house, the garage was the only place outside that we used to store things, but other storage is a must-have for an organized space.

There are so many options when it comes to keeping outdoor stuff together, but small spaces require sustainable, durable storage sheds that you can move as needed, but can still hold a lot of items.

I love the Rubbermaid items because they have such great functions for our small space. We’ve used the storage bins and rolling garbage cans in the past for projects.

We recently got a Rubbermaid® Outdoor Storage Shed and it’s perfect for keeping many items we used to keep in the garage and for keeping all the kids toys. Now we have some more space and less clutter overall.

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This is one of the sheds that you can order online at Walmart.com They come in different sizes so you can find one that works for your yard. There are several great features of this shed.

• It was easy to put together, the instructions are very clear, and there are minimal tools needed
• We can move it around the yard if we need to and take it with us when we move
• It will keep out rain, wind, and snow, which is important to us here in Upstate New York
• It’s really large inside (this is the 5’x2′ shed)
• It locks for safe keeping

It’s one of the most popular items available, see it online at Walmart.com here. When you shop for it online, they show some great accessories you can get for inside the shed too, which I plan to get to hang some tools.

Check out Rubbermaid’s full line of Sheds and Deck Boxes on Walmart.com and use Promo Code Rubbermaid19 to save 10% on select items for a limited time.

Store Items Outside in the Off Season

Usually you move most things like furniture, cushions, grills, games, and decor into the garage or maybe even your basement. But small yards and houses don’t necessarily allow you to do that. We literally have nowhere to put things!

We keep our outdoor chairs and some kids toys under our table and cover it with a tarp. Depending on your furniture, you may not have to cover it, but it’s always nice to protect the furniture if needed.

The shed is a huge addition to our storage space and it can be anchored down or to the walls as needed. Now we don’t have to carry things up to the attic to store them. It was not fun carrying all those chairs up there!

Get Versatile Furniture

Since your patio, deck, or porch might be very small, think of getting multi-use furniture that can serve double duty. Stacking or folding chairs are great, as are pieces you can take apart and store like a two-part umbrella.

We got this wooden table several years ago and we can move it from the patio area to the back cement area so we have more room for the kids to play.

The bench is great instead of all chairs because it also can be moved and tucked out of the way as needed.

Use Storage Bins and Accessories

Storage containers are key to keeping a space organize, and will protect your stuff from getting lost or damaged by the elements.

We use a lot of storage totes and the shed to keep all of our things together. In the totes you can keep:

• Toys
• Tools
• Outdoor decor
• Lights
• Gardening accessories
• Furniture cushions

This tote has the lights and lanterns we use on the fence, table, and stairs when we want to decorate a bit for parties. We’ll also get another one for kids toys.

Then the totes fit nicely into the shed to keep the visual clutter hidden away, but we can easily access it. We had several toys that have faded from being outside all summer and winter, now we can prolong the life of the toys in the shed too.

These are the tips we use to keep our small yard organized and I’d love to hear your ideas for keeping your outdoor spaces in shape. Leave a comment below!

See our storage shed here. Don’t forget you can get it online at Walmart and grab some accessories for it too. I’m going to get that rack to hang tools!

Happy organizing!