See how a DIY fan saved £100s on garden decking by using an old industrial pallet

There's been a huge shift in the way we use our gardens over the past year. We've got into gardening and we've come to view our outdoor spaces as an extension of our homes.

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Before, we might have been happy with a couple of outdoor chairs and the best BBQ on the market. But now, the nation's gardens have been transformed with all manner of clever outdoor living room ideas. Vicki's pallet decking makeover is a brilliant example that goes to show it doesn't have to cost lots of money, either.

Vicki and her partner love spending time in the garden, playing with their dog and having an evening drink with friends. So when they moved house, they were keen to create a functional space to meet these needs.

If you have a tiny garden, there's still plenty you can do - consult our small garden ideas piece for inspiration.

The garden had been left in a bad state, with overgrown grass a foot high. 'There were uneven stones and mud everywhere, where they had previously had greenhouses and sheds,' Vicki recalls. 'The lawns were patchy and the paths and slabs were covered in thick moss.'

As they're renting, they wanted to keep costs down rather than invest in materials they can't take when they move. In comes the pallet decking...

'My husband spotted a huge industrial pallet at work that was about 3m x 2m and asked if he could have it for free,' Vicki tells us. 'They were just grateful someone was taking it!

'We sanded it down and painted it, then purchased some cheap offcuts of wood for the edges from a local DIY shop to neaten it up and it was good to go as our new deck!'

They also found turf and spare paving slabs on Facebook Marketplace, and picked up stones to go round the edge from B&M.

Related: See how a mum turned a garden into a pretty outdoor living room for just £45

Vicki has added some outdoor furniture, including the sofa from Argos and some side tables perfect for those evenings spent socialising. The cushions, throw, outdoor rug and the big lanterns were all from Home Bargains.