Backyard Walkway Ideas

Ready-Made Pavers

• Ready-made pavers can make shorter work of creating a backyard walkway. They can be purchased from major home improvement centers, nurseries and garden centers. Most are made of concrete and come in grey or clay red colors. Some have crosshatch designs or include embedded pebbles. You can also use brick pavers or flagstone for a traditional and high-end custom look. Measure the walkway and plot out where the pavers should go. Allow four to six inches in between pavers so that walkers can safely and easily use the pavers for walking. You can add ground cover plantings to add to the look or simply let existing grass grow in between the pavers for a customized look.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

• Create concrete paver blocks and install your very own "Walk of Fame" to form the basis for the walkway. Use ready-to-mix concrete from a hardware center to make the pavers. Create your own pavers for the walkway by mixing, pouring and setting concrete. You can purchase plastic forms specifically made to create pavers or common household items like aluminum pans. Concrete bags will provide instructions on how to mix the concrete. Before the concrete sets permanently, have each member of the family place their handprints on an individual paver block. This idea can also turn into a party. Invite friends and family to make their handprints to give guests a feeling of pride, belonging and honor every time they visit.

Solar-Lit Walkways

• Install solar lights along the walkway in the back yard. This will add ambiance to the walkway, especially at night. Plant white flowers as a border landscaping treatment. The overall look of solar lighting will be energy friendly and provide safety when walking through the yard or garden area at night.

Recycled Materials

• Instead of throwing away broken plates or cups made of porcelain or china, use them to make walkway pavers. Take the items, place them in a heavy-duty garbage bag, and put it inside of a cardboard box. Then use a mallet or hammer to break the plates and cups into chips. Set the items into blocks of cement to transform what would be a plain paver into one that has color and character. You can even purchase additional plates and cups from resale stores or "dollar stores" inexpensively, so you can create as many pavers as needed to create an entire walkway.

All in the Family

• Give family members a section along the walkway to decorate as they wish. They can include flowers, ready-made garden quotes on stakes, and even stools for sitting on along the walkway. You can also dedicate and landscape special areas along the path for family members who live in other cities or states or in honor of deceased family members as a living memorial.