Summer is the perfect season to get outside and enjoy dining in your backyard. But without the right patio furniture, you can't enjoy quiet evenings or exciting pool parties with friends and family because no one will have anywhere to sit comfortably and indulge in a delicious meal and ice cold drinks.

If you have old, dated looking backyard patio furniture that you wish you could upgrade but you unfortunately don't have the budget to purchase a whole new set of outdoor furniture, there's some good news. You can upgrade your furniture on a tight budget and still get great results. Doing so will beautify your outdoor environment and allow you to enjoy the great outdoors whenever you wish. And if your house is up for sale and you're staging it to attract more interest in it, this furniture can also be proudly displayed so that buyers can see the full potential in your backyard space.

Paint an Old Set of Furniture

It's really amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to an otherwise old set of outdoor dining chairs and a matching table. If your current set is old, looking rusted, or simply the wrong colour, you can upgrade each piece in the set quite easily, quickly, and surprisingly affordably. The process outlined below works particularly well with dining sets that include sling seats.

Begin by roughing up the metal with a sanding block. The newly rough texture will serve to grab onto the paint and make it adhere more effectively. Also be sure to use a mould and mildew cleaner to get rid of anything that may be growing without your knowledge on the metal of the table and chairs, especially if they have been left outside in the elements for a long period of time. Rinse them off really well before letting them dry off thoroughly.

Use painter's tape all along the edges of the metal that you plan to paint in order to protect the rest of the furniture from the paint you'll use on the metal parts. Then, to further protect sling chairs, cover them with sheets of newspaper that are also taped down.

Use spray paint to get an even coating on the chairs, and apply two coats to make sure you hit every last spot. Just let the first coat dry completely before adding the second. After everything has dried, remove the painter's tape to reveal what looks like a brand new set of outdoor furniture.

Reupholster Seat Cushions

Patio furniture often features seat cushions that provide comfort, and you may even have pillows that go along perfectly with this type of furniture, which comes in a variety of styles but always proves to be chic and comfortable. Over time, though, the cushions may become worn, dirty, or torn.

Rather than throw them out, though, you can simply reupholster them yourself, which will be a lot less expensive than having to purchase a new set of cushions or a whole new set of furniture. Or, if you prefer to not take the DIY approach, simply remove the seat cushions and take them to a professional who can reupholster them in the fabric style and colour of your choice.

Varnish Old Wood Pieces

Outdoor furniture that's made of wood is particularly susceptible to destruction from the elements. Protect it and revamp it with varnish. Sand the wood down first and clean it off thoroughly before applying the varnish. Choose the colour varnish that you want to use and make sure you apply it with a bristle brush in multiple, thin layers rather than one thick layer.

There are several ways that you can go about upgrading your existing outdoor furniture if you simply don't have the budget to purchase an entirely new set or you just don't want to part with your current set for sentimental reasons or because it really does go perfectly with the rest of your outdoor décor. From simple reupholstering projects to DIY paint projects, you can transform an old set of patio furniture into what looks like a new and modern version of itself. And it can all be done on a tight budget too!