I’ve been wanting to add more seating to our backyard for a while now. Right now we only have the firepit area, which I love, but I’ve been dreaming of a space with a table—somewhere I could sit with a coffee, work from home, or enjoy a meal outside. There was a patch of grass that never really thrived, and I realized it was the perfect spot to transform into a cozy pea gravel patio!

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Overall, this DIY isn’t too difficult – especially if you have a level area, I would definitely say it’s a beginner friendly DIY 😊 If you have a level area, you can skip ahead to step 4, which saves a lot of time ;). Let’s dive into the steps I took to create this gorgeous pea gravel patio!

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Step 1 – Mark your area & Remove any grass (if needed)

My patio space is about 20×15 ft, and I quickly realized I needed to level it out first—especially since the yard dropped over 6 inches near the fence line side. Without leveling, the pea gravel would’ve looked super uneven and lopsided.

To map it out, I used a garden hose and spray paint. This helped me visualize the space clearly. Once I had my outline, it was time to remove the grass. This is always the most time-consuming step (just like when we made our fire pit area!).

We went the budget-friendly route and used a shovel to cut the grass into squares, then loaded them into the truck. The faster method would be using a sod cutter—if you don’t have one, you can rent one locally.

Step 2 – Till the area, Level out, and compact it

With the grass gone, we tilled the dirt to about 4″ deep to get it nice and fluffy. Right after tilling, I used a metal rake to level everything out. I recommend doing this soon after tilling since the dirt can harden quickly.

The great part about prepping for pea gravel is that it doesn’t have to be perfectly level. Since pea gravel is self-leveling, you just need it “level enough” 😊

Next up was compacting the dirt to create a solid base. I rented a compactor from Home Depot, which was totally worth it for a space this size. A tamper would work for smaller areas, but I wanted to make sure everything was really packed down. I had my husband run the machine over the area six times to get a firm, stable surface.

Step 3 – Add Weed Barrier & edging

I used a 4×100 ft roll of weed barrier—perfect for my 20×15 ft space. I ordered it from Amazon because they had the best price. I secured it using landscape staples (some rolls include them, but you may need extra). You can also go with eco-friendly options like cardboard or biodegradable paper rolls.

For edging, I debated between using beams or stones. I ended up going with field stones around most of the perimeter because they give off that natural, cottage-style vibe—and they matched the existing stone edging in our yard. I bought around 65 medium to large stones from a local landscaping company at $0.19/lb, totaling $300. I spaced them out a couple inches apart and added some fun wavy curves to the shorter edges (I love that scalloped look 😂). Just make sure any curves aren’t too tight so you can still mow around them easily!

Along the driveway side, I added a couple of 4×4 pressure-treated beams to separate the gravel from the concrete. I would’ve preferred 6x4s, but a random concrete patch made that tricky. I cut the beams to size (6 ft each), drilled holes about a foot in from each end, and used 1 ft rebar stakes to anchor them in after leveling the beams with sand.

Since the yard still sloped a bit, I also added some 2″ rocks behind the fieldstones for extra support and to help keep the pea gravel from mixing with the mulch.

Step 4 – ADD the Pea Gravel

This is the exciting part—laying down the pea gravel! I ordered 3 cubic yards from a local landscape supplier (so much cheaper than buying individual bags). I probably could’ve done 2 yards, but I’m glad I went with 3. I used 2.5 yards for the patio and spread the remaining 0.5 yard around our fire pit area.

A wheelbarrow and metal rake were super helpful for spreading the gravel evenly—if you don’t already have a metal rake, I definitely recommend it.

Step 5 – Optional: adding mulch / Landscaping / lattice paneling

If you have a fence like I do, adding mulch and plants is a great way to finish off the look! Around summertime in Wisconsin, you can usually find free mulch on Facebook Marketplace or at local dumps. We grabbed ours for free from FB and it worked perfectly!

💡 TIP: If you add mulch along a fence, be sure to add a buffer, like stones, because mulch holds moisture and if it’s in direct contact with a wooden fence it can cause rot or attract termites / ants / other not fun insects!

I planted a couple Incrediball hydrangeas in the mulched area—they bloom big, beautiful white flowers and totally elevate the space. I’ll probably add more later!

To keep the rocks in place between the mulch and fence, I added lattice panels as a barrier. I bought two 2×8 ft panels and cut them to size with a jigsaw. They fit snug between the ground and the fence’s lower support beam, and I added a few nails for extra hold where needed. Then I poured 2″ washed stones in the gap (about 8–10 inches wide) to create a sturdy buffer. It only cost $26 total for four 5 gallon bucket fulls!

Step 6 – Make it your own!

Now for the fun part—decorating! I collected pieces from Facebook Marketplace while building this project and had a little stockpile waiting in my garage and shed 😂 I believe the most important part for achieving a cottage-style is to find wicker pieces and mix cushion patterns + lots and lots of plants!!

If FB Marketplace isn’t your thing, HomeGoods is a great spot for affordable and cute patio pieces. I also linked a bunch of cottage-inspired finds on my LTK from Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Wayfair.

Here’s what I found:

• Patio Sofa: $80, FB Marketplace
• Wicker 3-piece set: $300, Home Goods
• Bistro set (3-piece): $20, FB Marketplace – I jumped on this one sooo fast!!!
• Patio Umbrella: $135, Target – I bought this super early, before I even started building the patio because I just knew it was going to be perfect for the space 🥰
• Vintage plant stands – 3 piece: $90, FB Marketplace
• Teak Coffee Table: $60, FB Marketplace – this was originally a full size table, but I cut the legs down to make it coffee table height
• Chimnea: $30, estate sale
• Planters: mix of estate sale, Walmart, and At Home
• Sofa Bench Seat: I DIY’d a no-sew cushion, see that post here 😊
• Pillows: Home Goods and Amazon
• Furniture Covers: $25 for sofa cover and $27 for two chair covers – Amazon

Keep in mind, this is a pretty large area, so I had plenty of space to fill and style! I probably could’ve saved even more if I had found a 3-piece set on Facebook Marketplace instead of splurging at HomeGoods—that was definitely my biggest expense. But overall, I’m still so happy with the total cost and the quality of everything I was able to find!

Furnishing Cost Breakdown ≈ $700

List of Materials:

• Weed barrier – 4x100ft, $30
• Field Stones – Local Landscaping Company, $0.19/lb, I bought 65 stones for a total of $300
• Mulch – Free, found on FB Marketplace (lots of local dumps have free mulch as well)
• Pea Gravel – Local Landscaping Company, I bought 3 yards for a total of $250 (with delivery)
• (2) Wood Beams – 4x4s pressure treated, $22
• (4) Rebar – 1/2″ by 1ft, $5
• Leveling Sand, $6
• Wood to wood plate (for beams), $1
• Nails for plate (for beams), $7
• OPTIONAL: 2×8 Lattice Panels (cut in half), $16
• OPTIONAL: 2″ Washed Stones, four 5 gallon bucket-fulls, $26

Price Breakdown ≈ $650

💡 TIP: To make it more affordable, consider using beams as edging instead of field stones

Tools:

• Shovel
• Metal rake
• Wheel Barrow
• Jigsaw
• Power Drill (for beams)
  • Spade drill bits (for beams), $15
• Sledge Hammer (for beams)
• Tiller
• Compactor