How To Make Patio Light Pole

How To Diy String Light Planters

You want the look of string lights for your outdoor patio however, you are stuck on how to hang them. Sure, you could attach them to your house, install a few hooks and hang them from a post, or even wrap them around nearby furniture. Yet youll quickly grow defeated after that first thunderstorm results in a tangled mess of lights and the need to start from scratch. Instead, what you need are heavy duty planters utilizing conduit posts, cement, wire, and more. You need a full tutorial for DIY string light planters, and Im here to help!

Customizable

Below is a step-by-step tutorial that includes materials, tools, and directions to replicate our exact outdoor lighting display . It is important to note, that the number of string light planters and in-ground posts will vary dependent upon your outdoor patio square footage and personal taste.

Planter Selection

Additionally, when selecting planter pots for this DIY process, Id recommend not choosing plastic. Not only do these not provide the additional weight necessary to withstand strong wind storms, but they also risk cracking in colder temperatures. Pictured below I utilized faux ferns to decorate mine . That said, if following the exact tutorial shown below and including a drainage hole, you should be free to add soil and plant live flowers.

From the Inside, to the Outside

Hanging The String Lights

Commercial Lights

When we first started this project, we had these commercial-style lights. Commercial lights are heavier with thick cords, and are supposedly more durable.

Because we had the heavier style lights, we initially tried to follow this tutorial by Blue I Style. We found that the materials used in this tutorial were very expensive .

Installing the wire also took us a solid two to three hours, and that was on only half of the patio. After doing half of the wire, we decided to test out how the lights would look.

Remember how I mentioned that we went with the skinnier wood posts and smaller 5-gallon buckets? Well, this ended up being a huge problem with the heavier, commercial lights. When we hung them on the wire, they were so heavy that they looked just saggy.

Ultimately, we realized the commercial style lights are not ideal for use with light poles, because the light pole may tip over under the weight of the lights. I would recommend commercial style lights if you are hanging them permanently between two solid structures, such as between your house and your garage or shed.

Regular Lights

We went with these instead, which are much more cost-effective, lighter, have amazing reviews, and have held up well for us.

Because we were now working with lighter string lights, we didnt do the tension wire on the second half of the patio. Instead, we simply tied a knot in the string to hold tension around the hooks.

Stabilize The 4x4s With Corner Braces

This next part is also optional, but we decided to be safe and attach the posts to the planters using corner braces on two sides, to keep them in place while the concrete dried.

Once the braces were attached to the 4×4s, we centered it inside of the barrel , then used screws to secure it to the bottom.

The bottom of the barrel was thin wood so the screws arent very solid and the post can still wiggle around, but its enough to keep it steady.

Read Also: How To Identify Vintage Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

Diy String Light Poles

Once the posts are in, you are ready to finish up the project. No waiting time! I decided to use 10.5-ft L 17-Gauge Vinyl Coated Steel Chain Link Fence Top Rail poles for my posts. They were the height I needed and were thick enough to withstand a little pressure. I also liked how these 1-3/8 Black Rail End fit perfectly on top and created a hook system for the lights, which means I didnt have to drill through the metal to add a hook.

To ensure everything was secure, I added Loctite Construction Adhesive to the inside of the cap before I placed them on top. The glue dries quickly and is made for metal.

Step : Making A Square Concrete Planter This Is A Complete Diy Project That Can Be Designed To Fit Your Space Concrete Planters Are Durable And Easy To Decorate Such As Adorning Them With Mosaics

How to make CONCRETE PLANTER?

Materials:

the cheapest plywood Lowes offers

6-50 lb.bags of quick-set concrete

the trusty nail gun and large staples

Steps:

First: Draw a sketch of the concrete planter according to the size of your plan. Next: create square inset with bottom plate according to your sizes, then staple together outer frames. The size of the bottom plate should be the same as the size of the insets. Next: Find a flat ground to place the outer frame, then mix the concrete. Spread about 1.5 thick concrete on the bottom, then place the inset on it. You need to reserve a drain hole at the bottom. Finaly: Fill the frame with concrete.

Detailed TUTORIAL can be seen here ===> modernmaizy.blogspot.com

Also Check: Outdoor Pergola Ceiling Fan

Wooden Planters With Built

I love how these planters have built in poles for string lights: we can plant them with summer flowers and enjoy the ambiance of string lights at night!

Earlier in the summer, one of my friends asked whether Id ever used concrete to make a planter with a pole for holding up string lights. My answer was nope, but I offered to make one out of wood so it would be a little more stylish and a little less heavy. Thanks so much to those of you asking about the instructions hopefully these make sense, but leave a comment with ANY questions! Unfortunately when I build I kind of make it up as I go so its not always so easy to write up when alls said and done.

Building The Diy Planters

For the wood planter boxes, we chose to follow Tabitha Blues Outdoor Planter Boxes plan on the Fresh Mommy Blog.

Head over to her page for information on the materials and the cut list. But, keep in mind that we discovered some parts of her tutorial that were incorrect.

If you want to build these same planters, I would recommend reading my post first so you know what to expect and do differently, then head over to Tabithas post for the plans. Then, come back here to read on how we secured our light poles in cement we did this differently than Tabithas tutorial.

This post will detail what we learned, what we would have changed, and what we think worked well.

You May Like: How To Install A Ceiling Fan On An Existing Aluminum Patio Cover

How To Hang Outdoor String Lights From Diy Posts: Add Lights

Arrange the planters in a rectangle no more than 10 apart. Secure one end of the string lights to one of the cup hooks with the hook attached to the light, or with cable ties or twist ties if no hook exists. Continue stringing the lights, making an outline of the planters. When you have reached the first planter and have formed a rectangular outline of lights, begin zigzagging the lights from one side of the outline to the other, spacing the passes of string far enough apart so that they will be evenly distributed to the end. Secure the end to a cup hook as you did the beginning of the string. Attach an outdoor-safe extension cord and plug into an outlet.

Sam Henderson

When you have reached the first planter and have formed a rectangular outline of lights, begin zigzagging the lights from one side of the outline to the other, spacing the passes of string far enough apart so that they will be evenly distributed to the end. Secure the end to a cup hook as you did the beginning of the string. Attach an outdoor-safe extension cord and plug into an outlet.

How To Create Patio String Lighting With Diy Pole

Lighting is an important feature when it comes to outdoor space, especially at summer night. It will make the evening special and cozy. If there is a pergola in your homes outdoor, that will be easy to string some outdoor globe lights around it. However, not every house has pergola, this time you need a solution to set your STRING LIGHTING. One of my friend adviced to use concrete and gallon bucket to make a planter with a pole for holding up string lights. It is a good idea. And since you dont have to install anything permanent for this set up, its cool diy project for a rented house as well. Lets get started!

Read Also: Deck Or Patio Cost

How To Make Diy String Light Poles

Step One: Drill holes into the bottom of barrel for drainage.

Step Two: Attach a #6 Screw Hook to the top of the post.

Step Three: Place the barrel where you plan to keep it. Once it is filled with soil and plants, it will be difficult to move. Center bottom of post in barrel. It will be useful to have a second pair of hands to hold the post in place. Use L brackets and screws to attach the post to the inside of the barrel. I considered using concrete to secure the post but decided that the large brackets and weight of the soil and plants would be more than enough to hold the planters in place. We had some strong winds with this summers storms and the planters didnt move an inch.

Step Four: Once the post is secure, you can use a paint brush to apply stain to the post. You can skip this step but I think the stain better matches the aged appearance of the whiskey barrel. I chose an oak color for the stain and really like how it turned out.

Step Five: Once the stain has dried, add soil and plants to the barrel. We chose inexpensive annuals which gave us beautiful blooms all summer long.

Be sure to generously water your new plants.

In a couple of weeks, Ill be swapping them out for some mums in the colors of fall. Im really looking forward to the cooler weather. Well definitely spend most evenings outdoors and more comfortably be able to do more entertaining.

Diy String Light Pole

Brighten your backyard with these DIY string light poles. Using concrete, lumber and string lights, you can illuminate your yard in style.

Dust Mask

Don’t Miss: Pressure Wash Outdoor Cushions

How To Keep Planter Poles For Outdoor Lights From Tipping Over

This is where I guess it can get sciency, which isnt my strong suit. Because planter poles for outdoor lights need to be tall enough, youre going to need a heavy base wide enough to counteract the tall pole. As mentioned, we filled our pot 1/2 way with dry concrete before adding the water, we then placed potting soil and plants on top. The heavier it is, the less risk of tipping. We live in an area that can get pretty windy in the winter and we havent had a problem. Tall and narrow will most likely tip easier.

How To Install Led Disc Lights On Your Patio Umbrella

String lights are not the only option when you want to illuminate the underneath space of the patio umbrella. There are quite great disc led lights available that as you might have guessed, looks like discs.

Disc LED lights are much more convenient than string led lights as there is not a single wire that you have to deal with. All the lights are installed within the disc plate.

They also run on batteries so you wont have to pull the electric line as well. Thus theyre much more convenient than string lights as theres zero wire to deal with.

Theyre also brighter than string lights and theyre mainly installed for functionality purposes rather than only aesthetics. If you often have dinner outside or do other things that you need good lighting for, you should try disc lights.

However, theyll not look as good as strip lights so its a decision to make.

Installing a disc light is also much easier than strip lights and heres how you do so :

Don’t Miss: Re Webbing Lawn Chairs

Diy Planter With Pole For String Lights

I absolutely love how this string light pole planter project turned out. I really enjoy the ambiance of having the backyard lit up with string lights at night.

Andy and I did this project early summer after a dry spell with water restrictions. The grass is dead, dead, dead in some of the pictures. Im glad to report that weve had quite a lot of rain since, including a couple of Tropical Storms. And, weve even had a chance to light a few fires in our modest fire pit.

Since we live so close to Tampa Bay, our community is considerably built up to prevent flooding. The downside is that more than half of our backyard is on a very steep slope that is really unusable space. I feel like the addition of the DIY string light poles and a modest fire pit helps us makes the most of our small backyard.

We have a large lanai and all summer have been enjoying grilling meals most nights and spending evenings outdoors.

Theres just something magical about string lights. I love nothing more than turning on the string lights and sitting out on the lanai with a glass of wine in the evening.

Ways On How To Hang String Lights In Backyard Without Trees

Are you looking for how to hang string lights in backyard without trees? Weve done a few of projects with lights and no trees.

Outdoor string lights bring a great feel and hominess to your backyard space. Well show you 7 different methods so you can pick the one that works best for you..

• 7 Use Planters to String Backyard Lights

Don’t Miss: How To Use City Pickers Patio Garden Kit

Diy Planter Posts For String Lights

String lights are an inexpensive way to add lighting to an outdoor patio. The only problem is that you need something to hang the string lights from! We have trees in our backyard, but Id need several extra lengths of string lights to reach the trees. So I decided to make easy DIY patio planter posts for hanging the string lights.

Easy Diy Backyard String Lights

Installing string lights in your backyard seems to be a popular project! And I can completely see why, because those twinkle lights sure make your space feel magical! I have actually hung string lights before, and that method still works if you want to do concrete posts, but they didnt last as well as I had hoped. After a lot of research and learning from my mistakes, I completely changed my method for installing outdoor string lights. I got it right this time and Im showing you everything I used!

Brian and I both agree that the new string lights definitely add dimension to the backyard design and make it feel taller. Not only does it add a cozy and intimate feel to the dining area, but it also provides much needed lighting at night for the rest of the yard. They arent just for show! We actually needed the additional light, we dont have a ton of exterior lights in our backyard and it would get pitch black in the night hours. This at least provides a nice glow throughout.

But seriously, outdoor twinkle lights do make it feel magical. I keep saying I feel like we are on vacation when we are sitting back here!

Read Also: Strapping For Patio Chairs

Supplies For Making Planter Poles For String Lights:

• Large Planters I chose these because of their price and size I knew I would paint them, so the plastic didnt bother me. Keep reading for pot suggestions. When making your poles for outdoor lighting, your pot must be large enough to balance out the tall pole, otherwise you increase the risk of it falling over with wind. You need a wide base. If you are choosing a plastic planter, be aware that harsh conditions may cause cracking if they are out all winter. We have not had this problem with the week or two of temps below 20F.
• 8ft to 12 ft aluminum poles(they come in silver or black, the darker ones had to be ordered and we wanted them the same day. You can also use wood 2×2 poles.
• Braces or industrial tape. We made ours with the 2 x 2 wood pieces.
• Quick Set Concrete

Project Type:Category: