patio lights: Special DIY String Light Poles

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Zitrades Patio Lights G40 Globe Party String LightsDecorative Indoor Outdoor Lighting for Garden Patio Backyard Bedroom RVDancing Christmas Party Warm White 25 Clear Vintage Style Ball Bulbs 25ft

These DIY string light poles are extra sturdy and they look not similar with any string light poles we have seen, with tree trunks taking the place of wooden or metal poles in the concrete bases.

Follow the easy instructions step-by-step to create your own string light poles, and take inspiration from patio decorating ideas.

DIY String Light Poles

I love DIY projects, but I have never used with cement before this Home Depot Cement DIY Challenge. As is the case prior to any challenge, I was slightly intimidated, yet eagerly said, “Bring it on!” Having had no experience with concrete, I finished this project with having learned five things.

1. Concrete is heavy.

2. Concrete is easy to work with.

3. I love my DIY concrete light stands.

4. I want to create more with concrete.

5. I can shop at The Home Depot all day.

I live in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where the landscape is covered in snow 75 percent of the year; the other 25 percent is sunny and wonderful! My family and I try to spend as much time as possible outside during the warm summer months before the chill of winter returns.

My goal was to create an affordable and creative outdoor setting to enjoy alfresco dining for the whole family. I wanted backyard ambiance, too.

For my DIY Challenge, I created DIY string light poles to hang a strand of clear globe lights across our outdoor picnic table. For this post, it really was concrete base.

We created an organic setting in the newly lit outdoor space to compliment the surroundings. The centerpiece on our picnic table is an herb and vegetable garden, and the place settings are fresh carrots and a radish, which with a DIY custom initial wood slice.

The space also holds sentimental value for me because the trees I set inside the concrete bases were cut down from my Nani and Papa’s house. Now, I have a piece of them in my backyard, which is special for me.

You could make it, too.

Materials Needed

5o lb. Quikrete Fast-Setting Cement
Herbs and vegetable plants
Wood planter
Outdoor Clear Hanging Garden String Lights
2 — 5-gallon buckets
WD-40
Hooks
Aspen tree trunks, or wood

Directions

Step 1

Prep your 5-gallon buckets with WD-40. Spray it generously to cover the entire inside of the buckets.

Step 2

Follow directions on the Quickrete bag. We used approximately ¾-gallon of water per bucket, which is more than advised on the bag (½ gallon), but you can adjust as you need.

Pour ¼ or slightly more of the cement into the bucket, then add a small amount of water and mix well.

Step 3

Repeat until you have used the entire bag of cement, and make sure it is mixed well. That is quick-setting cement, so work in a swift manner. Once the cement is mixed well, insert the tree trunk fully into the center of the cement mixture.

Step 4

Make sure the trunk is straight and hold it in place for about 15-20 minutes, until it no longer moves. The concrete will not be dry in 15 minutes, but it will be hold it in place.

Step 5

Repeat this same step with the other bucket. The cement is fast-setting, and our trees were set after about 45 minutes to one hour; even though I suggest waiting at least 12 hours before removing from the buckets, which to ensure the trunks stay in place.

Step 6

After 12 hours, you can do on of two things.

1. Lightly hammer the sides of the bucket to loosen the edges of the concrete from the bucket and remove from the bucket.

2. Cut the buckets from the top to bottom for a clean break by utility knife.

We chose option #2 just because it was heavy, which is easier for us to remove.

Step 7

Place the concrete stands where you want them to be.