Find out how to Make Sturdy DIY Patio Mild Planters | Thrifty Decor Chick

Find out how to set up STURDY cafe patio string lights with out timber! 

Putting in these outside string lights was on my checklist for years after we moved into our home! The issue was, we had a brand new yard with no mature timber to connect the lights to. 

I had to determine a strategy to cling these patio lights in a secure method so they’d maintain as much as rain, wind and snow. 

It helped that we had timber large enough to carry the burden of those — they’re heavier than your common outside lights, however once more…they final endlessly.

As a result of we do not have timber across the patio but (and it could be years earlier than they’d be robust sufficient to carry the sunshine strands), we had to determine a unique possibility. 

I have been researching this for a yr as a result of it was so vital for this to a.) be purposeful, b.) look good and c.) not break the bank. I gathered information from a bunch of tutorials I discovered after which we needed to make some extra modifications on the finish I will share with you. (Trace: the tutorials we discovered did not work for the heavier lights!) 

Let’s get began! I will checklist ALL of the objects you will want on the finish of the submit, however listed here are the step-by-step directions. 

Step 1: Collect the planters you would like to make use of. 

A number of the tutorials I discovered used wooden wine barrel planters — however the ones I discovered both had giant holes already drilled into the underside or they weren’t tremendous sturdy. I used to be anxious the concrete would ooze out between the slats of wooden. 

They nonetheless have that wine barrel look however ought to maintain up significantly better!

I initially had three planters, however we ended up utilizing two after we discovered what number of toes of lights we had. 

Step 2: Safe the poles within the planters.

Subsequent, we grabbed eight foot 4×4’s for every planter. The fast set cement set actually quick — however this subsequent step was useful. I put in “L” brackets onto the underside of every 4×4 after which screwed them into the underside of the planters earlier than including the cement: 

This won’t maintain them tremendous safe (at the very least with plastic planters), so you possibly can’t let go simply but — however they do assist! 

I’ve by no means use cement but it surely was surprisingly simple! We used two 50 pound baggage of Quikrete for every planter:

We added and combined one bag at a time — you add the cement after which spray water. You do not want a ton of water — simply combine in addition to attainable so there isn’t any dry cement left: 

For the primary planter it took three of us as a result of I used to be anxious the 4×4 would not maintain at first. However the cement units up so quick, it simply took two of us for the second. 

Use a degree to examine the 4×4 throughout this course of. It does not need to be completely straight — keep in mind you possibly can alter the mulch or dust beneath the planters to assist make the poles straight. 

Inside 15-20 minutes it wasn’t budging: 

You may stain or paint the 4×4’s earlier than setting them within the cement, however I am too impatient for that. I wished to get them up! It was simple to get them stained after the actual fact: 

Step three: Safe the planters into the bottom (if wanted).

Soooo this half went very well and was method simpler than we thought it could be. That’s, till we began pulling on the 4x4s a bit…and we realized there was no method these would not tip over from the burden of the lights. (Even with 100 kilos of cement!)

The lights aren’t CRAZY heavy…however we had been draping them throughout the patio, so the space provides some pressure. We had our handyman come out to have a look (he was serving to me cling the lights anyway) and he got here up with a superb answer. 

He discovered lengthy steel metal flats on the ironmongery store that he pounded into the bottom after which secured into the cement portion of the pots: 

You may want a stone/cement drill bit to get into the set cement. You can too do that whereas the cement is drying with an everyday drill bit. 

He hooked up 4 to every planter and it labored like a allure!! Good. They do not budge. I am shocked the planters within the tutorials I discovered keep upright — however as I discussed, if you’re inserting them nearer collectively or utilizing light-weight gentle strands, they may in all probability work. (Our lights are strung 20+ toes over the patio.)

As a result of I used to be filling the remaining a part of every planter with soil and crops, I drilled a number of holes into the perimeters of the planters so water does not pool up inside: 

I discovered a flat of those succulents at Lowe’s — it was SO simple to plant! You may both simply lay them down over the dust or tear them into items like I did: 

Hopefully they do nicely on the market! One flat was $21 and I had lots for the 2 planters. Within the spring I will add petunias that may spill over the perimeters. 

Step 4: Hold the lights with {hardware}.

We had loads of {hardware} and wire leftover. If you’re draping the lights lower than seven toes, you possibly can simply cling them by themselves. The model recommends that you simply use wire for distances longer than that. 

The equipment comes with 150 toes of wire, which was far more than we would have liked. The outside lights we use are from Feit and are 48 toes every. So you will simply need to map out the design you need based mostly in your area and the way lengthy your lights are. I knew the place we wished to begin (the nook of the patio so we might entry a plug), and I positioned the planters (earlier than we added cement) the place we wished them to drape:

It is onerous to find out precisely how a lot you will use, so we knew the position of the final attachment to the again of the home would rely on how a lot of the lights had been left, if that is smart. We thought it could attain to the nook of the home, however as a substitute we needed to transfer it in a bit. This made it so we did not have any extra lights/twine hanging down. 

It’s SO stunning and even higher than I imagined!:

I all the time lean to an easier look so I did not need this to get too busy. We might have added extra planters and lights and had them commute many occasions…however I desire this! If you need extra, go for it!: 

The previous units got here with a ton of additional bulbs as a result of they had been glass. These are plastic in order that they solely present a number of additional (additionally as a result of they will final MUCH longer than the incandescent model). The LED model can also be lighter (weight clever) than those we used years in the past. 

I do not all the time love LED lights, particularly exterior. I desire a hotter gentle, however as you possibly can see, these aren’t stark in any respect. Very heat and welcoming: 

Be sure to tighten the bulbs nicely — if they don’t seem to be working that is normally the issue.

We had been going to have a swap run down the porch column so we might simply flip these on and off, however our handyman jogged my memory {that a} distant swap would work simply as nicely. We saved SO a lot cash utilizing that as a substitute of getting electrical work executed.

That is the remote we used — simply plug it into the outlet, then plug the lights into the machine. You may flip the lights on and off from inside or exterior simply. Here is a take a look at the lights when it is fully darkish:

Do you’ve got fairly lights hung exterior? They make all the pieces really feel slightly extra magical. 🙂 

Listed here are the hyperlinks and merchandise that can be useful in the event you try this venture!:
String gentle tutorial when you have timber
Business grade string lights
Plastic barrel planters (or a smaller version here)
Three foot steel flats for securing the planters
Light hanging hardware kit
Quikrete fast setting cement
Remote control outdoor plug/switch

You should utilize this picture to pin this venture for later: