Dreamy Patio Lights

You want that cozy patio with string lights but you don't have a structure to attach them to? Well, you're in the right spot! As you'll see in the first photos, our home has a large patio and there was no way to triangulate string lights across them.

We had to think outside the box... First we did something totally stupid. We thought inside a pot. We filled some measly patio pots with cement, or is it concrete?, and put some poles inside. They toppled over with the slightest breeze. Oh and the glass bulbs left shrapnel everywhere. Don't do this!!! It is more expensive and time consuming than what will actually work.

Next plan, bury them. Burying things is always a better solution.

What You'll Need

• 8' lengths of 1.5" full round pine moulding — use 1 piece for every 10 feet of lights you'll hang
• PVC 1.5" inside diameter
• Steel hooks
• String lights!

Here's What to Do

1. Stain or seal your pine rods
2. Install your steel hook at the top of each rod
3. Cut PVC into 8" length pieces
4. Pound PVC pieces into ground where you'll want your poles to be — use a piece of 2x4 on top of the PVC so you aren't hitting the plastic directly with the hammer
5. Every few inches pull the PVC out to get the dirt out
6. You'll want the PVC pieces flush to the ground or a bit below the surface
7. Install the pine rod into the 8" deep PVC
8. Now you should have poles that are close to 7'-4" so even with the drop of the light cords the lights are similar to the height of a door opening
9. Install an outdoor outlet in a soffit and a steel hook in the fascia
10. Wrap your string lights around the hook

TIP: You may have to sand to shave off a bit of the pine to get them into the PVC but it should be snug and you might have to pound them in some.

E N J O Y !!!

Our Patio Furniture

• West Elm sectional
• At Home pots, rug & round table
• CB2 Acapulco chairs
• Wayfair Cantilever Umbrella

Originally published November 13, 2019 on OhMidMod.com