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DIY Garden Posts

DIY Garden Posts for String Lights

Posted on May 31, 2019June 12, 2020 by jennifer froese
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Adding lights to your patio/garden area is an easy way to make your outdoor space more inviting. It might seem a little bit intimidating to buy a bag of concrete mix, but it’s really not difficult to make these DIY garden posts! The hardest part is getting the posts home in your car. There is absolutely nothing better than sitting outside on a summer night under the warm glow of lights around the patio.

Here’s a couple of before and after pictures of our patio area. It was SO much work (literally blood, sweat and tears), but I absolutely love the end result! And I think that these DIY Garden Posts add the perfect touch.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Supplies for DIY Garden Posts:

  • 4″x4″ pressure treated posts (at least 10′ long)
  • Gravel (enough for a couple inches at the bottom of each hole to prevent the post from rotting)
  • Quick-setting concrete (one 50-lb. bag for each hole; we used Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix in the red bag which is only around $6 per bag and sets in just 20-40 minutes)
  • Respirator mask
  • Post hole digger (you can buy one for anywhere from $20-$50, but I would recommend that you get one with a fiberglass handle since they’re way more durable)
  • Post level (definitely essential!)
  • 4×4 Post caps (these are the beautiful copper ones that I got from Amazon)
  • Outdoor wood glue
  • Screw-in hooks
  • Zip ties
  • String Lights
DIY Garden Posts

Optional Supplies:

  • Brackets to hang baskets/lanterns/etc. (I don’t remember where we got ours, but here is a link for similar ones on Amazon)
  • Hanging baskets (I got mine from Wayfair, but here is a link for a similar one)
  • Timer for string lights (this timer is amazing! It has a sensor so that it turns on at dusk and will stay on for a set amount of time after turning on)
  • Exterior stain (We used Olympic Elite Woodland Oil deck stain in Canyon Brown)
DIY Garden Posts
Fuchsia Flowers

Instructions for DIY Garden Posts:

  1. Decide on your post placement.
  2. Dig holes with post hole digger. Dig to a depth of 2.5 feet, and a diameter of about 10-12 inches. Technically you are supposed to dig a post hole to a far enough depth so that 1/3 of the post is in the ground (For example, a post that is 6′ above the ground should have 3′ below the ground). However, we decided that for us a slightly more shallow hole would work fine since these posts are not holding a lot of weight compared to a fence post.
  3. Cut your posts to proper height if needed. We chose to have the top of our posts 7.5′ above the patio, and we did have to trim off a few inches to get the height we wanted.
  4. Stain posts with desired stain. If your post caps have any unfinished wood, you will want to stain them at this point as well. We used Olympic Elite Woodland Oil deck stain in Canyon Brown.
  5. Add a couple of inches of gravel to bottom of post hole. This will prevent the bottom of the post from sitting in water which can create rotting issues.
  6. Place post in post hole and make sure it’s square and level (use your post level)
  7. Put on your respirator mask (you don’t want to breathe in the concrete dust!), then add the Quikrete powder to the post hole. It’s best to add it slowly all the way around the post, otherwise the pressure of the concrete mix can shift the post out of position.
  8. Add water and mix with a stick. I think we added about one gallon of water per 50-lb bag. We really just jabbed it around for a little bit to let the water get down into the concrete powder. It’s really not a huge deal if you don’t mix it completely since the concrete powder will draw in water from the soil until it has just enough.
  9. Using your post level again, and double check to make sure the post has remained square and level thoughout the previous two steps. You only have a few minutes where you can actually move it so be sure to do this right after you add the water!
  10. Repeat for each post hole, then let the posts set. I let mine set overnight until I did anything else with them since I was paranoid about making them crooked, but theoretically you should be able to start using them in less than an hour.
  11. Add post caps. I used a little bit of wood glue to attach them.
  12. Add hooks. First drill pilot holes, then screw in the hooks. I installed mine 2 inches below the bottom of the post caps.
  13. Add string lights! I used a zip tie to attach the string lights to keep the line taut and prevent sagging. The first year we had the string lights I didn’t secure them with zip ties and they sagged down to an awkwardly low height. If connecting more than one string, fold the cords back on themselves and secure with zip ties to keep the spacing the same between all your lights.
  14. Install timer for lights. I absolutely love this timer! It turns the lights on automatically at dusk and you have a few different options for how long you want the lights to stay on for (for 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, or until dawn). Even if we’re gone and we don’t have time to sit outside, it makes me happy just to see the lights on when we get home at night! It looks so beautiful! It works great for Christmas lights as well!
Post Level - DIY Garden Posts
DIY Garden Posts

These DIY Garden Posts looked kind of bare after I installed them and hung the lights, so I decided to add brackets to be able to use hanging baskets and lanterns. I am in love with the end result! They turned out even better than I had imagined!

If you’re looking for another great project to add curb appeal, check out this post to make your very own DIY Window Boxes.

DIY Garden Posts
  • DIY
  • garden
  • 28 thoughts on “DIY Garden Posts for String Lights”

    1. Christa says:
      May 24, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      How far apart are your post?

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        May 24, 2020 at 9:39 pm

        Ours are about 12 feet apart

        Reply
    2. Cheryl says:
      May 31, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      How long did this take??

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        June 1, 2020 at 8:44 pm

        It took us around half of a day to install two posts (not including staining the posts). The part that takes the longest is digging the holes, so how long it takes you specifically will depend on how hard your soil is.

        Reply
    3. Cheryl says:
      May 31, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      Where did you lace the zip ties??

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        June 1, 2020 at 8:46 pm

        If you zoom in on the picture of the top of the post, you can see where it’s attached with the zip tie. I pulled the lights taut and attached the cord to the hook with a zip tie, and then trimmed the end of the zip tie off.

        Reply
    4. Nicole Pittsley says:
      May 31, 2020 at 9:14 pm

      What color stain did you use? I like the color.

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        June 1, 2020 at 8:38 pm

        Thanks! We used Olympic Elite Woodland Oil deck stain in Canyon Brown.

        Reply
    5. Amundie says:
      June 3, 2020 at 10:40 pm

      Are the lights hanging off the posts solar?

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        June 4, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        They are! I just used a regular non-solar lantern with a pillar candle and added these solar lights (affiliate link), winding them loosely around the pillar candle. If you look closely in a couple of the pictures, you can see there is a small wire running down from the lantern along the post to the ground where the little solar panel sticks into the ground. I love these little lights! I have also used them in our window boxes in the winter, they look so pretty!

        Reply
    6. Jennifer says:
      July 19, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      What size is your lantern? Also did you use the same plant hooks for the flower and the lantern, or different sizes? Looks beautiful

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        July 20, 2020 at 11:19 pm

        Thanks! We did use the same size hook on each side of the post, and our lanterns are about 17 inches tall (not including the metal loop at the top of the lantern).

        Reply
    7. Ed Mahayag says:
      July 22, 2020 at 3:26 pm

      Where did you get your lanterns from? We looked around but could not find those you selected. Others viewed were not as beautiful as those you selected. We love what you did to the house and patio. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        July 22, 2020 at 3:36 pm

        Thank you so much! These are the Lagrad lanterns from Ikea. I got them a few years ago but it looks like they still carry them! They also hold up surprisingly well for the price. We’ve had ours outside year round for probably 3-4 years or so and they’re still in great shape.

        Reply
    8. Matt says:
      March 13, 2021 at 6:55 pm

      No guide wire it looks like, you just have the string lights running post to post? It looks great, sounds like zip ties fixed the sagging so no guide wires needed?

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        March 13, 2021 at 9:39 pm

        No guide wires needed! I was very happy with how well the zip ties worked!

        Reply
    9. Tracey says:
      April 4, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Hi!
      Love this!! Where did you find the lantern lights on the poles?

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        April 13, 2021 at 1:39 pm

        Thank you! They are from Ikea – the Lagrad lantern.

        Reply
    10. Kim Raymer says:
      July 31, 2021 at 4:43 pm

      I followed your instructions and did this project this morning. It was incredibly easy. I did 5 posts with 72 linear feet of lights and the whole project only took about 4 hours. Thanks for your great inspiration and instructions.

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        August 7, 2021 at 9:07 pm

        Wow that sounds amazing! Yes I think it’s such an easy project that makes such a big impact!!

        Reply
      2. Melanie Boyer says:
        November 15, 2021 at 11:02 am

        Kim…can you share a picture of yours? We are wanting to do this around our pool, with lights starting from our patio cover to the posts.

        Jennifer…your house is ADORABLE! Really love this project, too! Hoping to get it done in time for our holiday party on December 12th!

        Reply
    11. Lisa says:
      April 7, 2022 at 7:32 pm

      What did you use as the “toppers” on your posts?

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        May 15, 2022 at 9:54 pm

        Sorry for the late response! We used these copper post caps from Amazon.

        Reply
    12. Jim Baumgartner says:
      April 13, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      Your posts and patio look great! 2 questions:
      1. Did you buy special posts or simply 2x2x10′ like you can get at Home Depot?
      2. Where did you get the “tops” for the posts?

      Great job!!

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        May 15, 2022 at 9:54 pm

        Thank you! We just used 4×4 pressure treated posts from the lumber store. These are the exact post caps from Amazon that we used for our posts.

        Reply
    13. Ashley says:
      May 9, 2022 at 11:28 am

      Hi! What did u use to attach your lights to?? I know you used a zip tie but did u have Some sort of hook?? I didn’t see that on supply list

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        May 15, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        Hello! I just used some small screw hooks kind of like these

        Reply
    14. Haley says:
      February 8, 2023 at 9:46 pm

      Thank you!!!

      Reply

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    cedarandstonefarmhouse

    Jennifer Froese
    🌿 Living a slow, simple life in our 1832 farmhouse | western ny | 5w6 | the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do ✨

    Cedar & Stone Farmhouse
    This window takes the cake for my favorite one in This window takes the cake for my favorite one in the house! It overlooks a giant silver maple from the second story of our old farmhouse and gets the absolute best light throughout the day ✨
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    Egg production for our hens has come to a screechi Egg production for our hens has come to a screeching halt lately with the exception of this white leghorn, who continues to faithfully lay one white egg each day! I don't blame them at all, these girls have endured quite the winter so far.
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This white leghorn is the newest addition to our flock, and she actually showed up randomly in the fall and would hang out near the run during the day and disappear towards the evening. This went on for a couple of weeks, and then one day she wandered in when I had the door open and I couldn't get her out. So in she stayed!
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One egg a day is not quite enough to keep up with the baking and cooking for us, so I did have to buy eggs at the store the other week. Talk about sticker shock! I'm curious what prices everyone has been paying for eggs these days.
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    Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not di Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not disappoint! Normally I do a lot more fall baking, but I've been soaking up all the newborn snuggles every chance I get 🥰

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Born 9.3.22 at 2:33am
8lbs 12oz, 21” long
    Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully so Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully sooner rather than later 😅), but we've been busy harvesting honey from our hives! We just restocked with our freshly harvested raw honey at @martins.mercantile on Friday last week, so if you live in WNY you can head over there for your honey fix #🍯 I think it's extra delicious this year!! 😋 Just check out that beautiful golden color in the second picture 😍
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By popular demand, we'll have a couple of new size jars available at @martins.mercantile soon!
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    I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for the I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for their Farm-to-Table campaign! 
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We took a trip to Joe’s Farm Market in town to gather some of the produce we needed for dinner alfresco the other night! We enjoyed caprese salad with farm fresh tomatoes and basil, pasta salad with roasted veggies, iced tea made with mint from our garden, and focaccia from a local bakery.
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My favorite was the homemade peach and blackberry galette, topped with raw honey from our own bee hives! 🍯 The peaches were some of the best ones we’ve had all summer, and there almost weren’t enough left to make the galette because they were being eaten as fast as I could cut them up!
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Longaberger has the most beautiful vitrified pottery serving dishes! And I love how their baking dishes are pretty enough to use as serving dishes too, making it easy to simplify your kitchen since they are so versatile. They’re also pretty enough to use for special occasions, but simple and durable enough for everyday use. The matching plates and bowls are definitely on my wish list!!
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    It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you o It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you on a tour of our chicken coop! I’ve had a years-long dream to have chickens, and we were finally able to get them last spring.
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I just shared a blog post about how we converted this wonky old shed into a perfectly imperfect chicken coop last year! Definitely a labor of love, especially with the pandemic lumber prices 😅
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The link is in my bio if you want to check it out!
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https://cedarandstonefarmhouse.com/perfectly-imperfect-chicken-coop/
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