How to Build Flower Pot String Light Poles For a Backyard Oasis

These easy DIY flower pot string light poles are a simple way to hang outdoor lights over your patio and create a cozy backyard oasis without installing permanent posts.

One of my favorite things about our backyard is spending time outside in the evenings, but our patio was seriously lacking in both lighting and ambiance. I wanted to add string lights around the patio without installing permanent posts in the ground, so I decided to make my own flower pot string light poles instead.

This ended up being a relatively simple DIY project that made a huge impact on our backyard. The posts give us the perfect place to hang outdoor string lights, while the planters at the bottom make them look intentional instead of like random pieces of lumber sitting around the patio.

After a little trial and error, I also learned that the size of your planter matters—a lot. Here’s exactly how I made our flower pot string light poles and what I would recommend if you’re making your own.

DIY Flower Pot String Light Pole Project

Difficulty: Beginner
Number of poles: 4
Post height: 8 feet
Post size: 3x3 inches
Planter size: 20 inches
Best for: Patios, decks and backyard entertaining spaces

Supplies You’ll Need

I’ll link all of the exact products I used for this project below so they’re easy to find.

How to Make a Flower Pot String Light Pole

The basic idea behind this project is really simple. Each wooden post is set into concrete inside a large planter, creating a freestanding pole that you can position anywhere around your patio.

I made four flower pot string light poles so that I could put one at each corner of our patio and hang the string lights around the entire space.

Here’s exactly how I did it.

Step 1: Choose a Large Planter

Start with an empty 20-inch planter.

This was actually one of the biggest lessons I learned from this project. You need a planter with a wide enough base to keep the pole stable.

An eight-foot post creates quite a bit of leverage, especially once string lights are attached to it. A smaller planter may seem like it would work, but it can be much easier for the entire thing to tip over.

The 20-inch planters gave our posts a much wider and heavier base once they were filled with concrete.

If you’re recreating this project, I wouldn’t go smaller just to save a few dollars on the planter. Having a sturdy base is worth it.

Step 2: Place the 3x3 Post in the Planter

For each pole, I used a 3x3 post that was eight feet tall.

Place the post in the center of your empty planter before adding the concrete.

You want to take a little time here to make sure the post is positioned where you want it because once the concrete sets, you aren’t going to be able to adjust it.

Step 3: Pour Concrete Around the Post

With the wooden post positioned inside the planter, pour the concrete around it.

Follow the mixing and curing instructions for the specific concrete you’re using.

Fill the bottom portion of the planter with enough concrete to create a heavy, sturdy base around the post while still leaving some room at the top. You’ll need that extra space later when we turn the top of the planter into a faux flower pot.

Step 4: Level and Support the Post

Before letting the concrete dry, check that your post is completely straight.

I used a level to make sure mine wasn’t leaning in either direction.

Then I propped a ladder next to the post to help keep it straight and supported while the concrete dried.

Don’t rush this part. If your post dries at an angle, you’ll be stuck with a crooked string light pole.

Once everything is level and supported, allow the concrete to dry completely.

Step 5: Repeat for All Four Flower Pot String Light Poles

I repeated the exact same process until I had four completed posts.

For our patio, four poles worked perfectly because I could position one at each corner and essentially create a perimeter of string lights around the space.

How many you need will depend on the size and shape of your patio or backyard.

Step 6: Position the Poles Around the Patio

Once the concrete was completely dry, I moved each planter into position.

I placed one flower pot string light pole at each of the four corners of our patio.

One of the things I really like about making these inside planters instead of permanently installing posts is that they aren’t attached to the patio itself. If we decide to change the layout of our backyard later, we have more flexibility than we would with posts permanently set into the ground.

Just keep in mind that these are very heavy once they’re filled with concrete, so it’s a good idea to decide where you want them before moving them around too much.

Step 7: Add Hooks to the Posts

Next, I added hooks near the top of each wooden post for hanging the string lights.

I used my Dremel Blueprint Multi-Drill for this part, and this has become one of those tools I genuinely love having around for DIY projects.

I drilled the hooks directly into the posts at the height where I wanted the lights to hang.

Step 8: Hang the Outdoor String Lights

Once all of the hooks were installed, it was finally time for the fun part: hanging the string lights.

I ran the lights from post to post around the patio, attaching them to the hooks I had installed.

You can adjust the amount of drape between each post depending on the look you want. I wanted ours to feel relaxed and cozy rather than pulled extremely tight.

Even before finishing the planters, the string lights immediately made the patio feel so much more inviting at night.

Step 9: Add Solar Light Post Caps

This might be my favorite finishing detail of the entire project.

I added 3.5 x 3.5-inch post caps with built-in solar lights to the top of each wooden post.

The post caps make the raw lumber look much more finished, but the little solar lights are what really make them special.

During the day they’re barely noticeable, and at night they add another layer of soft lighting around the patio along with the string lights.

It was such an easy addition, but it made the entire project look much more intentional.

Step 10: Turn the Bases Into Flower Planters

At this point, the posts were functional—but I didn’t necessarily want four planters with visible concrete sitting around the patio.

So I covered the dried concrete with soil and added fake flowers to the top of each planter.

This makes them look like actual flower pots while disguising the concrete underneath.

You could absolutely use real flowers here if you’d prefer. I went with artificial flowers because they’re incredibly low maintenance and I don’t have to worry about keeping four additional planters alive all summer.

Once the flowers were added, the whole project came together.

Why I Used 20-Inch Planters

If there is one thing I would emphasize when making your own flower pot string light pole, it’s this: don’t use a planter that’s too small.

The first priority needs to be creating a base that is wide and heavy enough to support an eight-foot wooden post.

The concrete adds a significant amount of weight, but the width of the planter also helps create a more stable footprint.

After working through this project, 20-inch planters are what I would recommend for this particular setup.

Can You Use Real Flowers in the Planters?

Absolutely.

Once your concrete has completely cured, you can disguise the top with soil and either real or artificial flowers.

If you want to use real plants, make sure you consider drainage and how much usable soil depth remains above the concrete. Depending on the planter and the amount of concrete you used, smaller plants may work better.

Artificial flowers were the easiest solution for us and still gave me the look of big flower planters around the patio.

Why I Love These DIY String Light Poles

There are a few reasons this project worked so well for our backyard.

First, we didn’t have to permanently install anything into the patio just to hang string lights.

Second, the concrete-filled planters give the posts a substantial base while the flowers help disguise their actual purpose.

And finally, adding both the overhead string lights and the solar post caps gives us multiple layers of lighting at night.

It’s one of those relatively simple DIY projects that completely changes how a space feels.

Creating a Backyard Oasis With String Lights

Our patio feels so much cozier now than it did before we added the lights.

During the day, the four posts look like oversized flower planters positioned around the patio. At night, the string lights create a warm canopy of light over the entire space, while the solar post caps add a little extra glow at each corner.

If you have a patio or backyard without an easy place to hang outdoor lights, making a flower pot string light pole is a simple way to add lighting without committing to permanent posts.

And if you have a larger space, you can easily adjust the idea by adding additional poles wherever you need another support point.

Flower Pot String Light Pole FAQs

How tall should a flower pot string light pole be?

I used eight-foot-tall 3x3 posts for our patio. This gave us enough height to hang the lights overhead while still keeping everything relatively simple to build.

What size planter should I use for a string light pole?

I used 20-inch planters and would recommend using a large planter with a wide base. The size and weight of the base are important for helping stabilize a tall wooden post.

How do you keep a string light pole from falling over?

I set each wooden post into concrete inside a 20-inch planter. The combination of the heavy concrete and wide planter base helps create a much more stable freestanding pole.

How many string light poles do I need for a patio?

I used four poles, with one positioned at each corner of our patio. The number you’ll need depends on the dimensions and layout of your space as well as how you want your string lights arranged.

Can you put flowers on top of the concrete?

Yes. After the concrete had completely dried, I covered it with soil and added artificial flowers. This disguises the concrete and makes each string light pole look like an oversized flower planter.

Do you have to put string light poles in the ground?

No. That’s one of the biggest advantages of this project. Setting the posts into concrete-filled planters creates freestanding string light poles without permanently installing posts in the ground or patio.

These DIY flower pot string light poles were a simple addition to our backyard, but they’ve made such a big difference in how much we enjoy the patio at night. Between the flowers, solar post caps and warm string lights overhead, the patio finally has that cozy backyard-oasis feeling I was hoping for.