Easy DIY String Light Poles

Install easy, removable string light poles over your patio or backyard fire pit to create beautiful ambiance! They’re quick, inexpensive, and very simple!

I asked for a patio makeover for my birthday this year, and one of the top things on my wishlist was string lights. The problem? Nothing to hang them from. Here’s a tutorial for the quick and easy (unless you have really hard dirt) string light poles we put in. We put two poles in, and the whole project took about 2 hours.

How to install string light poles.

Supplies:

• String lights– we got these sturdier industrial ones this time. These are 48’ long, with 24 lights.
  
• 2 ¾” galvanized electrical conduit pipes (each 10’ long)
• 2 1 ½” pieces of PVC pipe (each 2’ long)
  

  

• Post hole digger
• Level
• hooks

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• 3/4″ squeeze connectors (one for the top of each pole)

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• Extension cord (We needed one to reach our outlet. You may or may not).

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We wanted our poles to be at least 8’ tall to allow for the lights to swag and hang down without hitting our taller friends in the head. They’re going 2’ into the ground, thus 10’ long poles.

1. Dig the holes.

We dug (and when I say “we” I mean Peter) each of the holes 24” deep. We placed them at the two outside corners of our patio.

2. Put the PVC pipe in the hole.

We placed one of the cut pieces of PVC pipe upright in the hole, and loosly packed the dirt back in around it. You could also use cement here if you prefer.

3. Set the metal pipe in place.

We put the pole into the slightly wider PVC pipe, and I held it in place with a vertical level while Peter packed the dirt in around the PVC pipe.

4. Cap the poles.

Once the poles were in the ground, we capped them with these 3/4″ squeeze connectors. This is just something to hold the light cord in place at the top of each pole.

We screwed three of these hooks into the siding to attach the string lights on the house side.

5. Hang the string lights.

And these lights come with the bulbs in a separate box- which is great because then you can string them without breaking anything.

Finally, we screwed the bulbs into the sockets.

And ta-dah!

You can see the rest of our One-Weekend Patio Makeover here. Interested in more outdoor lighting tips and inspiration? Check out my Outdoor Lighting 101 post too!

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