Easily Hang Outdoor Lights With A Sturdy Essential That Won't Break The Bank

One of the best ways to turn your backyard into an oasis is by using warm, aesthetic lighting that will help parties stay in full swing even after the sun goes down. The perfect backyard dinner party simply isn't the same without a string of fairy lights to softly illuminate the space, but there's one big obstacle: How do you hang these lights when you don't have a built-in structure? With this DIY hack, you can adapt cheap, electrical conduit poles into light fixtures that will securely hold your string lights at whatever height and patten you desire. 

The process of hanging lights is otherwise reliant upon having tall structures in place, meaning you can only have lights hung where you already have a wall or overhang. If you wanted to build such a thing in your open-space yard, it could certainly cost a pretty penny. The average cost for a backyard pergola is between $2,000 and $6,000, and it takes a great deal of construction and energy. Electrical poles, on the other hand, cost about $6 each and are easy to install in your yard, making them a great option for affordable patio lighting. 

The first step in lighting up your outdoor space is to puncture a hole in the top of the electrical metallic tubing (EMT) conduit so that you can add a hook into the fixture. You can use an awl or drill bit to make the hole, then use any type of screwed-in hook that will hold the lights in place. Once that's installed, you can spray paint the project to whatever color you like so that the poles don't feel too disruptive to the aesthetic of your yard. 

One of the most important steps in this DIY hack is using PVC pipe to hold the poles in place. Instead of filling buckets with rocks or cement so that the poles don't move around too much, you can create a solid placement for them by finding pipe that's just big enough for the poles to slip into it. In the video above, YouTube creator Toni's Farmer Garden uses about 18 inches of pipe and then buries it in her garden so that the entry spot is practically invisible whenever she wants to remove the poles and return her yard to its original state. Simply cut 18 to 24 inches of PVC, use a rubber mallet or your hands to bury it in the correct spot, and then slide your EMT pole into the pipe. Then, drape your fairy lights on the hook on top of the pipe and enjoy your new, warm lighting.