Backyard Entertaining Project

 Backyard Entertaining Project with Home Depot!

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Home Depot.  All opinions are my own.  Thank you to Home Depot for sponsoring this post.  Post contains affiliate links.

    Spring has sprung and this girl is ready for outdoor entertaining and spending evenings under the stars! I know you all have seen our backyard for a couple years now and probably thought we were finished with it.  Well truth is during the daylight hours all is well...but after sunset we could really only entertain and hang out with friends inside the screened lanai where we have market lights strung.  The pool lighting helps a little but my conversation seating located by the fireplace gets SO dark! I tried lanterns, candles, allll the things and it is just too dark to sit and entertain with friends.  

    At first Elton and I discussed adding a structure.  Possibly a pergola or gazebo but unfortunately my communities HOA did not allow it.  That's when we decided to add some posts and string lights instead.  I gathered lots of design inspo from our favorite restaraunts, design sites and even our recent vacation spots.  We spent some time going back and forth between adding paver columns or planters.  I personally felt the planter versions didn't go with our backyard style.  That being said we decided to head up to Home Depot and take a look at what they had.  As soon as I spotted these large planters in the garden center I completely changed my mind.  They were perfect! They were large, neutral and gave a resort feel which is exactly what I wanted to establish.  (Planters linked HERE)

    That Saturday we got everything we needed from The Home Depot for the string light planters and the entire project took us just one afternoon!  (The tutorial is listed further below!!) This is a easy level starter project that can really enhance your backyard.

    As for my favorite part of all projects...the design! Our current conversation set was from Home Depot about 7 or 8 years ago and it was (and still is) in incredible shape!  Let me tell you being from Florida where our patio furniture sits in the blazing sun all year round finding items that last can be difficult. There was never a doubt in my mind that when we replaced our patio furniture it would come from Home Depot again.  Specifically I love the Hampton Bay line.  I started by choosing a conversation set that allowed for more seating.  This time around I went with a sofa and two arm chairs which also included a storage coffee table. Set linked HERE.  I chose a lighter, tan, wicker this time and beige sunbrella cushions.

    Now, you guys know me already and one thing I love to do is mix in design pieces. I love matching sets but I also love adding in something special.  For this project I knew it would be the coffee table. 

 I shared this table on my Instagram earlier and it seems you all love it as much as me!! Coffee table linked HERE.   Getting the coffee table delivered was easy and transporting it to the backyard was even easier! It's heavy at 100+ pounds so I used my Home Depot app and found the tool rental page.  We rented a dolly for a few hours that day and got the coffee table set exactly where I needed it.  We moved around some of my heavy concrete planters and also brought 4 bags of concrete around the house to the backyard with no stress!  The Home Depot app is a lifesaver and I highly recommend getting it! 

  Now back the planter posts.  Are you guys ready for this?!  Electricity.  To run the electricity all the way over to the fireplace area meant we needed to pop up a huge row of pavers.  Not to mention all the other work included in doing so.  DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE SOLAR MARKET LIGHTS??  (Insert my happy dance)  You guys!!! Home Depot sells a solar string light set by Hampton Bay.  Linked HERE.  These lights are incredible and also meant we needed to do no work!  They are bright and have two settings, manual or automatic dusk turn on.  Total game changer!! 

    The backyard conversation area is so dreamy now! Each night the market lights turn on and I am just drawn to sitting outside.  The new furniture is comfy, attractive and I love knowing it will last us for years.  We've already spent many nights unders the stars with friends and family.  As a matter of fact when my sisters family just visited they went back home to Ohio and the next day set up thier own Home Depot planter market lights on thier deck! This easy and affordable weekend project has made such a difference!

Planter Market Lights Tutorial

    Materials:

-Planters (They should be large and deep enough to hold the concrete .  Our planters are linked HERE)

-4x4 Outdoor Posts  (We used two 4x4 pressure treated posts from Home Depot)

-High Strength Concrete Mix  (We used two 60lb bags in each planter)

-Drill (For drainage hole if not one predrilled)

-String Lights (We used a pack of two solar string lights linked HERE )

-Cup Hooks (We used two of THESE)

-Rocks (We used 5 bags of  HERE  black landsape rocks per planter.)

-Stain (I chose a semi clear outdoor stain and sealer from Home Depot linked HERE)

Directions:

1.  The first thing you will want to do is stain (waterproof and seal) your outdoor posts to protect the wood. You can choose a stain color or a clear stain.

2.  Next drill a small drainage hole in the planter.

3.  Add your concrete mix one bag at a time while someone else holds the post straight.  We used a 50/50 water concrete ratio per bag.  You can mix with a small shovel.  The concrete becomes strong enough to hold the posts within minutes.

4.  Once your concrete is completely dry dump your decorative rocks in.  Our planters are very large and I wanted the rock to be seen so we used about 5 bags per planter. 

5.  Attach your cup hooks to the top of the posts and hang your string lights! You are done! 

All decorative items and materials used came from Home Depot.  I've linked all the products I didn't already mention below for you! 

-Striped Sunbrella Outdoor Pillows ----   Linked HERE

-White Sunbrella Outdoor Pillows ---- Linked HERE

-Fringe Outdoor Pillows ----   Linked HERE

-Outdoor Striped Rug ----   Linked HERE

-Outdoor Patio Umbrella ---- Linked HERE

-Concrete Planters ---- Linked HERE

-Outdoor Lanters ----  Linked HERE

-Outdoor Concrete and Wood Accent Table ---- Linked HERE

-Decor Poufs ---- Linked HERE

*Ferns and Majesty Palms came from the Home Depot Garden Center*