DIY projects

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Living in the valley of the sun and having a backyard with no shade requires umbrellas.  Sometimes lots of them.  They usually get moved from one area to another, but I wanted to have one that would be permanently kept in one of our patio areas.

What you'll need:

quikrete mix
pail and shovel to mix concrete in
a small bucket or pot of some sort
1.5" or 2" PVC pipe about 2' long
a tall decorative pot
a level
wood for top of pot to make table

Start by measuring the width of your umbrella pole.  I have some that are almost 1.5" and some that are closer to 2".  This will determine what size PVC pipe you will need as you want to make sure that your umbrella pole will fit snuggly inside of the PVC.  The tighter the fit the better it will stand.

Next you are going to mix up enough concrete to fill your bucket up with.  I used an old landscaping pot from a  plant I bought at the nursery.  It's about a 2.5 gallon pot and stands about 12" tall.  Apply some duct tape or masking tape to one side of your PVC pipe and put the taped end down into the pot.  I used some tape to hold the PVC upright and in place while I poured in the concrete mix.




Use your level to make sure that your PVC pipe is level in all directions.  Use whatever you have around the house to prop up against the pipe to make sure it stays in place while the concrete hardens.  I waited about 48 hours before I used it just to make sure it was completely dry.  Follow the manufacturers recommendations.

 

Once your concrete is hardened, take that bucket and place it inside of your larger, decorative pot.  You are essentially hiding the ugly pot inside the pretty pot.  I had a spare piece of wood laying around that I cut out a center hole big enough to fit the PVC pipe and then did a paint pour technique over the wood.  If you don't want to make a table top, you could also fill your larger pot with dirt and plant flowers or just fill up the entire inside with stone.  Then just place your umbrella into the PVC pipe and enjoy the shade.

diy projects