If you don’t have a tree, pergola, or structure to hang your string lights from, build these DIY freestanding string light poles with me! And don’t worry if there’s no outlet nearby... the RYOBI ONE+ 18V 200-Watt Portable Inverter has got you covered. How-to: 1. Mix concrete according to the manufacturer’s directions. The consistency should be like peanut butter. 2. Set pressure-treated wood posts inside orange homedepot buckets. 3. Pour concrete into the buckets and temporarily brace the posts so that they stay straight and plumb while the concrete cures. 4. Once the concrete is cured, remove the bracing, set the buckets inside bigger planters (so the planters stay reusable!), and plant flowers, backfilling with soil. 5. Hang the string lights from the posts. I used the Hampton Bay string light hanging kit, also from The Home Depot (linked in my bio). 6. Plug the string lights into the RYOBI portable inverter. 
 This is a perfect fall weekend project with no electrical work r...