Patio Pot Umbrella Stand

Do you need an easy, relatively inexpensive way for your patio umbrellas to stand up? I’m sharing the DIY Patio Pot Umbrella Stands I made for our backyard space. It’s a beginner-level project that will impress the neighbors!

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patio pot umbrella stand

We live in a wind tunnel. No really… The wind never seems to stop blowing here and there are basically no mature trees to help slow or stop it. When we moved here almost five years ago now (wow…I can’t believe it’s been that long!), we weren’t used to having any furniture, décor, or accessories outdoors because we didn’t have a deck or patio at our old house. We didn’t really have any dedicated outdoor space, so this has all been new to us.

With no trees, shade has been a bit of an issue on our patio. When the sun is shining…it’s beating down on you, without a bit of cover. I wanted to add umbrellas right away for the shade factor, but also, because they look so nice! The only problem is that the wind catches them (even when they’re in their down position) and knocks the entire thing over…stand included. I’ve, unfortunately, lost a few umbrellas this way and Jason was ready to cut me off from buying any more. I didn’t want the unsightly sandbags on the stands that he was suggesting, so I needed to come up with a better, more attractive solution.

A couple of years ago, Jason and I made some outdoor string light poles, and we were surprised at how simple the project was, how great they look in our space, and how well they’ve held up! I got to thinking last year that I could do something similar for our patio umbrellas. Of course, time got away from me, not to mention that our outdoor spaces were all compromised for the entire season while having work done to the house, so the project waited until this year.

Everything really came together for the umbrella stands when I found some great lightweight concrete planters at Costco. I have found a couple of similar options online, though, so if your Costco doesn’t have them or you don’t have access to shopping at Costco, never fear! After I had the patio pots, it only took a few more supplies and I was able to get this project done.

I was planning on waiting for Jason to help me but decided that this was something I could do on my own…and I’m so happy I did. I have needed to get my DIY project mojo back and this was a great place to start.

Now for the fun part…the how-to! I made two patio pot umbrella stands, so I needed two of everything, but obviously, you’ll need to figure out how many you’re going to make and adjust as needed.

supplies for making a patio pot umbrella stand

What you’ll need:

-Lightweight Concrete Patio Planter Pot: I wanted to find a lightweight concrete for this project.

-Quikrete Concrete Mix: I used a 60-lb bag between the 2 pots.

-PVC Pipe: You’ll want this to be slightly larger than the umbrella pole. I had the hardware store cut it to the height of the pot.

-E6000 Industrial Strength Adhesive: You’ll use this to adhere the PVC pipe to the bottom of the pot, keeping it in place while you add the Quikrete.

-Water Source: I used a hose to add water to the Quikrete, but anything will work if you can get enough water in to mix.

-Stirrer Stick: You’ll need something somewhat strong to mix the Quikrete and water.

-Rocks: A layer of rock will help with drainage and will add weight to the pot.

-Cardboard: I added a thick layer of cardboard to eat up space in the pot. It will deteriorate over time and incorporate into the soil.

-Dirt: We’re redoing our garden, so I snagged a bunch of dirt from there to create another layer in the pot and take up space.

-Mulch: Since I added plants to the top of the umbrella stand, and there isn’t really drainage, I want as many layers to hold water as possible. The mulch will help to hold moisture and slow release it.

-Miracle Gro Potting Mix: The last layer, other than the flowers and mulch on the very top. This will hopefully help the plants to thrive.

directions for making a patio pot umbrella stand

Directions:

1.     Apply a layer of E6000 to one end of the PVC pipe and the inside bottom of the patio pot where you’ll be placing it. Let the adhesive react with the air for about a minute, before putting the pipe into place—this will help it stick better. I let this sit overnight so the adhesive had time to set up.

2.     Mix Quikrete with water. I used half a 60-lb bag for each of the pots, adding a bit at a time to the pot, covering with water, mixing…and repeat. You kind of want the consistency of pudding…if that gives you a good visual.  I allowed the Quikcrete to harden overnight.

3.     Add in a layer of rock—I probably did about 6”.

4.     Add a layer of cardboard—again, I did about 6”.

5.     Add dirt and then mulch. How much of these will depend on how much of the pot is still available to fill. You want to have space to add enough Miracle Gro Potting Mix to support the plants you’ll add.

6.     Top dirt and mulch with Miracle Gro Potting Mix.

7.     Pot your plants.

8.     Add mulch to the very top to fill in gaps and give the patio pot umbrella stands a finished look.

9.     Put up your umbrellas! I did test out the poles before doing any steps after the Quikrete, although, at that point…it really was too late…

I am so happy with how the patio pot umbrella stands turned out! So far, they are exceeding my expectations and are working just as I envisioned. Even now, as I’m sitting on our deck writing this post, there is a slight breeze. I can see that the umbrellas have enough room in the PVC pipe to have slight give to the wind, but the pipe itself is tall enough to keep them in place. Obviously, if it’s very windy out, I will make sure the umbrellas are cranked closed…as that’s when I have tended to have them break in the past.

A few unknowns for this project…since it’s new to me too…

1.     I’m not sure how well the plants will do without proper drainage in the pots. I’m hoping that all the different layers, including the rock, cardboard, and mulch, will help the roots to not be sitting in water. Also, I’m planning to create some sort of cover for the pots if it’s heavily raining…I want to be in control of how much water goes into them.

2.     I’m not sure what storage for winter will look like, but I’m thinking they’ll need to stay in place since they’re so heavy. Unfortunately, that will probably mean removing the dirt and soil at the end of the season and covering them, to avoid more water going in. I’d rather do this little bit of work, though, than risk destroying my pots.

3.     Will the umbrellas get lifted out of the PVC pipe by the wind even when in the down position…since I didn’t create a pin of any sort? A couple of people have mentioned this to me, as I know it can be an issue if the umbrellas aren’t secured. I’m not too worried, though, because the PVC pipe is quite long…a lot longer than a traditional umbrella stand. Also, if the wind is that crazy, I will more than likely take the umbrella out of the stand completely. It’s so easy to take them in and out, it won’t be a big deal at all.

As I mentioned above, I’m watching the umbrellas in the breeze right now. Normally, even in the heavy stands we had before, with this kind of wind, I would have been crossing my fingers that the umbrellas + stands would stay upright. I have no fear with these patio pot stands! They are so heavy…almost nothing could tip them over.

I wish that I would have done this project years ago. With the money I’ve spent on replacement umbrellas, I could have made probably 6 of the patio pot umbrella stands. Now that I know how easy they are to make, I’m dreaming up other ways of using them. Since we don’t have a lot of trees in our yard, I’m always looking for ways to hang things like bird feeders and wind chimes. These could be the perfect solution!

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If you decide trying to make the patio pot umbrella stand, I would love to see it. Post it to your Instagram and tag me so I can see! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.