Have you seen my backyard camper retreat? It seemed like it took a couple of months to complete, but it was oh so worth it. I’ve had lots of questions about how I made the Texas Lampposts or as you may refer to them, whiskey barrel light post. I used genuine 1/2 whiskey barrels to make my solar light posts.
What kind of planter do I use for Texas Lampposts
These are the options of planters I found for making Texas lampposts. I went with the one on the right because it was the largest.
Cut concrete form to size
There are many ways to make these 4×4 solar light posts out of whiskey barrels. My method is sort of a mixture of many things I saw online. I used an 8” concrete form. I cut it into four sections that would fit into my whiskey barrel’s height. You could use your favorite saw, I chose to use my small circular saw from Ryobi.
Mark angle for Texas Lamppost support brace
The 4×4 is placed upright in the center of the whiskey barrel as I mark a 2×4 support brace to get the proper angle to fit the profile of the barrel.
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Attach support braces with wood screws
The area is very tight, so I used a right angle drill to secure the brace with wood screws. You could mark, and clamp the boards to the 4×4,remove it, secure the brace then replace it into the whiskey barrel.
How to support 4×4 while making a lamp post
This angle shows you the layout of the Texas lamppost bracing.
Mix concrete in a wheelbarrow
Looking back at the in progress pictures reminds me how sad my backyard looked before the overhaul! I used 60# bags of concrete because I’m not able to lift the larger bags. Using a garden hoe I added water and mixed up the concrete. The wet concrete was poured into the concrete form.
Protect concrete from from rain showers
Let the concrete set up—we were dealing with scattered showers, so we covered the whiskey barrels with plastic.
Add filler to whiskey barrel for weight
Bricks and other debris were put in for added weight and support of the tall 4×4 lamp post.
Add solar lights
It was time to add the tiny solar lights. I really wanted larger lights, but without electricity available, I had to go with solar. After it’s all said and done, I LOVE these lights.
You might want to see how I made the diy fire pit.
Plant flowers
Oh, how sad the lawn looks with all the work I’ve done in the backyard. Pretty flowers were planted, as well as seeds. Cousin Terry suggested planting Morning Glory, Four O’clock, and Moonflower seeds. They will eventually grow up the naked lamp posts and bloom all day long!
The last step? Level the whiskey barrels using rocks. These whiskey barrel lamp posts are so heavy that once they got where I wanted them, they will probably never be moved.
I’m not usually a fan of marigolds, but I love how bright and cheerful they look. If you look closely you will see the vining seeds growing. I’ll update this post as they continue to grow up the post.
The tiny solar lights are barely visible in the daylight.
But, they’re oh so cute when the sun goes down! Don’t you LOVE my pallet love seat bench?
I am enjoying my backyard makeover so much. I recently had my first party, so the family could meet my grandson Eli. Wouldn’t you know that it rained, and we had to find shelter in the house and front patio. Hoping to have many more get-togethers with family and friends very soon. The camper? It makes the perfect guest house! Who KNEW!
gail
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