DIY Concrete Yard Sign Stands: The Secret to Porch Decor

Yard art on my front porch is a absolute must! I just gotta have it. However, porch floors aren't exactly conducive to traditional stake yard signs. You have to get creative to make it happen!

As usual, my partner Bruce helped save the day. We came up with a way to use small buckets, PVC, and concrete to create a permanent yard sign stand. This is the perfect DIY solution for anyone wanting to display patriotic outdoor decor, wooden yard decorations, or seasonal yard art patterns on a hard surface.

The Shopping List

I found some inexpensive buckets at Hobby Lobby for 40% off. When you're shopping for your own, the most important thing is to make sure there are no holes in the bottom. My bucket is about 10” tall. We also picked up some dry concrete mix and 1.25” PVC pipe (the kind usually used for plumbing) at Home Depot.

How to Build Your Custom Yard Art Stand

We started by cutting the PVC into 10” lengths. The PVC acts as a receptacle for the green channel stake on the yard sign. Once the pipe was the right length, Bruce used a cutting tool to put some notches in one end. These notches are where the foot peg on the green stake will rest. This little trick ensures your sign won't spin around when the Midwest wind starts blowing!

Next, we poured the dry concrete mix into an empty 5-gallon bucket and added water. You want a consistency that is moist enough to pour easily, but not so runny that it won't dry properly.

Once we reached that "just right" consistency, we placed the PVC pipe in the middle of our Hobby Lobby bucket. We kept the notched end at the top and the other end at the bottom. I held the PVC pipe upright while Bruce poured the concrete in. We filled our buckets about half-way and let them dry completely. We used a quick-set concrete, so it didn't take long to set up.

Finishing for a Professional Look

After the concrete was dry, we used black spray paint on the entire bucket, inside and out. We also sprayed the PVC pipe to match. I chose black so the stand would recede into the background. Since the yard sign is the star of the show, I want your eye to move straight to that focal point. (Stay tuned! In a future video, we’ll show you some fun ways to decorate the outside of these black stands.)

Important Tips for Your Yard Art Displays

• Size Limitations: These specific stands are designed for a small yard sign (no larger than 22” tall). If you want to display something bigger, you’ll need a larger bucket, more concrete, and a longer PVC pipe for stability.

• Wind-Proofing: When the wind starts blowing—and it will—you don't want to be outside picking up a sign that has blown over. That is exactly why we notched the PVC; it keeps that foot peg locked in place so the sign stays put.

Whether you're setting up an outdoor gingerbread house for the holidays or showing off your favorite patriotic yard decor, these stands make it easy to decorate any space you choose!