We recently bought a huge umbrella from Ikea for our deck. But the pole is larger than normal (almost 2"), and normal umbrella stands are too small for the umbrella. Since I had a hard time finding one, I decided to build my own.

Step 1: Materials

This stand is made from:

1 oak 1/2 barrel ($40)

1 2" PVC pipe & fittings ($12)

2 80 lb bags of concrete ($10)

potting soil & plants ($20-25)

paving bricks (optional) ($3)

Step 2: Assembly - 1

The pipe assembly is composed of a toilet flange, a 3" to 2" reducer, and a 2" PVC pipe.

I used a straight edge a little smaller than the diameter of the bottom of the barrel to mark lines. This let me estimate the center of the barrel. I then screwed the flange down in the center, and glued the other pieces together.

Step 3: Assembly - 2

I wasn't sure how much concrete I would need. I bought four bags, but ended up using two.

I didn't have a large container to mix the concrete in except for the barrel itself, so I decided to mix the concrete in the barrel. If I were going to do this again, I would definitely mix the concrete elsewhere, and pour it in.

I used a mixer paddle on a drill. That got the concrete partly mixed, until my drill overheated. I ended up using my hands and a small garden spade to finish mixing the concrete.

Step 4: Assembly - 3

After waiting for 24 hours for the concrete to set, we put the garden in.

I missed one step here. I had planned on drilling some holes at the edge of the concrete to help the soil drain. Since I forgot, we'll see how it goes, and if necessary I'll add them later.

This is pretty typical: potting soil and plants. My wife had the great idea to put in a couple of bricks to give a place to set your drink when sitting next to it.

Step 5: Final Tweaks and Finished Product

After the plants went in, it was obvious the PVC pipe was longer than necessary. So I cut off about 6" off the top, and used a bit of sandpaper to remove the printing on the pipe.

I also used a 1 1/2" to 2" flexible coupler to help hold to umbrella in place.