This video by thefrugalfilmmaker walks you through the process of making one light stand in great detail. To begin, you need 10 feet of three-quarter-inch PVC pipe, four end caps, three T-joints ...

Then, put the pole in the PVC pipe in the planter, and hang your string lights from the hook at the top. Make a few more poles for the other DIY bases to complete a setup circling your hangout area.