Best Ways To Hang Outdoor String Lights
Backyards in many homes are brightened up by hanging string lights. Outdoor string lights can be hung temporarily during events such as weddings or permanently to enhance the backyard patio. Regardless of the events, there are numerous ideas on how to hang the string lights to create that cozy ambiance that will have you enjoy your nights.
String lights bring out an inviting and soft glow in your backyard or the entire homestead. When properly fixed, they will transform your backyard into an attractive spot, where you can host friends and cheer up as you enjoy your night.
Some backyards have trees and other objects while others lack a backyard. Therefore, before you decide on the best way to hand your outdoor string lights, you should take time to assess your backyard.
Outdoor street lights should be able to withstand harsh temperatures, wind, and rain. Therefore, the quality of the lights and the hanging style are crucial.
However, to achieve that inviting illumination in your backyard, you need to hang the lights in the right way to achieve the best illumination pattern. Therefore, you should learn the best ways to hang the outdoor string lights in your homestead.
That said, here are the best ways to hang your outdoor string lights to beautify and brighten up the space.
Hang An Outdoor Light
When you are removing the;Gorilla Tough & Clear Mounting Tape from the package, do it carefully. It really sticks! Youll want to make sure your hands are washed and you are ready to go when you remove the tape because it doesnt come to play.
We took two pieces of the;Gorilla Tough & Clear Mounting Tape and stuck it on either side of the mounting plate. This tape works with a lot of plastics, metal, wood, glass, brick, ceramic, stone, and more.
The only place is really doesnt work is on wallpaper, delicate surfaces, and some PP plastics. In this case, our mounting plate was metal. The tape stuck very quickly so youll want to make sure its in the right location before pressing it down.
After that youre going to remove the strips on the top of the tape. If you dont have long fingernails, use a craft knife or tweezers to help you grab a corner.
Then youre going to make sure the surface is dry and relatively clean . Then press down firmly. This;Gorilla Tough & Clear Mounting Tape REALLY STICKS!
After we taped up the lower, solar bracket, we also used the;Gorilla Tough & Clear Mounting Tape to place the upper light plate as well. The Gorilla tape holds up to 15 lbs*, though our neighbors light was probably 2 3 at the most.
Im happy that my neighbors were able to add a light and that we were able to help them do so. I cant take all the credit though . . . this;Gorilla Tough & Clear Mounting Tape is pretty amazing. What would you hang with this product?
The Best Hooks For Hanging String Lights
By far the best outdoor light hooks to use are safety cup hooks from National Hardware.
While you might not want to put nails into your walls, the small holes that safety cup hooks add are worth it for the durability and longevity of the hooks.
Benefits of cup style light clips
The best thing about National Hardwares safety cup hooks are that they securely hold string lights in place.
Safety cup hooks are easy to install with just a drill and your fingers.
Safety cup hooks differ from regular hooks with a spring-loaded clasp over the hook, meaning the wire is staying securely in place.
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How To Hang Outdoor String Lights: The Ultimate Guide
Want to hang string lights over your backyard or patio, but not sure how? Learn how with this comprehensive guide!
Who doesnt love a backyard party under glowing string lights on a warm Summers evening?
But figuring out how and where to hang the lights, which type to buy, and how many you need can get a little complicated. It will all boil down to what you have that you can attach the lights to. This guide will tell you everything you need to know and link to the best DIY tutorials for each situation.
Hammock Or Hammock Chair
The best backyard hammocks make your outdoor area even more relaxing. A comfortable hammock chair is yet another option. The Mock ONE is my personal favorite backyard hammock thanks to its built-in hammock stand, comfortable lay, and incredibly portability. Of course, normal patio furniture will also get the job done.
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Diy String Light Poles: The In
Our patio dining space is right next to the house, with no convenient trees nearby. So while we could hang them from hooks on the house side, we really needed some poles on the other side of the patio.
We came up with this ultra-simple and inexpensive method for installing string light poles. The PVC stays in the ground year-round, but the poles themselves can be pulled out at the end of the season and stored in the garage. You can watch our quick video tutorial here:
Where To Buy Vinyl Siding Hooks
From my research on Amazon, it seems that most vinyl siding hooks claim to hold up to five pounds.
So, if you plan to use them to support window boxes or flower pots, be sure to use a few metal;hooks to disperse the weight.
Oh, and make sure your vinyl siding is in good shape and securely attached before you try to hang anything substantial on it.
Now that you know how things on vinyl siding and where to buy the right kind of hooks, its time to start decorating! Be sure to check out my ideas for decorating a small porch as well as my decorating ebook below!
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How To Hang String Lights
- How to Decorate Team
The inviting glow of our vintage;string lights can make any outdoor gathering all the more magical. And when you leave them up year-round, youre always ready for a get-together with friends.
As long as you have the right tools on hand, installing string lights can be a very simple project. However, there are a few considerations youll want to take into account beforehand.
First, if youre stringing your lights across the yard, rather than around the perimeter of a porch ceiling, for example, then its best to secure your string lights to a tension wire for additional support.
Secondly, make sure you have secure anchor points for your light strands. Your porch roof, a tree or even an umbrella stand can all work as anchors. Our starting point was inside a pergola. From the corner of the roof, we ran a tension wire with the string lights across the yard that attached to a pole firmly planted in the ground .
Lastly, measure the distance to see how many strands youll need. Please consult your instructions to see how many strands you can safely connect to one another. Its typically 3 to 4 strands.
Once youve got your game plan and your lights, of course youre ready to install. Lets get started.
Step 1: ;Install the tension wire.
We made a loop on one end of the wire using wire clamps and attached the loop to our anchor point, the pergola roof, using a screw hook. We ran the wire and secured it to the second anchor point, the pole.
Summary Of Hanging String Lights Under Covered Patio Or Deck
Seriously, this is the easiest project ever. Adding string lights to our deck makes our evening more magical. The lights look glorious during sunset hours. I just love to get away from the noise of what a big family offers and just sit and relax with a cup of hot chocolate. The glow is charming and provides a surprising amount of light.
While it is true that bugs are less attracted to these LED lights as compared to my regular fan lighting, I now had a new appreciation for what my screened in patio could do for me. Check out our project on restoring our deck patio furniture here!
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Best Places To Use Inexpensive String Lights
Inexpensive patio lights can work really well when theyre hung in a protected location, and when theyre not likely to get jostled or blown around in the wind. Here are a couple of places where they might serve your needs just fine:
- hung along a fence
- hung directly on a house or building
A couple of other benefits of these smaller, more budget-friendly string lights is theyre undeniably cuter, lighter-weight, and take up less storage space when not in use. Just dont plan to leave them up year-round if you live in a harsh or windy climate.
Here you can see the inexpensive lights I hung in my kids playhouse below.
Whats The Best Way To Hang Outdoor String Lights
The answer, of course, is It depends. But never fear! Were about to go through 10 different ways to hang outdoor string lights.
The best option for you will come down to whats around your outdoor space to secure the lights to, whether you need to install your own posts, and whether you plan to leave the lights up year-round or take them down for the colder months.
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How To Hang String Lights Outdoors
Play with your space when hanging string lights outdoors. Here are someoptions for how you can hang string lights outdoors:
To hang string lights from a portico or pergola:
Attaching String Lights On A Stucco Wall With A Hot Glue Gun
A. Measure the border you need to beautify with lights, such as your homes rooftop line, patio overhang, or around window outlines. Buy enough light strings to cover this separation serenely. Consider the shading design you intend to show, such as utilizing just one shading, exchanging two hues, or arbitrarily blending hues.
B. Purchase an adequate number of clasps to cover this separation with one clasp each 6 to 8 inches, contingent upon the kind of lights you will utilize. Bulb-type lights, known as C7 or C9 bulbs, use bigger clasps than scaled downlights or icicle lights.
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How To Hang String Lights On An Aluminum Patio Cover
Despite all these great products being available to you, sometimes the best way of how to hang string lights on an aluminum patio cover, umbrella, or gazebo without using nails is .
Depending on the brand and design, you should have plenty of posts, joists, and possibly supporting hooks hang your string lights from.
You can dangle, wrap, and suspend the lights between the different pieces of your patio cover. If youre decorating the inside of your patio, then you can string the lights between vertical joists in the cover.
The cover will protect the lights from wind and rain so theres no need to even fasten them just grab a ladder and get creative.
In most cases, wrapping and using the parts of the gazebo itself will allow you to hang your string lights without drilling holes or using potentially damaging adhesive.
If there is no way to do this on your gazebo or patio cover, then go back and look at the zipties solution mentioned above or one of the other solutions instead.
Choosing The Right Brand
After learning the best ways to hang string light bulbs, you will need to choose the right brand for your house. Some brands are appropriate for temporal hanging during events while others are appropriate for permanent fixing. Therefore, you should purchase the best string lights that fit your needs.
The most common string light brands are:
1. Bistro lights
These lights consist of glass bulbs that give off a yellow glow. They are ideal for outdoor lighting. They are ideal ambiance lights that offer a pleasing night experience with warm overhead light.
2. Twinkle lights
They are available in both plastic and glass bulbs which is efficient in energy production; although, they give off cool blue light.
3. Edison bulbs
They are a pseudo-vintage type of string bulbs that are of higher end. They have an orange filament that gives out a warm glow with a timely ambiance. However, they are expensive to replace.
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Make Sure The Lights Are Energy Efficient
If you are having a lot of gatherings in the backyard, or keep the backyard lights on to illuminate the area, then youll want to make sure the lights are working for you. Using LED lights or other energy-efficient bulbs can save you both money and power in the long run.
Additionally, most LED lights are durable enough to withstand significant use and the elements. Plus, the brightness level remains the same as non-LED lights. For lights that are going to last for a long time, make sure to use some LEDs.
Hang Lights Using A Tape Measure
Tape measures are stationeries that rarely misses in our homes, yet few know it can be used to tape in light on the outside space.
There are several styles which can be used to arrange the lights, but it all depends on your choice. You can decide to keep a wavy style, make them straight, or even tape them on the wall.;
Whatever style you settle on, tape the string lights estimated intervals, but the ideal spacing will be between two lights of the string. Double tape the string for a stronger hold.
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Tools And Materials Needed For Hanging String Lights
- Globe Light Suspension Kit, Galvanized Steel Cable, 110 ft. $45.99
- Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor Weatherproof Commercial Grade Lights with Hanging Sockets 48 Ft string w/bulbs. $54.99hooks
- Zip Ties
The Globe Light Suspension Kit, Galvanized Steel Cable I used features:
- Galvanized steel cable for hanging commercial grade string lights
- 110 feet long; 1/16 inch in diameter
- Comes with one attached snap hook and one loose cable end and a Gripple Fastener clip
- Cable can be trimmed to any desired length
- Weather resistant; Working load limit of 100 lbs.
The cable is 110 feet in length and 1/16 of an inch in diameter. With an attached snap hook and a loose clip that allows you to feed the cable through one side of the clip, loop it around posts and other fixed objects.
Its a perfect solution for large open areas, and to prevent sagging string lights.
The Easiest Way To Hang String Lights On A Screened Porch
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The backyard is basically the biggest reason we bought our house.
The amazing view of the lake makes waking up each morning and walking outside a dream.
Add to that evenings sitting outside on the screened porch with a cold beverage, were really enjoying our choice.
We eat as many of our meals on the porch as we can, but the dinky wall light that was there makes it difficult to see much detail once it starts getting dark.
Weve had a bunch of people over for dinner or parties since we moved in and after dark its hard to see.
So we picked up a big box of outdoor string lights from Costco for $40 to hang above our porch.
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Build Your Own Supports
Our final method to hanging outdoor lights is to build your own supports. This is the most expensive and time-intensive option but it can be well worth the effort.
Although there are countless ways to build supports, my favorite method uses buckets and poles to ensure easy portability. In my opinion, this is far superior to a permanent method where you bury the pole in the actual ground.
My favorite method to build your own supports consists of placing support poles in two heavy-duty buckets and then adding in a heavy fill material.
I prefer wood poles but hollow metal poles and even PVC pipe also work well. I like to fill each bucket with gravel to hold the pole in place. However, for a somewhat more permanent design you can fill the buckets with concrete, like Quikrete.
Simply cut the poles to your desired height, place each in a bucket, fill the bucket with a heavy material, and hang your lights – voila, you’ve just completed one of my favorite patio lighting ideas!
How To Hang Outdoor String Lights On A Tree
To hang outdoor string lights on a tree, you have a couple of options. If you are just looking to weave some lights through the branches and the tree trunk, theres no need to drill any holes into the tree. You can also hang string lights this way on fences, bushes, or your deck railing.
But if you are hanging several feet of string lights from trees, you will likely need to drill into the tree and install a hook.
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