Hanging String Lights Above An Open Space
Diy Planter String Light Poles
Another popular method for creating DIY string light posts is to fill large flower pots or planters partially with cement and set the poles in the concrete. Then you can fill the remaining space with soil and plant flowers or foliage around the post. Check out this tutorial from Wendi at H20 Bungalow.
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 Over A Deck
If your deck has a railing, you can attach DIY posts to the existing railing to extend their height. The ideal height will probably be eight or nine feet, depending on which style of lights you choose, and how much you want to swag them.
Then use cup hooks or screw eyes to attach the light strands to the tops of each post.
How To Diy Backyard String Lights Without Trees
My boyfriend originally had the idea of just running the string lights around the perimeter of our covered patio. But I thought that too basic a setup and it would make the backyard look too Christmasy. Like we were too lazy to take down our Christmas lights this year.
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Despite the fact that we have three mango trees and one avocado tree in the backyard, none of them were close enough to the patio for us to run the string lights from.
I saw some awesome DIY tutorials like this one on YouTube where you could secure a wooden pole in a cement block which looked pretty cool.
If you have the time, you course the option to buy string light poles like these that you can plant into the ground and run the string lights back-and-forth from.
But if like us, you need to hang string lights without a tree, without string light hooks, or without the time to properly DIY string light poles you can jimmy rig your own kind of string light poles quick and dirty.
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How High Should Patio String Lights Be
Always be careful hanging patio string lights along peoples walking paths. Small, thin strings of outdoor lights are difficult to see when not turned on.
You dont want to be responsible for someone clothes-lining themselves! Its hard to tell you a definitive height, considering it largely depends on the height of the tallest person on your patio! However, 9-10 feet is a good rule of thumb.
Why 9 to 10 feet? Its 4-5 feet taller than an average-sized human being. The lights will naturally hang down and sag over time, so youll want a bit of breathing room.
String Light Cord Isnt Long Enough
If your light cord isnt long enough to reach the corners of your deck or patio, you can buy yourself some length by using cord to attach the strand to an eye hook. See the deck railing section above for a visual. You can also buy length with a carabiner.
Now go hang some lights and enjoy your outdoor spaces!
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Use Planters To String Backyard Lights
We really debated on using our planters on the deck to string lights. We decided against it just because we like the lights to be much higher.
We also didnt want to put that much weight on the planters. But usually you put concrete in the bottom of the planters and then add the soil and the plants on top of that so it would probably be sturdy enough for you.
We hope this article helped you with how to string lights in your backyard. If youre looking for lighting ideas, take a look at our rope lighting ideas for your backyard.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Backyard video tutorials. You can also find us on .
How To Hang Outdoor String Lights Without Trees
Basically, any object that can be used as a hook to hang string lights. They dont always have to be hung on trees. The only prerequisite is that they are not too oblique so that the weight of the collected lights does not cause them to fall. Some objects which do work well for the purpose are: walls, posts, canopies, pergolas and rather high fences.
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How To Hang Outdoor String Lights From Diy Posts: Secure Post With Tape
Place the planter on level ground and use a level on one side to make the post plumb. Add painter’s tape across the planter on all four sides of the post to hold it in position. Allow the concrete to harden according to the manufacturers instructions before proceeding.
Arrange the planters in a rectangle no more than 10′ apart.
How To Hang Outdoor String Lights
Hanging outdoor string lights is a great way to add some extra ambiance and create the perfect atmosphere for your backyard. But, it can be a little tricky if you havent done it before.
Well show you how to hang your outdoor string lights on your outdoor patio and cover everything from choosing the right lighting all the way up to hanging them.
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Connect & Tighten Cable
With the screw hooks in place, youre ready to start hanging the cable. Connect the snap hook* on the cable guide wire to the screw hook at one end of the span .
Run the unfinished end of the cable to the other screw hook, loop it through and then loop the cable guide wire back through another cable clip . The cable clip allows you to adjust the length and tautness of the wire. After reaching the right length/tautness, you can cut off any excess wire extending from the cable clip.
Alternatively, you could also use a turnbuckle to more easily get the tautness you want in the guide wire .
If you are making a zigzag or other pattern and need to change direction at a sharper angle then the guide wire naturally bends, you can opt to stop and start your guide wire by cutting the guide wire and using additional cable clips to make the intersection .
*Note that our 30-, 60- and 110-foot cable guide wires have a snap hook on one end and the other end is unfinished with an included cable clip to customize the length. Our 350-foot bulk reel guide wire is unfinished on both ends for more flexibility and you can buy the number of cable clips you need.
How To Attach String Lights To A House Or Building
For most houses and buildings, you should be able to simply drill a pilot hole and screw in a cup hook. Youll want to be sure you arent compromising your siding.
My house has HardiePlank siding and we were able to screw the hooks directly into it. Theyve been in place for three years now without any problems.
When youre just planning to drape the smaller inexpensive lights like I did on my front porch , you can use smaller cup hooks, or even try these outdoor Command Hooks.
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How To Hang String Lights: 10 Different Ways
Outdoor string lights are wildly popular, and for good reason! They feel magical and bring a warm, intimate ambiance to any party or outdoor living space.
Inexpensive, simple for the average person to DIY, relatively easy to put up and take down with the seasons, and the list goes on
And if youre still not sure what kind of lighting is best for your outdoor living space, I walk through more backyard lighting options in this post.
Hang Your String Lights
Now just connect the lights to all the hooks, and thats it.If you just have one strand of lights, youre done after you attach the lights with cable clamps or hooks.
But often youll need to connect strings together. Just secure the male end to the female end of each string.
Check with your manufacturer to make sure that you are not connecting too many strands together. If you connect too many it will put a lot of strain on the string lights. The weight of the lights add to the tension of the string and it may also make the lights sag. A little curve is natural, but you dont want them to hang too low.
If you are hanging glass bulbs, consider removing them before hanging your string. This way, you dont have to worry about them breaking during installation. Its incredibly helpful to remove the bulbs if youre hanging several strands of lights or if they cross each other.
Use guide wire to support the hanging lights if needed. If you are hanging heavy bulbs or running hanging lights about 100 feet or more, we recommend guide wire. It provides extra support for your hanging lights, reducing the tension of the strings.
Check out this video to learn more.
If you buy lights with hanging grommets, you can thread the guide wire through the grommet before you hang the lights.
If your lights dont have grommets, use zip ties to secure the guide wire to the string lights. You can do this before or after hanging the lights.
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How To Hang Outdoor String Lights On Balcony
Boring balconies are easily made much more special by a little creativity. This could take the form of string lights or a simple door curtain, but even if you hang string lights randomly, it will look good and then be conducive to spending time outside. You could also think about the aesthetics and placement of your other furniture, so that they all work together nicely on the balcony.
The balcony in the picture above is adorned with string lights. As you can see, the lights are randomly placed and still look fine.
Test The Light Strands
Test each strand of lights by plugging it in and making sure all of the lights are working. It’s important to do this before hanging the lights, especially if you won’t have the lights on while you work. You don’t want to put up all of the lights only to discover that a strand in the middle is on the fritz.
If desired, connect multiple light strings by plugging them together end-to-end. Wind the resulting long string around a flat piece of cardboard. This makes it easy to handle a long string without having to fight a tangled mess.
The Spruce / Nanor Zinzalian
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What Is The Best Way To Hang Outdoor String Lights
The best way to hang outdoor string lights depends on where you are hanging them. If you have trees, its easy to hang lights. Just drill a hole into a tree, install a cup hook, wrap the light around it and secure it with a zip tie. Or you can thread them through the branches and not anchor them. But, make sure you are close enough to a power outlet. You can also hang string lights from porch or deck posts, your home, fences, gazebos, pergolas, or pavilions.
When hanging heavy lights or hundreds of feet of string lights, thread them through a guide wire for extra support. You can also install wall anchors before the hooks for extra support.
How To Hang String Lights In Your Backyard
The National Hardware Made By Me Hanging Light Kit comes with simple instructions for hanging your bistro lights, but heres the general idea.
You may need to modify based on you exact yard dimensions and what anchor points you use.
If working on a ladder, remember to always use a spotter.
Step One: Determine/add anchor points
Determine what spots in your yard you can anchor your string lights to.
A classic string light pattern is a V shape, with either one or two points on your house and the other two or one point somewhere in the yard.
We chose to do a V pattern with one point on our stairs and two in the yard.
With no trees, we needed to add two posts in the yard to anchor the hanging light kit wire to.
We picked up two 2×8 boards and painted them to match our fence, then attached them to the fence using exterior screws.
Step Two: Attach rope loops
Next up was to go around to the three anchor points and attach a rope loop.
This is where you will connect the wire at each point.
The loops have to be secure because they will be holding the entirety of the weight of the lights and the tension of the cable.
Step Three: Connect cable at main anchor point
Use cable clamps and turn buckles to create an end for the wire.
The cable clamps are tightened to clasp the wire together for holding in place. Then a turn buckle is used to clamp onto the rope loop.
Step Four: Determine cable length
Add a bit of length needed for clamping off the loops on the ends of these as well.
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Can You Hang Outdoor Lights On Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is a bit more resilient when it comes to adhesive, so you can use all of the options Ive presented. In fact, a fantastic no-drill vinyl siding hanger can be found here for cheap!
Vinyl siding also has the advantage of coming in pieces, which is beneficial if you do end up damaging one.
Best Uses For String Lights
String lights with powerful light bulbs, whether white light, warm light, fairy lights, or holiday lights, can provide a great entertainment space for your yard.
If you like to host a lot of parties, hanging bistro lights will give your guests a great atmosphere.
If youve done some amazing landscaping, having soft string lights will attract attention to these features at night.
String lights can also provide a sense of security, having your yard lit up in the evening, giving your home a higher sense of being lived in. Hook them up to a weather resistant smart plug and they will turn on and off, even if you arent home.
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Purchasing Outdoor String Lights
I purchased BrightTech Ambience Pro Outdoor String Lights. This string comes in a 45-foot string and uses vintage Edison bulbs with exposed filaments give off a warm, nostalgic glow. The Ambiance Pro light string is all black, has a hanger mounting hole and is a heavy duty cord, that is thicker than any other cords Ive seen. This string light is also dimmer compatible.
The lights have 3 feet of spacing between each bulb and you can connect up to 8 strands end to end.
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:
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Easily Hang Outdoor Patio Lights Without Nails
Patio lights can make a world of difference to your outdoor space. They immediately signal to all of your guests that you care about the ambiance of your patio.
However, its not always obvious how to hang them up . You may be tempted to reach for a box of nails, but hold on!
Before you do something you might regret, read on. Ill tell you how to hang outdoor patio lights without nails!
How To Hang Outdoor String Lights: A Step
For an outdoor space thats sparkling with charm, create a glowing overhead galaxy of string lights. Energy efficient, affordable, and easy to install, patio string lights can make a huge impact with just a little bit of planning and preparation. Even better, learning how to hang outdoor patio string lights can be completed in one afternoon!
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