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.
So Whats Your Favorite Way Of Hanging String Lights In The Backyard
Weve discussed quite a few ways of hanging string lights in your treeless backyard. Whether youre excited to beautify your fence, patio umbrella, or all the walls of your yard, one thing is for sure: your guests will be impressed with your creativity.
Once youve got some gorgeous string light patterns up in your backyard, dont forget to enjoy them. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the party with your friends!
Which method appeals to you the most? Comment and let us know!
Featured Image via Pexels
Hanging String Lights Above An Open Space
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How Do You Attach String Lights To A Tree
Drill guide holes on the trees where you want to hang the lights. With a helper, string the lights from one tree to the next, holding them carefully to make sure the holes are the right distance apart. Mark the spots on the trees and drill guide holes. Install a hook into each tree at the marked spot.
Mount Your Screw Hooks
Begin by installing your screw hooks in the secure mounting on one end before mounting them around your house and close to your power source. Rather than install in one line, you can install your lights around an open space in a zigzag pattern at the back of your house. Each line should be a separate cable, but they can share the same screw hook.
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Attaching Cable To A Fixed Object
The cable can also be wrapped around fixed objects, such as, poles, beams or tree branches.
The Globe Light Suspension Kit cable comes with a snap hook on one end and a Gripple Fastener. The Gripple Fastener allows the cable to be inserted the fastener, looped around an object and then returned and looped through again for a secure attachment. This Gripple fastener acts as a tensioning and allows you to make tightening adjustments. I chose a sturdy branch to wrap the cable around. In order to protect the tree branch from being damaged I used a flexible rubber hose I had left over from a another project to act as a protective sleeve.
TIP: An old garden hose, or a rubber washing machine hose is inexpensive and works great as a protective sleeve. I left plenty of room in the cable loop for the branch to increase in size. Be aware that even using a protective hose, as I mentioned, will damage the tree long term.
Note Excess cable can then be trimmed from the end if the full length isnt needed.
How Do I Decorate My Backyard With String Lights
There are a whole host of ways to decorate a backyard with string lights, making use of both planting, the yards structures, and the house.
Try dressing trees of all sizes, along with shrubs, with string lights to illuminate their shape when night has fallen. The plants dont need to be particularly sizeable. String lights can be nestled amongst foliage with lights twinkling between the leaves. Larger trees can also be handy anchor points for long strings radiating across the yard.
String lights can be hung from fences and walls, as well as the dividers between different zones of the yard in addition to being draped on its natural features. Think about locating them in arches, pergolas and arbors, too.
Use string lights to decorate the outside of your home. Strip lights are great for ceilings, and they make enchanting front porch lighting ideas, too. They can also be attached at one end to the exterior of the house and strung across a patio for dining or entertaining.;
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Other Tips For Hanging String Lights
- Take the glass bulbs out BEFORE hanging. You don’t want to deal with broken bulbs!
- If hanging your string lights on stucco, you will need to use wall anchors specific to stucco.;
- Get an assistant to help. Even having one of your kiddos help out by handing you items can make this process go a lot quicker!
Ideas How To Hang Outdoor String Lights
String lights are a quick and easy way to add ambiance to your outdoor living space. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find one that fits your decorating needs.
The goal of this post is not to teach you how to hang your string lights, its to give you inspiration and lots of ideas. You will know how to do it!
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Do Not Attach A Cable Around A Tree Trunk
It is important to understand that tree trunks ad branches increase in diameter as they grow. Cables installed around a tree trunk will;cause damage to the tree as the bark grow is causes a strangulation effect to the tree. A cable around the truck causes a restriction that keeps the sap from flowing through the tree, eventually killing the tree.
Three: Get Posts Or Poles To Hang Your Lights From
With hanging lights, youll need to ensure that you find posts that are tall enough that its easy for everyone to walk underneath or sit beneath. Keep this in mind when choosing which poles or posts youll be using.
For a sturdier option, you can opt for a metal pole. If that doesnt fit your backyard aesthetic, wooden posts make a great option.
In either case, you can use spray paint or other decorative items to make them look more visually appealing.
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Decide How You Will Hang Your Outdoor String Lights
There are six popular ways to hang your outdoor string lights. The easiest methods are probably parallel and V-shaped, pictured below.
- 1) Parallel
- Gazebos or pergolas
- Pavilions
For softer wood like your porch, fences, or deck posts, you may want to use wall anchors to secure the hooks in place. Wall anchors are not mandatory, but if you can anchor your lights into a solid piece of wood like a stud, that will provide fantastic support for a long time.;
You dont need to add additional anchors of any kind for trees.
Should You Get A Canopy Bed
If you have a large room, such as a master bedroom, a canopy bed will be perfect because it works most beautifully in a room with lots of space. Having windows that bring in lots of natural light also helps. Canopy beds are the statement piece of the room, and the more decorative the better when it comes to style.
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Ways On How To Hang String Lights In Backyard Without Trees
Are you looking for how to hang string lights in backyard without trees? Weve done a few of projects with lights and no trees.
Outdoor string lights bring a great feel and hominess to your backyard space. Well show you 7 different methods so you can pick the one that works best for you..
Choosing Size And Style Of Lights
If youre going to buy staple string lights from Home Depot, Target and Walmart that are available all year, they are most likely going to be round blubs that are called bistro lights or cafe lights.
Again, this is personal preference but I just love the look of traditional bistro/cafe lights at night.; I also think about what the space will look like in the daytime and I want the lights to sort of fade into the landscape and not stand out. The bistro/cafe lights from Home Depot that I use are not terribly large and they are on a brown cord.
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On The Side Wall Of The Backyard
Image via Pexels
You can use the side walls of your backyard to group the string lights together. If you hang them all in one place and spread them out randomly, the impression will be quite artistic.
The side walls can also be useful for hanging string lights in rows or any sort of pattern. Some people might like to use the lights for spelling out a name.
How To Decorate Outdoor String Lights
Wooden Lantern Ties and Rope Lanterns Wrapping fairy lights around trees is another great way to add some sparkle to your outdoor space. You can keep it simple and pack a single tree or pack multiple trees onto your property. Try to stick to white light to keep the look elegant.
Guide Wire For String Lights
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Option Two: Hanging Lights Along Fence
If you want to hang string lights in your backyard without trees, but you have a fence, then youre in luck!
Using your fence to hang string lights is a quick and easy way to and some outdoor lighting to your backyard. This process requires minimal materials and is something anyone with a fence can do.
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.
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Can You Hang Lights On Stucco Without Nails
Even though you might have to use a little extra elbow grease, hanging outdoor lights on stucco should not be an issue.
I would caution you from using self-adhesive hooks on a stucco surface because the adhesive can seep through and damage the surface. When trying to avoid damaging your stucco exterior, the best kind of hooks to use are gutter hooks.
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.
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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.
Two: Fill The Planter With Concrete
Place the unpainted end of a post inside each of your planters. Evenly divide the dry concrete mix over the planters. Follow the manufacturers instructions to determine the amount of water for each planter, and stir with a stick until its well combined.
Use a level on one side to make the post plumb. Use painters tape on each side of the post to hold it in place. Once the concrete is level and the post is in place, allow the concrete to harden according to the instructions.
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Suspend Them Low Above A Dining Table
Turn any meal into an occasion by installing garden lighting above a dining table.
To achieve this effect, youll need a generous length of lights, and you should arrange them relatively close to the tabletop so it and the lights work together to create an eye-catching feature.
Bear in mind that the rule for outdoor lighting hung above a table is the same as inside a home, even though were talking about string lights: they shouldnt be so low that they block diners on opposite sides from one anothers view.;
One: Lay Out String Lights
Start by determining where the power source is going to be for your lights and if youll need an outdoor extension cord. Keep the location of the power source in mind as you lay out your lights.
Lay your string lights along the outside of the fence to give you an idea of how much length you will need and to identify where youll need support posts. If you have a friend or family member to help out, you could have them hold one end while you hold the other. This way, you can see exactly what theyll look like once hung up.
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Diy Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Patios And Walkways
These beautiful string lights / globe lights are perfect for patio lighting and backyard party lighting!; You can attach them to walls, eaves, or tree branches. You can also place wooden poles or branches in buckets of sand, or make a few permanent poles set in concrete to hang these outdoor lights.;
You can also use a metal bucket filled with concrete to create poles for outdoor patio lights like in tutorial above. Line the bucket with plastic of you want to keep them clean to ruse for other things.
How Do You Hang Outdoor String Lights Without Nails
- As per above, using screw eye hooks is perfect for hanging lights to make them hold up to outdoor elements.
I hope I’ve answered your questions so you can get started with your lights!
You guys should have seen our west-facing . We went from avoiding it completely, to being outside any chance we get!
It’s the perfect time to give your home a little curb appeal! Get ideas for front yard landscaping as well as what to avoid with your landscaping project!
What projects are you working on currently? I’d love to hear about them!
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