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How To Hang Outdoor Patio Lights

Attaching Cable To A Fixed Object

How to hang string lights for your patio

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.


Tips On How To Hang Outdoor String Lights

Are you hanging lights up for an event? Or are you looking to brighten up your back patio? These next few tips will help you with a little of both, especially if you are investing in strings of lights of your own and not just renting them for an evening.

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Q: Is brand a big deal with lights?

A: Yes. You will be kicking yourself if you decided to go with the bargain brand that only happens to be a seasonal purchase when several of your bulbs burn out during the offseason. Going with a brand that stores stock all year will ensure that there will also be replacement bulbs for these strings year around as well.

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Q: Glass or Plastic bulbs

A: its really a preference. But do a little research to figure out what it is you like the best.


Bistro string lights are generally a glass bulb and these are found just about anywhere. They give off a warm yellow glow that works for outside decor as well as indoor.

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Twinkle lights, can come in both glass or plastic as well as a wide variety of light options. You can also get LED twinkle light bulbs that are great for energy efficiency, although they do tend to give off a bit of a cooler blue light.

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Q: Whats the best layout?

A: What does your space look like? This is a matter of letting your space do most of the decision making.

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Bring A Soft Inviting Glow To Your Backyard Porch Or Patio By Installing Cafe

For string lights strung over a large expanse:

  • String light suspension kit
  • Wire cutters

For yards without trees or other tall supports:


  • 10-foot-long wooden posts or 10-foot-long metal poles
  • Hammer
  • Nails or screws
  • Sturdy planters or weighted buckets filled with concrete and a PVC pipe slot in center
  • 18-inch-long metal rebar stakes
  • Cable ties

Before You Start1. Choose where to hang your outdoor lights. 2. Measure for length and roughly choose your light configuration. 3. Purchase the cords and lights, and gather all materials.How to Hang String Lights1. Identify where mounting support is needed. 2. Install mounting hardware or use a string light suspension kit or both.

  • Hanging without a wire: To hang the patio lights without a wire, screw a cup hook into the wall, fence, pergola or tree trunk to use as mounting.
  • Hanging with a wire: If youre using a wire, you can purchase a wire hanging kit that comes with a cable wire and suspension hardware . Install according to the instructions included with the kit.

3. Hang patio lights. How to Hang String Lights in a Backyard Without TreesAlong a wood fence. On a deck or concrete patio.Posts attached to a rooftop railing provide height and support for outdoor globe lights. On a lawn. How to Hang String Lights on a Covered PatioTell us:

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Take Glass Bulbs Off Patio Lights Before Hanging

If youre hanging glass string lights, take the delicate bulbs off the string before hanging and set them aside somewhere safe. You dont want them banging against each other while youre trying to hang the strings. You also dont want to shatter an entire strings worth of lights when you drop the string on the ground. Once your strings are hung and your connectors are secured, you can screw the bulbs back in.

Best Overall: Hampton Bay 24

Best 20+ of Outdoor Patio Hanging String Lights

Bulb Type: Edison-style LED | Number of Bulbs: 24 | Cord Length: 48 feet | Wattage: 3 | Power Source: Plug-in


  • Ability to connect up to 11 strands

  • Condensation can form inside bulbs

The Hampton Bay 24-Light Indoor/Outdoor String Lights feature pretty Edison-style LED bulbs that will illuminate your outdoor space, turning it into your favorite nighttime lounge spot. The light set has 24 bulbs on a 48-foot string, and you can connect up to 11 strands end-to-end to decorate a larger area.

Theres so much to love about these outdoor string lights. First, they give off a warm white glow thats comfortable and welcoming, and the LED bulbs are long-lasting. Additionally, the bulbs are impact-resistant, so they wont shatter if theyre ever dropped. The whole string is also weather-resistant, so you can use it to , pergola, fence, and much more.

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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.

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.

  • String Light Cord Isn’t Long Enough
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    Remove Glass Bulbs Before Hanging

    If you are using glass bulbs, its much easier to remove all of the glass bulbs before starting to hang. If youre just hanging one or two strands, you do not need to do this but if you are hanging multiple strings and criss-crossing, it is much easier to do this when youre not having to be careful of breaking the bulbs as you connect, drape, etc..

    Once you have all the strings hung and connectors secured, you just simply add the lights back in.

    How To Hang String Lights Over A Deck

    How to hang patio string lights

    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.

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    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?

    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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    Learn How To Hang String Lights Outside Using Stainless Wire For Support With These Tips You Can Create An Outdoor Oasis In No Time

    Ive said it before, and Ill say it again: twinkle lights make everything magical. Its the whole reason I host a nighttime tour every holiday season but whats a girl to do the other ten months of the year? Hang outdoor string lights, of course.

    And not just any outdoor string lights: ones that will last.

    When I revealed my outdoor dining area last week, I had so many questions about the best way to hang string lights, so today Im sharing all my tips and tricks, as well as the best outdoor string lights and materials needed to hang them on wire cables.

    Tip : Use Cup Hooks And Zip Ties For The String Lights

    15 Inspirations of Solar Hanging Outdoor Patio Lights

    I used Yueton Vinyl-Coated Screw-In Ceiling Cup Hooks in black. Sturdy, coated, and hidden up in the rafters. After we placed the hooks and hung the lights, we added a zip tie around the string on each cup hook for extra stability. Mike thought this was overkill, and honestly, he was probably right. But the zip ties came with the lights, and I figured the extra support wouldnt hurt.

    As I mentioned before, a lot of the tutorials Id read said to use wire strung taught between each hook and then running the lights along that. I think this would be appropriate if the lights were out in an area that had more exposure to the elements. But since wed hung our lights under our second-story deck, they were shielded from the wind pretty well.

    Here they are strung into a cup hook before the zip ties went on. Dont put on the zip ties until youre positive you love the layout. If the zip ties are on there tight, you could risk cutting the string lights wire when you remove them.

    Weve gotten so much use out of these lights already and will probably use them well into the fall. Will check back next year to let you know whether they made it through the winter. Too lazy to take them down.

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    Commercial Outdoor String Lights

    Any amount of string lights can add magic, but I knew two things: I wanted lots of light , and I wanted them not to break.

    I began by choosing the type of lights that would provide the most light and ambiance for our outdoor living space. Globe lights were going to give us more light: enough for outdoor dining and yard games. But I decided that a vintage style globe light provided more ambiance than simple round lights.

    I then compared regular string lights to commercial grade lights, and it was no competition. I read reviews and compared and decided that these commercial grade vintage-style string lights were the way to go.

    Even better, theyre LED, which should last longer, stay cool to the touch, and allows for more strands to be connected together from a single outlet because the wattage per bulb is lower. If you need a lot of strands, the price can certainly add up. But I think its worth it to have something that should survive the outdoors and last for years to come.

    How To Hang Gorgeous Globe String Lights Under A Deck

    This is one of those posts that I debated writing because I wasnt sure if it would be silly to dedicate a whole post to hanging outdoor string lights. I decided to write it because, after researching existing tutorials, I realized that most of them were for hanging string lights on decks or patiosnot under second-story decks.

    You might think that the requirements would be the same. Alasthey are not. At least for us they werent. Thats because hanging the string lights under a deck shields them somewhat from mother nature. I felt like some of the tutorials were overkill. Rigging up guy wire? Using heavy duty carabiners? It seems like overkill to me for what we wanted to do.

    So here are my tips for hanging string lights under a deck.

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    How Do You Attach String Lights To An Aluminum Patio

    How to Hang Things on an Aluminum Porch

  • Determine where you wish to hang your item on the aluminum.
  • Insert the drill bit into the chuck of your drill.
  • Don protective eyewear and gloves.
  • Carefully push the trigger for the drill, and gently add pressure.
  • Gently pull the revolving drill bit from the aluminum once it has completely passed through the material.
  • Furthermore, how do you hang patio lights without nails? Method 1Hanging Lights with Hooks or Clips

  • Choose gutter hooks to quickly hang lights along your gutters.
  • Opt for shingle tabs to position the lights on top of your roof.
  • Use adhesive clips or hooks if you have siding or other smooth surfaces.
  • Leave 68 in of space between each hook or clip.
  • Keeping this in consideration, how do you hang string lights on a patio?

    Hanging Patio String Lights Basic Steps

  • Draw a rough sketch with measurements.
  • Assemble your poles if applicable.
  • If using guy wire, hang this first.
  • Hang your first patio light string with the male plug closest to your outlet.
  • Use zip ties or hooks between each bulb as needed on deck railings or other structures.
  • How do you hang lights on a metal awning?

    Hanging lights on metal doesn’t have to be hard.

  • Use tape to hang your Christmas lights on metal indoors.
  • Hang lights on hooks attached to suction cups on most outdoor metal surfaces.
  • Use badge holders with magnets to attach lights to tricky spots.
  • How To Hang Outdoor String Lights From Diy Posts: Secure Post With Tape

    SIMPLE WAY TO HANG PATIO STRING LIGHTS!! INDOOR OR OUTDOOR!!

    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.

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    How To Hang Outdoor Lights From Trees

    If youve got big trees near your patio or deck, youre in luck! You can use eye hooks, cup hooks, or coaxial staples to secure them to the tree.

    Cyndy from The Creativity Exchange anchored her patio lights to a tree in this beautiful outdoor dining space.

    Ariel from PMQ for Two made use of some nearby trees to hang lights over her super-fun outdoor living room.

    Or drape them in the lower branches of a tree, like my friend Kippi did for this gorgeous backyard 4th of July party.

    Tip : Invest In Decent

    This does not mean you need to drop hundreds of dollars on lights. It just means that you might not want to buy the cheapest option you can find. I spent an entire 2-hour Ramona nap one day browsing string lights and reading reviews.

    If you search outdoor string lights or outdoor globe lights on Google or Amazon, you get approximately 900 billion results to sort through. I quickly realized that the prices were much better on Amazon than they were through Target, so I started reading through Amazon reviews.

    I settled on the black globe string lights, way cheaper than the options at Target, from the Outdoor Lighting Store for a few reasons:

    • Reviews were great.
    • The lights came with extra bulbs.
    • Zip ties were included as well.
    • They claimed to have a warm glow instead of a bright white light.
    • Each strand could be connected to one another.
    • The company offered a two-year warranty and seemed to have pretty good customer service. You could also order new bulbs, which can be difficult with some string lights.

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