How to Hang Outdoor String Lights Without Trees

Find out how to string lights in your property with move by move guidebook to hanging outdoor string lights from fences, poles, and roofs.

A single of my most common posts is my tutorial on how to cling outdoor string lights from our oak grove at the ranch. But our yard at our house appears to be quite different… and yours might, also! 

How do you string globe lights in a yard with no trees? Now, I’m heading to display you.

Considerations for Hanging Outside String Lights

Prior to I demonstrate you particularly how we hung our lights higher than our pool, I want to assistance you consider by means of the out of doors lighting suggestions and choices for yard and patio lights.

1st, although, let me remind you to use caution if you have a pool. This tutorial is intended to display you how to cling lights across a property devoid of practical trees to hold your lights it is not a extensive tutorial on electrical energy and drinking water security. You should check your local code and/or seek the advice of an electrician when operating close to water.

Overhead vs On the Side

I’m a sucker for twinkle lights, like Christmas lights, and the ambiance they give when strung throughout a fence or by means of the trees is these types of a enjoyable component in backyard lights. However, if you want the lights to provide useful lighting, like for eating, then you will want greater lights strung overhead.

To string lights overhead, you need to have a mounted place at the very least 8-10 toes off the floor that can maintain the rigidity of a wire or light-weight strand. This can be a tree, the eaves of your household or gazebo or lined patio, a pergola, a fence, a wooden post, a 2nd tale deck railing, a metal pole, or any other strong aid.

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Photo voltaic String Lights vs Plug In

Talking of useful overhead light, I tried using numerous distinct solar gentle strands, and I could not uncover just one that in fact furnished enough light-weight for our functions. We needed the room to be entirely lit to love eating, swimming, incredibly hot tubbing, and even an outdoor game evening we hosted. The solar light-weight strands seem exciting for ambiance, but not enough for task lights.

So if you are on the lookout for undertaking lights, then you will require to contemplate your electrical power resource. Your design for stringing your lights will need to have to get started at a plug and/or include an extension cord that can blend into your house.

Wire vs No wire

At the ranch in the oak grove, I employed this kit and strung a guide wire for the lights (which proved to be helpful due to the fact squirrels like to eat the gentle cords – ugh – and that allows me to swap sections without having getting rid of the pressure of the complete area). In our backyard, while, considering the fact that I wasn’t certain I desired the lights there forever, I chose to dangle the lights devoid of a wire package.

Long lasting vs Removable

Technically all of these string lights are pretty detachable, but there are unquestionably means to make them less difficult to set up and acquire down if you want that overall flexibility. Particularly if you have to add posts to hold the lights, you are going to want to think about how effortless it will be to remove the posts if you ever opt for to. 

Glass Bulbs vs Plastic

We chose to use these industrial strands with glass bulbs at the ranch. They are stunning, and because there is mulch beneath, we have not damaged many… But if I experienced it to do above once more, but I would probably pick out plastic just to take out any worries.

In our outside area at property, on the other hand, we have a big concrete patio beneath the lights, so plastic bulbs were being a will have to. We also chose a strand devoid of the more dangling wire for each and every mild considering that we preferred to get as considerably headroom clearance as probable. 

How to Cling Outdoor String Lights With no Trees

With all people concerns in mind, we chose overhead plug-in lights with plastic bulbs, and I bought resourceful to put in them in a way that looked elegant and built-in but could effortlessly be eliminated if we chose to. Let me exhibit you how!

Elements we made use of to hang our out of doors string lights:

1. Evaluate your place

Use a tape evaluate to approach the space and decide the variety of light-weight strands you need and the ideal configuration for them. You will also will need to think about where you can attach the lights (see #2 beneath). Fortunately, you can see the size of each strand of lights ahead of buying, so you can make your possibilities appropriately.

We resolved that a VVV formation which started off at the outlet higher than our grill would be great. This usually means that the lights are absolutely unplugged most of the time. If you can, it aids to draw out the room from an aerial perspective.

2. Prepare your supports

We realized we wished the strands to come off the framing of the porch, so that gave us two of our points. We have a mountain laurel tree that is essentially in line with the porch, so that presented stage #3 on the dwelling facet of the property.

For individuals details, we utilised heavy-responsibility screw hooks. The hook screws into the wood and retains the gentle strand.

On the other size, we experienced the mild pole for the grill, but we still essential 3 a lot more supports to full our VVV development. Did you know you can produce your personal supports?

We have a wonderful wrought iron fence, but it is only about 4 toes tall, not approximately tall plenty of to help overhead lights. I thought of buckets or planters with cement or gravel, but I did not want to vacation about them or have to lug them in or out if we ever made a decision to get the lights down. 

As an alternative, I bought 8-foot extensive 1″ aluminum sq. tubing and painted it black to match our fence making use of the products and solutions shown above and this method for portray out of doors furnishings. I connected the poles with significant-responsibility black zip ties (which you actually don’t recognize except you’re staring at it up close): 3 at the best for stability and just one at the base for highest balance.

Notice: aluminum is quite marginally flexible. You might see a minimal bend in the pole if the tension is large, but you shouldn’t have any problems with durabilty.

3. String your lights

It was so simple to hold the lights! We employed zip ties all around the sides of the posts and light pole to secure the mild strands. The cup hooks did not have to have any securing since they keep the wire securely.

It has been almost 10 months because we mounted these lights, and they continue to glimpse superior as new! I  installed them for a celebration, but I was uncertain if I would want to maintain them up all 12 months given that our porch is elevated and they are in your line of sight when standing on the porch… but I just really like them!

Do it yourself Backyard and Patio Lights

In short, you could have to get resourceful, but hanging your string lights can be finished. I do think it is achievable to hang gorgeous, expert seeking string lights even with no trees or long term poles. 

1 a lot more friendly reminder: If you have a pool or other water functions in your property, remember to keep in mind to use warning when working with something electrical close to water! Our lights are fully unplugged when not in use, and we double look at their stability ahead of plugging them in.

Look at attaching to roofs and porch beams with hefty duty screw in hooks. Try out extending metal fences with aluminum poles painted to match or performing the same with a picket pole from a wooden fence. Use zip ties to keep it all with each other and love your new area!