How to Hang Outdoor String Lights Without Trees

Learn how to string lights in your lawn with action by action guideline to hanging out of doors string lights from fences, poles, and roofs.

A person of my most well-liked posts is my tutorial on how to hang outdoor string lights from our oak grove at the ranch. But our yard at our household appears to be very different… and yours may possibly, far too! 

How do you string globe lights in a backyard without having trees? Nowadays, I’m going to display you.

Factors for Hanging Outside String Lights

Ahead of I demonstrate you accurately how we hung our lights earlier mentioned our pool, I want to support you feel via the out of doors lights suggestions and possibilities for lawn and patio lights.

Initial, while, allow me remind you to use caution if you have a pool. This tutorial is meant to present you how to hang lights throughout a property devoid of convenient trees to keep your lights it is not a complete tutorial on energy and h2o safety. Please look at your area code and/or check with an electrician when operating close to drinking water.

Overhead vs On the Aspect

I’m a sucker for twinkle lights, like Christmas lights, and the ambiance they provide when strung across a fence or as a result of the trees is such a enjoyment ingredient in backyard lights. Even so, if you want the lights to deliver useful lighting, like for dining, then you will want larger lights strung overhead.

To string lights overhead, you will need a fixed place at least 8-10 toes off the ground that can keep the stress of a wire or light-weight strand. This can be a tree, the eaves of your dwelling or gazebo or lined patio, a pergola, a fence, a picket write-up, a second tale deck railing, a metal pole, or any other strong assist.

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Photo voltaic String Lights vs Plug In

Speaking of purposeful overhead light-weight, I tried using numerous distinct photo voltaic light-weight strands, and I could not uncover just one that really supplied adequate light-weight for our reasons. We wanted the space to be entirely lit to love dining, swimming, hot tubbing, and even an outdoor activity night we hosted. The photo voltaic light-weight strands seem to be entertaining for ambiance, but not adequate for task lighting.

So if you are wanting for job lighting, then you will require to take into account your electrical power supply. Your design and style for stringing your lights will need to commence at a plug and/or include things like an extension wire that can mix into your house.

Wire vs No wire

At the ranch in the oak grove, I employed this package and strung a manual wire for the lights (which proved to be beneficial because squirrels like to take in the mild cords – ugh – and that allows me to change sections with out losing the stress of the full area). In our yard, even though, because I was not sure I required the lights there completely, I selected to cling the lights devoid of a wire kit.

Lasting vs Removable

Technically all of these string lights are pretty detachable, but there are unquestionably ways to make them less difficult to put up and get down if you want that flexibility. Specifically if you have to include posts to keep the lights, you are going to want to look at how uncomplicated it will be to eliminate the posts if you at any time pick to. 

Glass Bulbs vs Plastic

We selected to use these professional strands with glass bulbs at the ranch. They are lovely, and considering the fact that there is mulch beneath, we have not damaged many… But if I experienced it to do around once again, but I would possibly pick out plastic just to remove any issues.

In our outdoor space at home, on the other hand, we have a massive concrete patio underneath the lights, so plastic bulbs were being a must. We also chose a strand devoid of the additional dangling cord for every light-weight considering the fact that we wanted to obtain as a lot headroom clearance as possible. 

How to Hang Outdoor String Lights Devoid of Trees

With all these considerations in thoughts, we chose overhead plug-in lights with plastic bulbs, and I received resourceful to put in them in a way that looked classy and developed-in but could simply be removed if we selected to. Allow me exhibit you how!

Products we applied to cling our out of doors string lights:

1. Evaluate your place

Use a tape measure to approach the house and establish the variety of gentle strands you have to have and the most effective configuration for them. You will also need to have to take into account in which you can attach the lights (see #2 underneath). Fortunately, you can see the duration of every strand of lights before buying, so you can make your possibilities accordingly.

We decided that a VVV formation which started at the outlet over our grill would be great. This indicates that the lights are absolutely unplugged most of the time. If you can, it will help to attract out the place from an aerial viewpoint.

2. Plan your supports

We understood we preferred the strands to come off the framing of the porch, so that gave us two of our factors. We have a mountain laurel tree that is basically in line with the porch, so that furnished point #3 on the residence facet of the property.

For people details, we utilised major-duty screw hooks. The hook screws into the wooden and holds the mild strand.

On the other size, we experienced the light-weight pole for the grill, but we still essential a few far more supports to finish our VVV development. Did you know you can generate your individual supports?

We have a pretty wrought iron fence, but it is only about 4 toes tall, not just about tall enough to support overhead lights. I deemed buckets or planters with cement or gravel, but I didn’t want to trip in excess of them or have to lug them in or out if we ever made a decision to get the lights down. 

Alternatively, I purchased 8-foot prolonged 1″ aluminum sq. tubing and painted it black to match our fence applying the solutions mentioned above and this method for painting out of doors home furnishings. I connected the poles with weighty-duty black zip ties (which you truthfully do not detect unless of course you are staring at it up shut): three at the major for safety and one at the base for maximum security.

Note: aluminum is really a little flexible. You could see a minimal bend in the pole if the pressure is substantial, but you should not have any problems with durabilty.

3. String your lights

It was so straightforward to cling the lights! We used zip ties about the sides of the posts and light-weight pole to protected the gentle strands. The cup hooks didn’t want any securing considering the fact that they keep the wire securely.

It has been virtually 10 months considering that we installed these lights, and they still appear very good as new! I  installed them for a bash, but I was doubtful if I would want to retain them up all yr considering the fact that our porch is elevated and they are in your line of sight when standing on the porch… but I simply enjoy them!

Do it yourself Backyard and Patio Lighting

In brief, you might have to get creative, but hanging your string lights can be accomplished. I do assume it is attainable to hang stunning, qualified looking string lights even devoid of trees or long lasting poles. 

1 much more helpful reminder: If you have a pool or other water options in your lawn, you should keep in mind to use caution when working with something electrical close to drinking water! Our lights are completely unplugged when not in use, and we double check out their security before plugging them in.

Take into account attaching to roofs and porch beams with weighty obligation screw in hooks. Try extending metal fences with aluminum poles painted to match or doing the similar with a wood pole from a picket fence. Use zip ties to hold it all together and enjoy your new house!