Learn How to Hang Outdoor String Lights

Learn how to hang heavy duty outdoor string lights with this simple to follow tutorial!

Winter seemed to linger far too long in Missouri this year!  My husband and I managed to hang outdoor string lights recently, but nearly froze doing so. Seriously, we could only stay out for a few minutes at a time and had to keep coming in to warm our hands. BUT, they are up and when the weather decides to be kind, we are ready to enjoy our outdoor living space!

It’s a simple DIY you definitely will not regret. Your outdoor space will be so inviting, you’ll never want to leave.

Nothing says “relaxing outdoor living space” light like the ambiance of cafe’ style string lights. Not that you need convincing, but take a look at a few inspiration photos I’ve included:

Outdoor String Lights Inspiration Photos:

I’m much more inclined to pick a restaurant with a great patio on a nice day, aren’t you? Alfresco dining is even better on a nice evening when the space has beautiful lighting.

In hopes of dining at home more often, I’ve attempted to create an outdoor space that we love. Of course, string lights were at the top of the list for making our outdoor area more inviting.

It still needs the final touches! I’ll add some low maintenance plants and outdoor lanterns and it will be super cozy.

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SUPPLIES TO HANG OUTDOOR STRING LIGHTS:

• Heavy Duty String Lights.  My sister gave me the lights I used.  I couldn’t find a link to this particular set, but I linked to lights that got fantastic reviews on Amazon.
• Screw Eyes / Hooks. We picked ours up at Lowe’s.  But, I provided a link for your convenience. Just know you will have LOTS left over if you get the package I link to here.
• D Ring clips.

How to hang outdoor string lights on a deck or pergola:

1. Measure the space to determine how many lights you will need.

There are so many options for the configurations of the string lights.  Do what works for you and your space.  We changed our minds several times, but in the end, we just went with what made the most sense for our deck.

Since my sister gifted the lights to us, I knew we had a total of 48 feet of cord to work with (2 sets of 24 ft lights).  In some ways, being “limited” made it easier as we knew exactly the length we were working with.

Ensure a plugin/electrical outlet is conveniently located to the starting point of your string lights when you are determining your configuration.

2. Screw the Screw Eye hooks into place.

Hanging string lights without the use of nails is my preference. Screw hooks are more durable!

We opted to put up screw hooks to fasten the lights into place every 4 to 5 bulbs. Our home sits up fairly high and gets A LOT of strong wind gusts.  So, I was concerned the bulbs could potentially break if they were not secured well.

There have been several storms since we’ve put our lights up and this appears to work well for our location.

I highly recommend getting the heavy duty lights.  They are made to withstand the elements! With most commercial grade string lights, the bulbs are spaced every 24 inches. At the top of every bulb there is a molded loop to making hanging easier.

This leads me to the next step.

3.  Connect the molded loop to the screw hook using a D-ring clip.

Thankfully the bulbs aren’t in during the hanging process, so that makes it much easier.  No worries about accidentally breaking a bulb!

4. Screw the bulbs into place and you’re done!

I would love nothing more than to show you a pretty, staged picture of our beautiful outdoor living space.  But unfortunately, it’s freezing outside and not to mention there is snow all over my deck.

I promise I will definitely show off our outdoor room a bit more when I can endure the weather!  Despite the cold weather, I hope you are inspired to hang outdoor string lights at your home.

View of the outdoor string lights from inside my warm home:

As warmer weather approaches here are some other projects to get your home ready for spring:

Garage Organization Project || Ideas for Your Garage
Painting a Front Door // Helpful Tips and 5 Mistakes to Avoid
Ideas for Front Yard Landscaping | A Before and After

What projects are you working on currently? I’d love to hear about them!