How to Hang Outdoor String Lights

Lighting can make or break a space, right? Today I’m sharing how to hang outdoor string lights.

Last summer and fall our yard provided the canvas for not one but two big projects. A new paver patio and stone steps and a DIY Garden Shed.

These areas are still “in progress” but many of you wanted a post about hanging the patio lights.

Since the weather is warming up and you’re probably thinking about outdoor lighting in your own homes I thought I’d share what we did!

What Are String Lights?

String lights encompasses many types of outdoor lights from fairy lights (we mostly associate with Christmas and winter) and to larger Edison type bulbs. They come in indoor and outdoor varieties, solar powdered, electric, shatterproof, dimmable and vary in bulb temperatures (some give a warmer color light while others give a cooler light.

The String Lights we Chose and What to Look for

We opted for these string lights for our patio.

Pretty paver patio behind a cinder shingle house

I knew I wanted our string lights to be black for a classic look and I knew I wanted them to be durable and shatterproof. I wanted a draping / romantic feel out here with the lights crisscrossing over the entire patio.

Things to consider when installing string lights

Color temperature – these have a warmer glow. I’m drawn to warmer lights.
Weatherproof and shatterproof – this is very important to us. These are outside over a patio area and we have barefoot kids and dogs running around. Their safety is our priority.
These lights come with a dimmable capacity which we haven’t used but is a nice feature
Also, consider the area you’re trying to cover and how many lights its safe to string together.

Why You’ll Love Adding String Lights to Your Yard

Pretty string lights add warmth and ambiance
Having the lights means we can stay outside longer into the evening
They really do create a beautiful entertaining space!

(we were still trying to grow grass when I took this photo, but it gives you an idea of the ambiance it adds)

An outdoor patio with cedar table, woven chairs, and string lights

What You’ll Need

Cedar or White posts Height between 10′ – 12′ (we were only able to get 10′)
A shovel
Concrete (optional)
Heavy Duty Screw Hooks (2″)
Clothesline Hooks (2″)
Outdoor Patio Lights
Plastic Insulated Cable Staples

How to Hang Outdoor Patio Lights

Step 1 – First plan out your area. We drew a diagram to figure out the looping of the lights

Step 2 – Dig holes for your posts. We did ours at either end of our patio. If you have trees you can use them to secure the lights to. We opted for cedar posts to tie into the cedar fence. We felt they would almost disappear when they weathered. Make sure to dig down and when you dig you want the posts to be at least 8′ tall after, or the lights will hang too low. You can add concrete into the holes for added stability.

Step 3 – Affix hooks to posts. Affix other fasteners to home.

Step 4 – Carefully screw the bulbs into the holders.

Step 5 – Using plastic insulated cable staples secure cables to side of home.

Man securing cables while hanging string lights

Step 6 – Invite your friends over for a gathering and enjoy your new string lights!

Outdoor entertaining. Table spread with appetizers and flowers with string lights hanging above

You can see below how the hanging lights really add so much to our back patio.

Coastal home with pool and outdoor patio

We hung these lights in September and since then we’ve gone through Blizzards, Nor’easters and lots of inclement weather. The lights and posts look as good as the day we installed the lights. We’re looking forward to doing more in this area this summer – hoping to add beautiful plantings and a new module table built by Luke.

More String Light Hanging Ideas

Over the years we’ve used outdoor string lights in several ways. We used to have a wooden deck on the back of our home with wisteria and the string lights hung from wire and wisteria.

String Lights Hung on Wire with Wisteria

The wisteria was soooo beautiful but now I realize how invasive it really is. It took so much to get rid of it for our patio. It looked like Stranger Things under our deck!!!!

It looked very romantic back here even in autumn:

Rustic outdoor deck with wisteria and string lights

We used these lights for this project.

String Lights Hung on White Fence

For our pool we knew we didn’t want lights hanging over our pool area due to glass going into the pool. Instead we opted to hang the lights long on our fence using cable ties.