How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights

 

Before you start climbing ladders up your walls or to your gutters, you need to plan your approach. Make sure you tick off this quick checklist to avoid any frustration.

 

 1. Measure. It may sound obvious, but it’s essential to grab a tape measure and work out exactly how big your lighting area is going to be. Map out where your lights will go and then check you have enough to cover the area, and if you’re using mains-powered lights, check the length of your lead wire and the distance to the nearest power supply. If you need more lights, we have plenty of options.

 

 

What to use: As the name suggests, gutter hooks are the perfect companion if you’re glamming up your guttering. They’re best for hanging up lightweight Christmas string lights or icicle lights, as you don’t want to risk the hooks or the gutter pulling away from the wall.

 

Installing: Whenever you’re heading up to the roof it’s always safety first, so make sure you’ve got a secure and serviceable stepladder ready to go, with another adult holding it for extra support. Before you head up the ladder, plug in your lights (without switching them on), get into position and start sliding the gutter hooks over the edge of the gutter about 50cm apart, threading the bulbs through the hooks. Make sure you change the position of the ladder as you go to avoid overextending yourself.

 

What to use: If you’re planning on hanging up your lights by drilling into your outside wall then you’ll need wall plugs and metal screw/cup hooks as well as a masonry drill bit for your drill.

 

Installing: You never want to screw your hooks directly into the brick as it will crack and break, so make sure you’re drilling into the mortar. Start with the guide holes, drilling slowly to avoid damage, and then drill a hole as deep as the screw is long (measure the straight part of the screw, not the full length including the hook). Next, insert your wall plug and tap it gently into place with a rubber mallet. Finally, install the screw hook until it’s snug, using pliers to tighten if necessary.

 

What to use: If you don’t fancy drilling and hammering into the mortar on the front of your house, the easiest way to hang Christmas lights is to use a glue gun. Hot glue is weatherproof, quick to apply and easy to remove come January.

 

Installing: For heavier lighting wires, apply glue directly to the light socket and hold it firmly in place for about 10 seconds until the glue cools and sets. If you’re using lightweight LED string lights, rope lights or icicle lights then you can put the glue on the back of light clips instead. To get it off again, just shake the base of the lighting wire to release it from the brick and peel off the old glue so that your lights are ready for next year.

 

What to use: For adding a touch of elegant illumination to door frames, window panes and non-brick walls, you can’t go wrong with Command’s outdoor decorating clips. They’re strong but easy to remove and don’t leave any mess.

 

Installing: Start by wiping the door, wall or window surface clean to remove dust, as this allows the adhesive clips to stick better. Next, attach a clip to the end of the first lighting strand and place them at intervals of 50cm, or 30cm for heavier lights. Once you’re happy the wire covers your lighting area, finish by removing the adhesive backing and carefully sticking the clips on to the surface.

 

How to Hang Christmas Lights Around Your Windows

While we’re guiding you through how to attach Christmas lights to your house, let’s look at another area: the windows. 

Here’s how to put Christmas lights around windows, step by step:

1. First, choose whether you need battery-operated or mains-operated string lights. Both types can be used for either indoors or out (they’re often suitable for both), so check if they suit your needs before you buy. Also make sure you choose a wire colour that best suits your window frame paint.
2. Next, measure your windows so you know how long the wire on your lights needs to be and how many hooks you’ll need. These strong, weather-resistant hooks are adhesive and will stick to your window frame wherever you choose to put them. 
3. Test the lights to check they work. 
4. Position your hooks. No drilling or nailing needed - you simply stick them on and peel them off once the festive season is over.  
5. Place the wire in each hook around your window. Easy! 

When to Put Up Your Christmas Lights

So - you’ve found out how to hang outdoor Christmas lights, but now you’re wondering when to put them up. 

Given that the traditional date for putting your Christmas tree up is 1st December, the start of Advent, it makes sense to put your lights up around the same time. You often start to see lights twinkling when night falls around the end of November. 

However, if the Christmas bug bites, what’s stopping you from commencing the sparkle earlier in November or, dare we say it, October? There are certainly no Grinches in Dyasville - we say go for it!