How to Hang String Lights: 10 Different Ways

Outdoor string lights are wildly popular, and for good reason! They feel magical and bring a warm, intimate ambiance to any party or outdoor living space.

Inexpensive, simple for the average person to DIY, relatively easy to put up and take down with the seasons, and the list goes on…

And if you’re still not sure what kind of lighting is best for your outdoor living space, I walk through more backyard lighting options in this post.

What’s the Best Way to Hang Outdoor String Lights?

The answer, of course, is “It depends.” But never fear! We’re about to go through 10 different ways to hang patio lights.

The best option for you will come down to what’s around your outdoor space to secure the lights to, whether you need to install your own posts, and whether you plan to leave the lights up year-round or take them down for the colder months.

Make a Plan

I recommend getting out a tape measure, paper, and pencil. Do a quick sketch of the layout of your patio, and label it with a few basic measurements.

Be sure to include the outlet or power source, and any nearby trees or structures you could make use of.

DIY String Light Poles: The In-Ground Method

Our patio dining space is right next to the house, with no convenient trees nearby. So while we could hang them from hooks on the house side, we really needed some poles on the other side of the patio.

We came up with this ultra-simple and inexpensive method for installing string light poles. The PVC stays in the ground year-round, but the poles themselves can be pulled out at the end of the season and stored in the garage. You can watch our quick video tutorial here:

How to Hang String Lights When You’re Renting

Here’s a slight variation on the string lights poles above. These poles use a patio umbrella stand as the base. They can be moved around easily and are perfect for wedding receptions, outdoor parties, or anywhere you don’t can’t dig holes in the ground. And did I mention this one only requires 3 tools and takes about 20 minutes tops?

How to Hang String Lights On A Deck

If you have a deck with railings, you’re already halfway there. Check out this ultra-simple tutorial from Jenna Kate at Home:

Julie from Red Head Can Decorate hung them on the deck railing.

How to Hang Outdoor Lights From Trees

If you’ve got big trees near your patio or deck, you’re in luck! You can use eye hooks, cup hooks, or coaxial staples to secure them to the tree.

Cyndy from The Creativity Exchange anchored her patio lights to a tree in this beautiful outdoor dining space.

Ariel from PMQ for Two made use of some nearby trees to hang lights over her super-fun outdoor living room.

Or drape them in the lower branches of a tree, like my friend Kippi did for this gorgeous backyard 4th of July party.

How to Hang String Lights From a wall, fence, or building

If you want to hang your cafe lights from your house or another wall or fence, simply drill a pilot hole and screw either an eye hook, a cup hook, or a coaxial staple into the wall.

We used this method on the house side of our patio.

I hung string lights on the wall behind my new boho porch swings! You can see the whole porch makeover here.

Boho porch swings with string lights glowing in the background

Jenna from Jenna Kate At Home hung string lights along her house next to her patio to create this ultra-casual look.

Hang String Lights from A Ceiling or Covered Patio

April from Love Our Real Life has a roof over her deck, and she has a great tutorial for hanging patio lights from the ceiling.

I hung string lights in the kids’ playhouse using a similar method- small cup hooks in the rafters. It takes 5 minutes to hang the lights up each Spring and take them down at the end of the Summer. You can see the whole playhouse makeover here.