Hanging outdoor string lights is a great way to upgrade your backyard living space. It even extends the time you can spend enjoying your backyard with your friends and family! After all, you’ve already put in the time to make your lawn and garden space look awesome. Now, it’s time to show it off.
There are a host of outdoor lighting solutions you can choose from, but installing them can be both involved and expensive. But, an easy DIY alternative is to simply hang outdoor string lights in your yard or around your patio. In this Exmark Done-In-A-Weekend Projects video, expert landscape designer, Doug Scott, demonstrates how to hang simple, cost-effective backyard lighting.
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5 DIY String Light Patterns for Your Patio
String lights are a simple and cost-effective solution for illuminating outdoor spaces. Best of all, you can create a look that reflects your personal style using our downloadable string light pattern guide.
Steps to Hang Backyard Lights
String or strand outdoor lighting will add after-dark pizzazz to your outdoor living space or backyard without breaking the bank.
This is a Done-In-A-weekend Project. Time needed: 2 days
Follow the steps below to ensure your backyard string lighting project is a success.
- Research the style of backyard lights you want to use.
- Sketch an outline or design of how you want the lights to look.
You may want to string the lights criss-cross across or just around the perimeter of the patio. Knowing your design will help you determine how many strands of lights you need.
- Determine the install equipment you may need
You may need extra equipment such as an extension cord or hardware to hang the lights. Make sure that all hardware is weatherproof and can be used outdoors.
- Measure the area.
You’ll want to measure where you’ll hang your lights (be sure to leave room for slack and to reach the outlet).
- Determine where to make light strand connections
When you begin hanging outdoor string lights, make sure string connections are in a discrete location.
- Install light hooks
- Hang outdoor string lights
To avoid breakage, be sure to remove all of the bulbs from the light strings before hanging them. Once the strings are hung, install one bulb in each strand and test it to make sure it works. Then add the remaining bulbs.
- Reveal your space
Now it’s time to light up your backyard living space and kick back and enjoy!
Where to Hang Outdoor String Lights
If you’re stumped on just where to hang your outdoor string lights, but you don’t have to be! There are plenty of places in your backyard space, and plenty of ways to make them, too. You just have to get a little creative. You can hang them from fence posts, on trees, off porch railings, or, lastly, you can purchase light stakes that do the hard work for you.
