How To Hang Christmas Lights Outside Without Nails
Hanging Christmas lights can be difficult if you have to use nails to put them up.Plastic hooks and clips, hot glue, and other techniques can be used to make your home look festive for the season.Hanging lights without nails is less expensive and easier in the long run.
Step 1: Hang lights along your gutter with gutter hooks.
Purchase S-shaped gutter hooks at the home improvement store, and hang them up by pressing the top part of the S into the gutter with the rest resting on the front.When you are ready to hang the lights, use the bottom part of the S as a hook and string the wires into each hook.The bendable plastic makes gutter hooks easy to put up.They can sometimes slide along the gutter since they aren't fastened in one place.
Step 2: You can position the lights on the roof with shingle tabs.
There is a small hole on the top of the tabs, which are L-shaped.The side with the whole sticking up into the air should be left under a shingle.To hold the lights in place, slide a bulb into the hole.The size of the hole on the tab will usually be large enough to accommodate either C7 or C9 bulbs, which are the 2 most common types of Christmas lights.
Step 3: If you have siding or other smooth surfaces, use hooks or clips.
Pull the protective paper off of the back and hold the sticky side on the surface to position the plastic clips.Attach the base of one of the bulbs to the clip.The clips won't work on textured surfaces.The lights may fall off if they are too heavy.
Step 4: There is space between each hook and clip.
You should have 1 hook or clip for every 1-2 bulbs because they are a few inches apart.It will make your light display look cleaner and prevent you from using more clips than necessary.A more inviting display can be created by spacing your bulbs farther apart.
Step 5: The male end of the strand is near the power outlet.
You should start stringing the lights from the outlet on the outside of the house.If you don't want to plug the lights directly into the outlet, use an outdoor extension cord.Before you string the lights along the roof, make sure to plug the strand of lights into the extension cord.When you are done hanging the lights, you can plug in the extension cord and look at your work.
Step 6: Plug in a hot glue gun.
Pick a glue gun that is safe for outdoor use, and hang the lights with it.Plug the glue gun into the extension cord if you want to walk around with it.The glue should heat up in the gun after 10 minutes.While the glue gun is heating up, be careful.If glue gets on your skin, it can cause burns.Hot glue is not safe for stucco.If you don't know if you have styrofoam under your stucco, tap lightly on it to see if there is a hollow sound.
Step 7: The bulbs should be removed from the strand.
When there are no bulbs in the strand, it is easier to use the glue gun to hang the wiring.You can find a bunch of bulbless lights at the home improvement store, and then purchase bulbs in a variety of colors and shapes.Glue on the bulbs can cause the lights to look dim if you leave them in.
Step 8: There is a bead of glue on the side of the sockets.
The clip for releasing the bulb is on the side of the sockets.If you want to attack the brick, concrete, or stucco walls, you have to twist the sockets to the opposite side.Before moving onto the next sockets, you need to apply the glue on the wall.The glue should be dry before you attach it to the wall.
Step 9: Hold the light sockets on the surface for 10 seconds.
Press the side of the sockets that you want the light to be on onto the wall.The bulb should be in the right position for your display if the sockets are facing up or down.Your personal preference will affect the orientation of the sockets.Some people prefer to have all of the bulbs facing in the same direction.The glue isn't dry if you let go of the sockets and they start to slide down the wall.Wait until the glue is firm before putting it in place.
Step 10: You need to glue the sockets in place before you screw in the bulbs.
You should add the bulbs after you have all of the sockets positioned.As you put them into the sockets, be careful not to scratch the wall.Some mini-lights will snap into place in the sockets, while others will screw in like a regular light bulb.To avoid having too many bulbs of the same color next to each other, you may want to organize multi-colored bulbs in a color pattern.
Step 11: You can easily cover smaller bushes with net lights.
Quick decorations can be accomplished with net lights.Plug the lights into the outlet or extension cord and position the square over the shrub.Pull the corners of the netting down to the ground and put some lights in the foliage for a more natural look.It is easy to tell that someone used net lights for their bushes.Net lighting isn't the best option if you want a random design.
Step 12: To light a tree without a ladder, Wrap lights around it.
Wrap the lights around the tree trunk until you reach the first branch, which will leave 6 inches of space between the strands of lights.The lights should be wrapped back down to the bottom of the trunk.Wrap the lights tightly to hold them in place.Use hot glue on the trunk of the tree to hold up the lights if you are worried about them slipping down.
Step 13: To make a random pattern, use an "S" design over the front of the shrubs.
Plug in a strand of mini-lights on one side of the bush.Snake the lights through the foliage in a winding shape from the bottom of the shrub to the top, only covering the front.The effect of randomly dispersed lights is given by the lighting technique.If the lights are older, be sure to plug in the strands.If the bulbs go dark as you hang the lights, discard the strand and buy a replacement strand.
Step 14: There are lights on the side of your driveway.
If you want to put small lights on your driveway or walkway, lay them along the ground.If you are worried about them moving, use hot glue to hold them in place, and use extension cords to make sure you don't run out of lights.During the holidays, be careful as you walk along the walkways.This can cause the entire strand to go dark if you step on one of the bulbs.