One décor trend that I’ve been pretty hooked on for a
while is string lights! I love how soft and romantic they look lit up, and how
they can either fill up a whole wall as the focus of interest or act as a
detail to frame other art and décor. I had a strand hung in my bedroom
throughout high school, and now, here in my new college home, I have been going
a little crazy using them to accent décor everywhere. That also means that I’ve
had a good deal of practice hanging them, and I gotta tell you, it’s way easier
than you probably think!
I thought it might be handy to share a few of my tips and
methods for hanging these babies. Because let’s face it, twinkling lights
obviously make the season more magical.
Safety First, Babe
Sorry that I gotta mom you right off the bat, but before
you make a purchase make sure that if your lights will be hung outdoors, you
buy them for outdoors. Also, if you’re your lights will be near anything
flammable, or resting on a wall while lit for long periods of time unattended,
go for LED. No matter how pretty your new string lights are, if they start a
fire or short circuit your power, you won’t be enjoying them much.
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| DIY Lighted Floral Garland here |
Get the Right Lights for the Space
Also consider the colors you’re going for, and whether
white or green wire will better fade into the background, assuming you prefer
that look. Look at your space and see if you want a small accent or a big
statement. The color of the light—warm white, slightly-blue LED, or even
colored bulbs--can totally change to the look of a space.
And in case all that freaked you out, a warm white LED on
white wire is neutral enough for just about anywhere. But oh my goodness,
fairy lights are so darling too! (Just a little pricier… yay college.)
Map It Out
Having a good idea of what you want your lights to look
like when hung up is a great place to start with design. For a full wall, first
decide if you want scallops, a big swag, or a straight upper border, etc, and
how evenly-spaced you want the lights to be. For example, in my current room, I
have 2 kinds of lights—one in even scallops and the other in a big swag.
However, the same lights in my room before were in a row of scallops decreasing
in size to give a completely different effect as I worked around a cabinet hung
on the wall.
A great way to get a picture of this is to use a piece of
yarn the same length as your light strand and tape to map out the spacing and
placement of your lights, especially when using a continuous strand of small
lights. When working with large bulbs, you can also be a nerd do this
mathematically (like third grade math though) by dividing up the number of
bulbs into scallops in your head. The strand on the pink wall above has 24 bulbs,
so every sixth bulb was hung on a hook to make it even the easy way.
Work with What You Have (AKA embrace the lazy)
A while ago, my sister had loft bed, so she hung lights
underneath it in her study space by weaving the strands through the rungs on
the underside of the bed. Here in C-Stat, there were already 2 hooks attached
under the fireplace when we moved in, so we simply draped a strand of lights
over those.
Hang Em’ Right (here’s a few methods I’ve used)
Loops of String
Crown molding at my old home made it difficult to hang
lights right near the wall, so I had to improvise a little. Simply tie a loop at
each end of a very short piece of sting or fishing line. One loop will connect
to your light strand, whether hooked on or tied around it, and the other can go
over the point of a clear pushpin. Just stick the pin into the ceiling or wall,
and your lights will hang down from that. This was perfect for the particular
room it was in, and is also a safer option if you have non-LED lights that will
be left on for a really long time—less heat transfer to the wall.
Command hooks
This is the only method of used here at the new house
because it really is as simple and easy as following the directions on the
package. That said, different strengths of hooks do play a big part in how your
lights will hang (and not fall on you while you sleep. I recommend larger
hooks, like these
medium
wire hooks, at the corners of your light strands or any place that will
have a lot of weight on it. For small sections of lights and to position cords
down the wall,
decorating
clips or
mini
hooks work well. Just remember to safe rather than sorry, especially when
hanging large glass bulbs over hard floors. I also have found it’s easier to anchor
the strand with the bigger hooks in the corners, then position the middle of
the strand instead of trying to work horizontally across a wall. (I’m not
sponsored, I just know that this is what worked for me!)
Cup hooks
This is ideal for spaces that will get more wear or be
more permanent, such as anywhere outdoors. Make sure to size your hooks for the
size lights you’re going to use, and plan them out well before hanging, because
they will leave holes. Sometimes these guys are little finicky to get screwed
in, but I’ve found the screwing in regular screw of about the same size a few
turns before trying to put the cup hook makes the process a bit easier. This is
definitely the most labor intensive and permanent option for hanging, but for
outdoor spaces or discreet locations, it is the sturdiest.
Get Creative
Last but not least, have fun putting lights up in an
unconventional area, or hang them in different ways! Vary the type of strands
you use, and don’t let the seasonal trends confine you! (Kinda like clothes, am
I right?)
This has to be the season for string lights, because outdoor
summer lights
like these are bound to be on sale soon, and more basic holiday ones
are filling shelves! (I’m definitely stockpiling those at the moment.) Plus
nothing says winter wonderland to me quite like chilly weather, big sweaters,
and oodles of glowing lights!
I hope some of these tips were helpful as you add a
little lighted fantasy to your life! I’m not sure if this counts as holiday
decorating, but it’s sure reminiscent of the holidays if you ask me! How are
you sneaking in your stash of holiday décor?
Oh, and comment with any questions you may have!
Stay lovely,
