How to Hang Christmas Lights on a Wall

Christmas lights add a festive cheer to your home during the holiday season. But you aren't limited to using them only on your tree – you can also hang them on inside or outside walls as decorations. Deciding how to hang Christmas lights on the wall without damaging the wall takes a bit of planning, but with the right tools, you can easily brighten your home for the holidays.

Before getting started with hanging your Christmas lights on the wall, make sure you have planned the design and have the supplies that you need. First, make sure that the lights you select are suitable for the wall you are decorating. Don't use lights outdoors that were designed for indoor use.

There are many options for decorating your wall with Christmas lights. You can simply hang lights at the top of the wall around the room or use them to outline windows. Or you can drape them on the wall to highlight pictures or a mirror. Whatever you decide, make sure you have enough light strings to complete the design.

There are several options to consider when attaching Christmas lights to the wall. Clear packing tape can work for walls with a smooth surface. However, if you have larger, heavier lights, the tape may not be strong enough to hold the strands. In addition, the edges of the tape can peel over time, which can take away from the beauty of your decorations.

You can also install hooks on the wall and hang the lights from the hooks. You can screw in hooks, or use removable adhesives such as Command Strips that won't leave holes in your wall when you take down your decorations. If you can put holes in your wall, you can use thumbtacks to secure the wire to the wall, but make sure you don't puncture the wire if you use this option.

In general, you should avoid using a staple gun as the staples can wear down and fray the wires. However, stapling the lights is a more secure way to hang them. To protect the wires, wrap a twist tie around the light and then staple the twist tie to the wall.

If you want to hang lights on another type of wall, such as brick or stucco, you have a couple of options. You can purchase an outdoor mounting tape or adhesive clips designed for use on brick. These are effective for hanging lights, but it may be challenging to fully remove the adhesive when you take down the lights.

You can also install hooks on the brick or stucco that will stay in place year-round. This makes decorating each year easier, but you will need to decide whether they will be in the way or look unattractive when the lights aren't up.

A hot glue gun is often the best option for hanging lights on a brick wall. You will simply dab the hot glue on the wall and base of the light and hold it in place for about 30 seconds until the glue hardens. When you are ready to take down the lights, the glue should peel off easily.