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How to hang fairy lights without drilling
Categories :
Decor
, Exterior
, Interior
, New features
Renting, or simply not keen to get the drill out? Fairy lights hang perfectly well without making a hole. It all depends on the surface: on a smooth wall, our clear adhesive hooks are all you need; outdoors, you tie on to what is already there.
Here you'll find the right fixing for each surface, how many hooks to allow for and the mistakes to avoid. Guirled has designed its lights in France since 2016 and has over 100,000 customers.
Which no-drill fixing suits which surface?
It all comes down to what is behind the lights. Find your surface in the first column: the fixing that holds is right next to it.
| Your surface | The no-drill fixing | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth wall (paint, tiles) | Clear adhesive hooks | One hook every 30 cm. They come off without leaving any residue. |
| Wallpaper, brick, old wood | Rest the lights on a shelf, a piece of furniture or a ledge | Adhesive does not hold on a rough surface. |
| Ceiling | Adhesive hooks on a smooth, painted ceiling, or a drape between two high points | A beam, a curtain pole, the top of a wardrobe: there is no shortage of high points. |
| Window, mirror | Adhesive hooks on the frame | A smooth frame in metal or painted wood works well. |
| Headboard, house bed, banister | Wind the cable around the uprights | Nothing to stick. In a child's room, keep the cable out of reach. |
| Christmas tree | Nothing to fix: the wire runs through the branches | Step by step in our guide to Christmas tree lights. |
| Rendered outside wall | Tie on to what is already fixed: shutters, grille, trellis | The adhesive hooks are made for indoors and for smooth surfaces. |
| Pergola, gazebo, balcony | Cable ties on the beams or the railing | Festoon or solar ball lights: the panel stakes into the ground or a planter. |
| Gutter, roof edge | Clip-on gutter hooks | They grip the edge, with no screws. |
Looking for styling ideas instead? They are in our 20 ideas for putting up string lights.
How many adhesive hooks do you need?
The rule fits on one line: one hook every 30 cm. Measure the route your lights will take and divide by 30.
20clear hooks per set, with their adhesive strips
30 cmbetween two hooks, so the cable sits neatly
6hooks or so for the 1.6 m of balls on a 16-ball set
11hooks or so for the 3.2 m of balls on a 32-ball set
One set is therefore enough for a 32-ball set of lights, cable included (4.8 m in total). These hooks go with our indoor fairy lights, cotton ball and Mini LED alike.
How do you put up adhesive hooks in 4 steps?
Five minutes will do, with no tools. Care matters more than force.
1
Check the surface
Painted wall, tiles, metal or smooth wood: the adhesive holds well. Not on wallpaper, brick or old wood.
2
Plan the route
Mark a point every 30 cm. A gentle wave looks nicer than a dead straight line.
Start from the socket side.
3
Stick and press
Dust the wall, apply the adhesive strip, then press the hook on firmly. No nails, no screws, no tools.
4
Hook the cable on
Slip the cable into each hook, between two balls, then plug in. Take three steps back and adjust the curve.
To take them down, peel off gently: the hooks leave no residue.
Wall, ceiling, window, headboard: what works indoors?
When the wall is not suited to adhesive, make use of what the room already offers.
On a rough or papered wall
Wallpaper, brick, stone: do not stick anything. Rest the lights on a shelf, the top of a piece of furniture or a ledge.
A 2 m USB extension cable helps you reach the socket.
On the ceiling
On a smooth, painted ceiling, adhesive hooks work just as they do on a wall. Otherwise, drape the lights from a beam to a curtain pole or the top of a wardrobe.
Around a window or mirror
Stick the hooks to the frame rather than the wall: a smooth frame in metal or painted wood takes the adhesive very well.
The curtain pole is a ready-made support too.
On a headboard
Simply wind the cable around the uprights, or rest the lights along the top. No fixing needed.
On a house bed, wind them along the frame.
Render, pergola, balcony, gutter: what works outdoors?
Outdoors, you tie on to what is already there. And with solar fairy lights, there is no cable to run to a socket.
On a rendered wall
Render is too rough for an adhesive hook. Go via what is already fixed to the wall: shutters, window grille, trellis, downpipe.
One cable tie at each fixing point.
Under a pergola
Run the cable along the beams and secure it with cable ties. Our festoon lights have a small hook above each bulb, made for exactly this.
More set-ups in our 10 ideas for hanging festoon lights.
On a balcony
Fix the lights to the railing with cable ties, then stake the solar panel in a planter, on the sunniest side.
Along a gutter
Gutter hooks clip on to the edge, with no screws and no glue. You can find them in DIY shops.
And the solar panel?
It does not need a wall: the panel on our solar ball lights and our festoon lights stakes into the ground on its spike. Face it due south.
Between two distant points
To span a wide gap, put up a cable first: our festoon fixing kit includes 15 m of sheathed steel cable and its tensioners. The lights hook on all the way along.
Worth knowing: into a wall, this cable is fixed with wall plugs (not supplied), so that does mean drilling.
What mistakes should you avoid when you are not drilling?
- Sticking to a rough surface: wallpaper, brick, old wood or render will not hold the adhesive.
- Hanging outdoor lights by their two ends only: they sag under their own weight and catch the wind. Allow at least 3 fixing points for 16 solar balls or 16 festoon bulbs, and 6 for 32.
- Tying them to a branch that moves: in the wind, the cable can break.
- Taking indoor lights outside: outdoors, you need waterproof outdoor fairy lights, and cable ties rather than adhesive.
Hanging fairy lights without drilling: your questions
How do you hang fairy lights on a wall without making holes?
With clear adhesive hooks, if the wall is smooth: paint, tiles, metal or wood. Allow one hook every 30 cm. A set of 20 is enough for a 32-ball set of lights, cable included.
How do you hang fairy lights on a rendered wall?
Render is too rough for an adhesive hook. Tie the lights to what is already fixed to the wall, such as shutters, a window grille or a trellis, using cable ties.
How do you hang fairy lights from the ceiling without drilling?
If the ceiling is smooth and painted, adhesive hooks will do, one every 30 cm. Otherwise, create a drape between two high points: a beam, a curtain pole, the top of a wardrobe.
How do you put up outdoor string lights without drilling?
Choose solar ball lights or festoon lights: their panel stakes into the ground on its spike. Then tie the lights to a railing, a pergola or a fence with cable ties, using plenty of fixing points.
How do you hang lights on a pergola, a balcony or a gutter?
On a pergola or a balcony, secure the cable to the beams or the railing with cable ties. On a gutter, gutter hooks clip on to the edge.
Do adhesive hooks leave marks?
No. They come off cleanly, with no residue and without damaging the surface: handy when you are renting.
Everything to hang, nothing to drill
Adhesive hooks for indoors, cable ties and a fixing kit for outdoors: accessories are dispatched the same day on orders placed before 3 pm, Monday to Friday.