When hanging Novelty Lights outdoor string lights, there is more to it than throwing them up and over trees, lights, and other fixtures. If you want to get the full look and feel of string lights, you have to plan just how they will hang over your yard, porch, or another area. By using guide wire, you properly secure
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your string lights for long-lasting use. Let’s look at how to use guide wire to hang outdoor string lights. Using Guide Wire to Hang Outdoor String LightsIn order to use guide wire to hang outdoor string lights, you’ll need to invest in some support wire, screw hooks, eye bolts, cable seals, or snap hooks. We generally recommend “aircraft wire” to be used as your support cable. A typical wire thickness you would use for your aircraft wire would be 1/16”. You’ll be able to find these items at your local home improvement store and depending on your application you may need all these items or only some. |
In preperation for installation.Before you begin, your outdoor string lights will have instructions for how many strands of lights you can connect to one another. Make sure you follow these instructions for safety reasons. If your string lights do not come with premade eye lid holes specifically made for support wire then you will need to use cable ties or zip ties to secure the lights to the support wire. |
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You’ll use the screw hooks or eye bolts along with snap hooks to create anchor points for your support wire. Every application is different but some examples of anchor points are porch roofs, pergola support beams, trees, light posts, and other stationary objects can be great anchor points for hanging outdoor string lights. You can even install poles in your yard and feel free to get creative about hiding them in shrubbery to mask them to hang your string lights.
| In order to install the guide wire, you will make a loop with the support cable and use a cable seal to secure the loop. Next, you will attach the secured loop to a snap hook. From there, you will take your snap hook and attach it to your mounted screw hook or eye bolt. You will then continue to secure the guide wire to various pre-mounted anchor points throughout the area to get the desired look and feel. You’ll then move from anchor point to anchor point throughout the area to hang your outdoor string lights. | Example Hook |
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Example Support Cable |  |
Example Eye Bolt |  |
Example Cable Seal
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