The backyard is basically the biggest reason we bought our house.
The amazing view of the lake makes waking up each morning and walking outside a dream.
Add to that evenings sitting outside on the screened porch with a cold beverage, we’re really enjoying our choice.
We eat as many of our meals on the porch as we can, but the dinky wall light that was there makes it difficult to see much detail once it starts getting dark.
We’ve had a bunch of people over for dinner or parties since we moved in and after dark it’s hard to see.
So we picked up a big box of outdoor string lights from Costco for $40 to hang above our porch.
Check out all of our favorite ways to upgrade your backyard on a budget!
how to hang string lights on covered patio
I tried using Command Hooks to hang them first, but the hooks didn’t take too well to the siding on the house, so I ended up screwing in little white hooks zig-zagged across the span of the porch and looped the lights in there.
Here’s the best hardware to use to hang string lights- safety cup hooks!
Once we screwed in all the bulbs we plugged them in to see how they looked!
The lights look awesome! They are beautiful and really light up the porch tremendously.
From out in the yard, they provide light to the patio as well and their nice design its nice to see from out in the yard (or across the lake if anyone is looking over).
Here’s our guide to stringing string lights in your yard!
We’re really pleased with this simple, cheap update that makes our outdoor living even better! Now we can spend more time outside and enjoy the fall as it starts rolling in!
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Hey there, I’m Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I’ve been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
Patti
Monday 18th of January 2021
Where did you buy your lights?
Sean
Tuesday 19th of January 2021
These are cafe lights from Costo they have them every spring!
Elaine
Wednesday 16th of October 2019
How can I install hooks on a metal framed screened lanai.
Morgan
Thursday 17th of October 2019
You'd have to use a drill to pre-drill a hole for the hook, or you could use Command Hooks!
Sally
Saturday 8th of June 2019
Can you show what hooks you used? I'm having the same problem and don't know what hooks to use
Morgan
Saturday 8th of June 2019
They are called "ceiling hooks" https://amzn.to/2XuIQgE Hope that works for you :)
Mark
Friday 7th of June 2019
Hi! Looks great! Were you able to do this with one 48' ft strand of string lights? My space requires at least 60', so I'm making more zig zags to get to 96'.
Morgan
Saturday 8th of June 2019
Yes - we used one strand. Two would work, too, for a bigger space. I hope it works well for you!
Leigh
Saturday 13th of April 2019
Where are the lights plugged in? thx
Sean
Sunday 14th of April 2019
Hi Leigh! They run down the corner, we were able to tuck the cord into the siding there, You could also use white duct tape type tape to hold it in place.