Christmas is the nearly wonderful time of year, and illuminating your indoors with some fairy lights is a big part of bringing that festive atmosphere dwelling house. But where and how to hang fairy lights? We've got you covered. From hooks to nails, there are plenty of options when it comes to Christmas lights, which is why we've created this handy guide to help you get them looking their best without damaging your home.

Types of fairy lights

From balls to stars and everything in-between, fairy lights come in all shapes and sizes, just they can always exist divided into two primary types – plug-in and battery operated.

Plug-in lights

plug in fairy lights

Like most lights, plug-in lights have the do good of never running out of battery – meaning you can invest in longer, larger or more ornate designs, similar our Wire Garland Lights, without worrying about running out of ability every few days. However, when you lot come up to hanging your fairy lights – bearing in mind how and where you lot do it is crucial, equally y'all'll demand to exist close enough to a plug socket or invest in a surge-protected extension lead to achieve. across the lath.

Bombardment operated lights

battery operated lights

Unlike their mains-powered counterpart, bombardment-powered fairy lights let y'all cut the cord quite literally – pregnant they're piece of cake to hang anywhere in your living room and all around the business firm, opening up all-new creative designs. The only affair to worry nigh it hiding and securing your battery packs, every bit you tin can tear the wire if you let them dangle.

How to hang your fairy lights

Once you've called the type of fairy lights yous want, it'southward time to decide how you're going to hang them.

small house lights

Nails

If you're hanging your fairy lights in a straight line or zig-zag pattern, many people choose to support them with a few sturdy nails tapped in at regular intervals – with the lights threaded between. If y'all desire them to blend in, y'all tin ever pick nails that match the colour of your fairy lights' wire too.

Thumb tacks

For those dandy on keeping the force and support that nails offer, only without making as much bear upon on your walls, thumb tacks are a dandy solution. The go-to option for many of the states, they're uncomplicated to utilize as y'all go as well – just push your pins into the wall between your strands of fairy lights equally you trace out whatever pattern you adopt. Just like nails, choosing pins with a similar coloured end to your wire is an easy way to keep them disguised.

Blu-tack

Many of us don't desire any holes or marks on our walls at all – particularly if you're taking your lights downwardly after Christmas. With that in mind, Blu Tack tin be an splendid mode to hang your fairy lights – in item if you're draping your fairy lights in a horizontal or curtain design.

Simply stick one of your lights to the wall, either from the seedling or the wire, and let the balance dangle down in a festive trail. Merely bear in heed to employ short lengths of fairy lights for this, as anything longer or heavier may autumn off the wall.

Wire suckers

Curt on wall space? Wire suckers are a handy way for making the most of your unused decoration space at Christmas, specially your windows. A simple combination of a pincher or claw and a suction loving cup, you tin can create everything from spelled-out words like 'LOVE' or a festive tree blueprint in lights just by arranging your suckers and threading your wire through them.

woven heart Christmas lights

Light clips

A simple and lightweight alternative to suckers, low-cal clips are fantabulous for hanging your fairy lights from pall rails, pendant lights and bannisters thanks to their multi-purpose split up design. Hook one half circular your décor, and the other circular your fairy lights, and so work out how far you want the trail to stretch – simple!

Adhesive hooks

Agglutinative hooks like Command™ are perfect for hanging your Christmas lights with as they don't cause whatsoever damage after removing them when the festivities are over.

Often used for hanging artwork, which means they can withstand a lot of weight – so you tin can use longer strings of fairy lights without worry. Peel off the removable backs and press against the wall where you want them to go, and then wait an hour before using them to brand sure they're properly stuck.

Where to hang your fairy lights

Fairy lights are one of the most flexible Christmas decorations around, both in design and use. After all, it'southward not just walls and windows – in that location are so many parts of your business firm that can play home to a stylish design that yous might non have considered, and they won't even need accessories to go along them in place either. Allow your imagination run wild, just we've rounded upwardly a few of the all-time to get y'all started.

Home objects

bannister Christmas lighting

Sometimes y'all don't even need a hook to hang your fairy lights – simply how? With a little inventiveness and imagination, you lot can wrap your lights effectually whatever household objects, from pieces of art to vases and even your TV set. Depending on where y'all're placing them, it'due south often simpler to use battery-powered fairy lights in these cases – every bit you can easily hide the battery pack.

Mirrors

fairy lights around mirrors

Using reflections to enhance your lights is an easy but effective play a trick on to brighten up whatsoever room this Christmas. Whether y'all've got wall-mounted or standing mirrors, curtain your fairy lights from the top corners or utilise picture hooks and Blu Tack to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere with more illumination than ever.

Mantlepieces

Christmas mantlepiece

Final but not least, in that location's one place in your habitation that doesn't demand whatsoever hooks to hang your fairy lights from. From disco balls to stars, all you need to do is choose your design and curtain it beyond your mantelpiece from one end to the other. Then switch them on, dim the master lights and relish the ambient.

And that's how to hang fairy lights! If you want to learn more about how to requite your home a festive feel, bank check out our other Christmas guides here.