How to Hang Christmas Lights in a Bedroom

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 23, 2022 References

Christmas lights can bring a festive warmth to an otherwise average bedroom. If you’re thinking of hanging lights in your room, there are many ways that you can achieve an attractive result.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hanging Lights from Your Ceiling

1
Use battery-powered lights for simplicity and ease. Opt for battery lights over electrical lights to make things easier on yourself. Figuring out how to hang up your lights can be tough when you have to worry about whether or not the correct end of the strand will reach an outlet. Try using battery-powered lights in your bedroom to make both hanging your lights and turning them on and off a bit easier.^{[1]
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- When picking out battery lights, opt for ones with replaceable batteries and purchase long-lasting batteries for them. This should make your lights last longer.
2
Untangle the lights and test them before starting. Take your Christmas lights out of the box they came in and untangle them if necessary. If they’re electrical, plug your lights into an outlet to make sure that they aren’t broken. If they’re battery-powered, flip the switch on your lights to see if they’re damaged at all. Replace any broken bulbs and throw away any frayed wires before proceeding.

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3
Plan out how you’ll hang your lights to make sure they’re long enough. With pencil and paper, sketch out how you’d like the lights to be arranged. Use measuring tape to determine how long the light strand is and how far one wall is from the other. This will ensure that the lights will be long enough to mimic your sketch and also reach the outlet, if the lights are electrical.
- Remember that you’ll need to secure your lights where the ceiling intersects with the walls.
- Think about whether you want to outline the perimeter of your room with the lights, or string them across the room in a zigzag pattern from one wall to another.^{[2]
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- If you don’t like the way it looks to have the end of the light strand going straight up from the outlet, try hiding it behind a coat rack or arranging it artistically on the wall.
4
Use tape or tacks to secure the lights to the wall. Get a roll of transparent tape or a box of tacks and step up onto a stepstool or small stepladder. Secure one end of the light strand to an intersection point on one of your bedroom walls by placing a piece of tape over the wires or pushing a tack into the wall in between the wires. Continue to secure the strand at different points further down until you’ve secured the entire strand.
- If you’re doing the perimeter style, secure a part of the light strand with tape or a tack and move 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) across the wall with the strand. Then, secure the strand again at that point.
- If you’re doing the zigzag pattern, tape or tack the light strand to one wall and move to the other side of the room with the strand. Then, secure the strand to that wall.
- If you’re using tacks, don’t push through the wires with the tacks. This may cause damage to the wiring, and as a result, break the electrical circuit and ruin the lights.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Faux Headboard

1
Purchase and test 2 boxes of 300 Christmas lights. Take the lights out of their packaging and untangle them if you need to. Then, plug them into an electrical outlet if they’re electrical lights and flip the switch to turn them on if they’re battery-powered. Replace and/or repair any issues before moving forward.
- Either electrical or battery-powered lights will work for this project. However, battery-powered lights may be easier to work with because you don’t have to worry about plugging them in.
2
Buy sheer curtains and a curtain rod. Pick out a set of white sheer curtains that you like and purchase them. Then, pick out a curtain rod that’s width is as close as possible to the width of your bed.^{[3]
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- Twin size beds are 38 inches (97 cm) wide.
- Full size beds are 53 inches (130 cm) wide.
- Queen size beds are 60 inches (150 cm) wide.
- King size beds are 76 inches (190 cm) wide.^{[4]
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3
Measure and mark where you’ll hang your curtain rod. With measuring tape, measure 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) below the ceiling above where your bed is located and mark the wall lightly with a pencil. To make sure it’s centered over your bed, subtract the width of your bed from the length of the curtain rod, or vice versa. Then, divide the difference by 2. This is how much space you should have on either side between where the curtain rod ends and the edge of the bed is. Mark these 2 spots with your pencil.
- For example, if you’re bed is 38 inches (97 cm) wide and your curtain rod is 50 inches (130 cm) wide, then your should have 6 inches (15 cm) between the end of the curtain rod and the edge of your bed on either side.
4
Hang the curtain rod. Install your curtain rod just as you would install it above a window. Drill starter pilot holes with a drill while holding the bracket up to the 2 marks that indicate where the ends of your curtain rod should be. Then, screw the screws into the holes with a screwdriver.^{[5]
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- For best results, use a level to make sure the curtain rod is straight.
- If you can’t make holes in your wall, try installing 2 Command hooks that have a heavy weight capacity that are large enough to hold the curtain rod.
5
Put 16-20 damage-free hanging Command hooks under the curtain rod. Once the curtain rod is secure, evenly space the Command hooks across the wall. To do this correctly, read the directions on the packaging. You’ll likely need to press the back of the adhesive against the wall, peel off the the piece of paper on the front, and then push the hook against the front of the adhesive.^{[6]
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6
Drape the lights up and around each Command hook. If your lights are electrical, plug them in to ensure they’ll be long enough, feed the strand up to the the first hook, and hook it on. If your lights are battery-powered, simply hook 1 end of the strand onto the first hook. Then, drape the strand down the wall. Once you’ve nearly reached the floor, feed the strand up towards the next hook and repeat.^{[7]
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- Continue doing this until you’ve strung the lights up around each hook.
- If you have battery-powered lights, don’t worry about flipping the switch to turn them on before you start hanging them. This is only necessary for electrical lights.
7
Hang up your curtains. The sheer curtain will appear to slightly blur the lights and help your faux headboard to appear solid. Remove the curtain rod and push it through the hole that’s across the top of your sheer curtains. Hang the curtain rod back up and adjust the curtains so that they’re evenly spaced.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Hanging Photos on Your Christmas Lights

1
Purchase, untangle, and test a strand of Christmas lights. After you’ve bought a box of lights, take them out and unravel them. Plug them into an outlet if they’re electrical and flip the switch to turn them on if they’re battery-powered. Check all of the bulbs to make sure they’re working. Fix any that aren’t, or get a new strand of lights.
- 1 100-light strand should be enough for this project.
2
Hang 2 columns of Command hooks on your wall close to either edge. Since you’ll be making a zigzag pattern on your wall with the Christmas lights, you’ll need to install damage-free hanging Command hooks that are spread out and staggered in height. Read the instructions and install the hooks as directed.^{[9]
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- You should be able to install the hooks by pressing the back of the adhesive against the wall, pulling off the paper on the front of the adhesive, and pressing the back of the hook to it.
- If you have an especially long light strand, create more distance between the 2 columns of hooks. If you have a shorter strand, create less distance between the 2 columns.
3
Drape your lights from hook to hook. If your lights are electrical, plug them in and bring them up towards the highest hook you installed. Otherwise, simply hold 1 end of a strand of battery-powered lights at this hook. Feed the strand through the hook and pull it carefully towards the highest hook on the other side of the wall. Hook the strand on this hook and then pull the strand back to the other side. Continue doing this until you’ve made a zigzag through all of the hooks.^{[10]
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4
Use clothespins to secure your favorite photos to the light strand. Pick out some of your favorite photos and hang them just below the light strand by securing them to it with a small clothespin. You can also hang up other items, such as concert tickets or drawings, to add a personal touch.^{[11]
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- If you opt to hang other things, stick with small, thin items that are made of paper. Otherwise, the lights may fall down and/or break as a result of having to hold up the heavy weight.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you stick Christmas lights to a wall?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If you don’t want to use nails, try attaching the lights to adhesive hooks or clips. You might also be able to get them to stay up with a few pieces of transparent tape spread out along the string. Picture hooks, nails, or heavy-duty staples will also work if you don’t mind making holes in the wall. If you use staples, make sure the prongs of the staple go around the cord and not through it!
Question

How do you hang the lights without damaging the wall?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Adhesive light clips are a relatively non-damaging option. If you’ve recently painted your walls, make sure the paint has had time to fully cure first (typically this takes about 7 days). Adhesives can also damage wall paper, so this might not be the best option if your room has papered walls.
Question

What do you do with old Christmas lights?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

In many areas, you can recycle Christmas lights. Check with your local municipal waste office, or send your old lights to a company that reclaims old holiday lights, such as Holiday LEDs or Christmas Light Source.

Warnings

If you aren’t comfortable with handling power tools, ask someone to help you hang up the curtain rod.

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Electrical Christmas lights can cause fires when they malfunction. Always be sure to unplug your lights before you go to sleep and before you leave your home.

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