How to Hang Christmas Lights on Brick Walls (the best way)

It’s that time of year again, and who doesn’t love to decorate for Christmas? But if you’re in a brick house you may be thinking you’re stuck. I too have wondered how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls.

To hang Christmas lights on brick walls, use Gorilla Glue or a hot glue gun to stick to brick temporarily. But Brick Clips, which cling to 1 individual brick and have clips to hold Christmas light strands, are the best method to hang Christmas lights on brick walls.

Brick clips go on quickly and easily, but can also be moved quickly and easily.

In this post, we’ll walk you through all the different options. We’ll explore how to temporarily stick outdoor lights (and indoor too) to brick and even how to hang rope lights on concrete.

Specifically, though, well look at how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls the easy way so you can embrace your inner Clark Griswold.

What adhesive will stick to brick?

Gorilla Glue (click to check the current price on Amazon) is a great way to stick things to brick temporarily.

Gorilla Glue is 100% waterproof and easily bonds wood, stone, metal, ceramic, foam, brick, glass, concrete and much more! Make sure to get the clear in case a little bit of it remains visible as the white will stand out too much.

4.5 stars, hundreds of reviews, and being an Amazon’s Choice product confirm this is a great product.

So if you have some type of decoration that you want to hang on a brick wall to go along with your Christmas lights gluing is a great way to stick to the brick through the holiday season and then take it down in January.

Clean the bricks with a rag, brush or broom (to get all dirt and debris off the surface of the bricks)
Wet a sponge and wipe across the surface of the brick
Spread a thin layer of glue on the wet part of the brick (more is less in this case)
Press and hold the item to stick to the brick. Ideally, use a clamp or other tool to hold the item in place for 1 hour

But holiday lights hanging on brick, stucco, or concrete aren’t only for your home. Christmas party venues all decorate in the same way and know the importance of being able to remove them later without damaging the brick.

Using a hot glue gun to attach Christmas lights to brick

If the above steps with Gorilla Glue sound like too much work or if you don’t have a good way to clamp the item to a brick, there are a few other things that will stick to brick.

A hot glue gun is an effective way and easy solution for attaching lighter-weight items to brick (and also concrete and stone). Just clean the brick first as I outlined in the above passage.

The top-selling hot glue gun on Amazon Prime is Cobiz Full-Size Hot Glue Gun (click to check the current price on Amazon) .

It’s a high-temp, heavy-duty gun that comes with 10 sticks.

Almost all 5 stars and well over 300 reviews let you know that this too is a great product for learning how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls and so much more.

Don’t forget the extra glue sticks (on Amazon) from, you guessed it, Gorilla Glue! Of course, you can also get patio string lights and just hang between trees. Many brands these days offer color choices too!

Do note, for using a glue gun, larger bulbs work better (as long as they aren’t too heavy). And things like icicle lights don’t work well, so choose one of the other methods to hang icicle lights.

Heavy-duty extension cords also won’t work well if you try and hang it with hot glue as it needs extra support; especially if it’s a long extension cord.

Outdoor mounting tape to hold Christmas lights on brick

Aside from hot glue and Gorilla glue, Velcro makes Temporary Outdoor Mounting Tape (click to see the current price on Amazon) that is designed to hold up to 15 lbs. It’s also available for under on Amazon Prime.

But Scotch also makes Extreme Outdoor Mounting Tape (click to see the current price on Amazon). Their permanent tape can still be removed but could cause damage to painted surfaces.

But for hanging Christmas lights on brick walls during this festive season, it works GREAT! Just know you might have to do a little touch-up painting if your bricks are painted.

4+ stars on these tapes also give you the comfort of knowing they work great!

Using anchor plugs in bricks to hold Christmas lights

To use anchor plugs in bricks for holding Christmas lights, follow these step-by-step instructions. First, gather the necessary materials: masonry anchors, a drill with a masonry bit, and your Christmas lights.

Determine the placement: Decide where you want to hang your lights on the brick exterior surface. Mark the spots where you’ll drill holes for the anchor plugs.
Drill holes: Using a drill with a masonry bit, carefully drill small holes into the marked spots on the brick. Make sure to use the appropriate drill bit size that matches the diameter of the anchor plugs you’re using.
Insert anchor plugs: Take the anchor plugs and insert them into the drilled holes. Apply firm but gentle pressure to ensure they are snugly fit into the brick.
Attach the lights: With the anchor plugs securely in place, you can now attach your Christmas lights. Use the clips or hooks provided with the lights to hang them onto the anchor plugs. Screw hooks can also be screwed into the anchors to hang the light strand.

It’s important to note a few limitations and suggestions when using anchor plugs in bricks for Christmas lights:

Choose the right anchor plugs: Make sure to select anchor plugs designed specifically for brick surfaces. They should be able to withstand outdoor conditions and provide a secure hold.
Avoid excessive weight: The type of lights matters greatly! Anchor plugs are best suited for lightweight or medium-weight Christmas lights. If you’re planning to hang heavy or bulky decorations, consider alternative methods or consult a professional.
Carefully remove the plugs: When the holiday season is over, gently remove the anchor plugs from the bricks. Use caution to prevent damage to the brick surface. If you want to leave the anchors, that’s probably OK, but avoid leaving the lights themselves as that will definitely cause the plugs and holes to erode over time.
Consider the aesthetics: While anchor plugs offer a practical solution, keep in mind the appearance of the plugs during the day when the lights are not illuminated. Opt for plugs that blend well with the brick color to maintain a visually pleasing display.

By following these steps and taking the necessary precautions, you can safely and effectively use anchor plugs in bricks to hold your outdoor Christmas lights, creating a festive and enchanting atmosphere during the holiday season. And the best part is you can reuse those holes next year.

CLICK HERE to see my favorite red-colored masonry anchors on Amazon.

Do Command strips stick to brick?

No is the short answer.

Command strips, which are basically adhesive hooks, are intended for smooth surfaces such as “Painted, stained or varnished wood, glass, tile, painted cinder block, plaster, metal & painted wallboard.”

Even the Command Outdoor strips are only designed for “smooth, sealed & finished surfaces including vinyl siding and fences, doors, windows, decks, gutters, and trim.”

Because the surface of bricks, even if painted, is still pretty rough and coarse, Command strips, just don’t stick very well for hanging outdoor lighting.

Does duct tape stick to brick?

I’m not sure why you would want to use duct tape to hang Christmas lights. After all, Christmas lights are decorative and duct tape, well, isn’t.

“Normal” duct tape sticks well to smooth surfaces. But when regular duct tape gets stuck to a rougher texture like brick, it doesn’t work as well.

But there are some newer brands of duct tape that stick really well to all surfaces including:

Stucco
Concrete
Brick
Rough wooden fences and lumber

My top choice for high-adhesion duct tape would be Gorilla Tape.

But for hanging Christmas lights on brick, since Gorilla doesn’t make their tape in red, I would go with WOD Advanced Strength Industrial Grade Duct Tape (click to see on Amazon).

It’s waterproof, UV resistant so it won’t fade much, and in addition to red, it also comes in 17 other colors, so there’s bound to be one to match whatever you’re trying to hang Christmas lights to.

Free Prime shipping too!

How do you hang string lights on concrete?

Concrete is a different animal from brick in that it’s (usually) totally smooth.

The bricks stick out typically, making it easy to attach hooks to. So to attach rope lights to concrete while you could use the Scotch Outdoor Mounting Tape, a better, more long-term solution will be to drill holes in the concrete and use screw-on clamps.

First, hold the rope against the concrete where you want it to go.

Most rope lights naturally have places where you can cut it to length without damaging the wires, so cut-to-length if needed. Depending on how much sag you’re willing to tolerate, you’ll want to use the screw clamps every 12 inches or up to 24 inches.

What drill bit do you use for drilling into a concrete wall? You use a… https://t.co/yLehO5qviv pic.twitter.com/5qe0FkRewc

— HomeAdvisor (@HomeAdvisor) December 4, 2015

How to drill into concrete to hang Christmas lights

Decide and mark the concrete with a pencil where the clamps will go. Drill (using a masonry drill bit (click to see a great set on Amazon) since they are designed for brick and concrete) on your marks going as deep as your screws.

In most cases, a 3/16″ bit is perfect for the relatively light-weight duty of hanging rope lights on concrete.

Drill slowly and steadily so as to not cause too much excess concrete to break away. Also, make sure to drill at least as deep as the length of the screw. Unlike screwing into wood, you can’t (easily) keep screwing the screw into undrilled concrete.

Once done, use a vacuum to remove all the excess dust from the holes as that can cause the screw’s holding power to be reduced.

Due to the nature of concrete and how screws thread, a plastic wall anchor is a great way to ensure the perfect fit for your screw.

Confast Tools makes a great 100 piece set of screws (click to check out on Amazon), anchors and is self-tapping meaning no other anchor is needed. It’s well under $30 and has almost 5 stars on Amazon Prime with thousands of reviews.

Then just use the rope light mounting clips (click to see on Amazon) of your choice, such as these made by Lokman. They are an Amazon’s Choice product, 4.5 stars on Amazon Prime and are well under $10 for a set of 50.

You won’t use the screws that come with them (for hanging rope lights on concrete) so just save them for future use.

But now, let’s review the . . .

Best method of how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls

Brick clips are the best way and the easiest way to hang a string of Christmas lights on brick walls.

Brick clips press easily into place, can be easily moved/removed, and can be used over and over again year after year.

They not only work great for Christmas lights but also stockings over a brick fireplace or any kind of year-round decorations as well.

A set of 4 on Amazon Prime is under $15 and also an Amazon’s Choice product with hundreds of 4 and 5-star reviews.

Buy several sets of these Holiday Joy Brick Clip sets (click to check the current price on Amazon) for all your Christmas light needs.

Check out this quick video to see just how easy brick clips are in to install.

Final thoughts

In this post, we dispelled the myth that people in brick houses can’t hang Christmas lights easily or without damaging the bricks.

We looked at several solutions that go up quickly and easily with no drilling required. But we also covered how to hang rope lights on concrete which has its own challenges.

Specifically, though, we looked at the best tips on how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls. That way you can decorate to your heart’s content this holiday season.

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Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell is a father, martial artist, budget-master, Disney-addict, musician, and recovering foodie having spent over 2 decades as a leader for Whole Foods Market. Click Here to learn more about me. Click Here to learn more about my site. Editorial Policies.