How to Attach Christmas Lights to the Inside of a Window

Holiday lights in your windows

If you live in an apartment or if your house has no exterior electrical outlets, you may decide to hang Christmas lights inside the windows. There are a few ways to decorate with lights that will protect your windows and window frames while ensuring the lights stay up throughout the holidays. Depending on the size, shape and frame of the window, you could use tape, tack, curtain rods, small nails or hooks, or staples to brighten up your home for the Christmas season.

Things You'll Need

• Strands of holiday lights
• Roll of double-stick, mounting or duct tape
• Package of sticky tack
• Package of suction hooks
• Small screw-in hooks or nails
• Staple gun
• Curtain rod
• Power strip

Instructions

1. Select tape for easy installation and removal. Since regular scotch tape can come loose due to condensation or cold, buy special mounting tape or double-stick tape in home and office supply stores or hardware stores. Use duct tape if you can camouflage the tape with lights or a garland. Clean the window first to provide the best sticking surface for the tape, and use small, light strands to avoid having them pull away from the window or frame.

2. Use sticky tack, a kind of non-staining putty, directly on the window glass or frame. Push the wires into the tack. It will hold the wires in place and peels off after the holiday. But test in advance in an unobtrusive spot to be sure the compound will not leave a mark on your woodwork.

3. Put suction cups with hooks or clasps on a cleaned window to hold the lights. (Purchase them in holiday supply or home supply stores.) Be aware that the seal can be affected by condensation on glass, so check to be sure the suction cups are holding and that your display will remain in place.

4. Staple light strands to the window frame using a staple gun and heavy-duty staples, if you don't mind holes in the woodwork. You can also place small nails or hooks along the edge of the frame, painted to blend into the trim. Twist the wires or hang the lights on them, and leave the hooks up year-round.

5. Drape strings of lights over a curtain rod to make a "waterfall" of light in your window for the holiday. Connect the strings to each other to make one long strand for a single wall plug, or you can use a power strip to plug in multiple strings at the same outlet.

Tips & Warnings

• Never let lights touch fabric drapes, and turn off lights when you are not home to avoid fires. If there are small children in the home, block window light displays to keep little hands from pulling on the light strings and yanking the whole display down.

References

• Crafts Faq

Resources

• 101 Christmas Ideas