New String Lights on the 'Cantina' Porch

Jim Cox
by Jim Cox
6 Materials
$58
75 Minutes
Easy

Easy up (and easy down when the time comes) for this affordable upgrade on the girlfriend's porch

The GF has this huge porch area behind her house, her dad jokingly dubbed 'The Cantina'. I bought her a CANTINA 😉 sign (above the couch) and hung it with an interior brick picture hanger, and then got an idea. The only lighting out there is the porch light next to the sliding door, and it's pretty harsh at night, so I came up with plans to improve the evening look without breaking the bank

I got two strings of lights from the AT HOME store for $24 with tax. Not sure how they'll hold up with green wire (vs black which has much better longevity), however, this area of her home is not exposed to lots of harsh sun, so perhaps we'll do ok . I went in to this project with easy service in mind. You'll be surprised with one of my tricks!

Here is a picture hanger for brick, and 7" of 1/8" dia. SOLDER. It's soft, pliable, and stays in place. I've used floral wire in the past too, but I had this handy, and with the large diameter, I knew it would be kind to the cords on the lights.

I put two in the left of this corner for strength, and put a string of lights on each one, and then connected them male-to-female. To help reduce corrosion, I wrapped the plug joint with 3M 33+ electrical tape (not the cheap stuff, but it lasts). Note how I used the solder to hold the wires in place. Simple, effective, and no tools required!

And then just to right in this same corner I added another hanger for durability - same set-up.

At the far right I looped the wire around a time or two, and taped off the plug again to help minimize corrosion.

I bought some black lamp cord on Amazon

...along with a two-wire male and female cord connector...

When you make your extension cord, it's customary to use the ribbed side of the zip/lamp cord for the neutral (Large) slot on both the male and female ends

Here you can see I attached the left end of the string lights to the female end of my homemade extension cord.

I secured the extension cord along the string lights with a few zip ties. Remember to cut them close with a box knife or a proper wire tie tool.

Above the outlet I used another hanger for a transition to hold the extension cord in place. Here the solder is holding the cord against the brick wall.


The big reason for the solder: WHEN these lights need service, not IF: The whole thing can be taken down in under 10 minutes with no tools. For the cost of the lights, I can replace them every couple of years and enjoy them easily. If they last longer, even better.

I used a right angle end for the male side.

I used another picture hanger to hold the cord against the house. The outlet is directly below.

Here are the lights hung up and ready to test. Not too obtrusive during the day, but wait 'til evening...

Now the 'Cantina' is open for business! Perhaps a margarita and a slow dance sometime soon 💖😎. I did all of this in just over an hour, and didn't really break a sweat. Easy stuff, and affordable too.


Holler if you have suggestions to make things easier/better, and Happy Hometalking

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  2 questions
  • Mary Mary on Jun 20, 2022

    i love this idea. But what happens if there is high winds, will the bulbs break?

  • Rec33525664 Rec33525664 on Jun 20, 2022

    Where did you find the brick picture wire?

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