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Working out how to hang Christmas lights on brick is easy once you know brick has a built-in advantage: the mortar joints. Purpose-made brick clips wedge into those recessed lines and hold a strand with zero holes, and outdoor adhesive hooks or hot glue cover any brick they will not fit. This guide covers choosing the clip, spacing the run, and getting the lights up safely.
Tools and materials
- Outdoor-rated Christmas lights measured to your run
- Brick clips (mortar-joint or brick-edge), plus adhesive hooks or a hot glue gun as backup
- A sturdy ladder and a helper to foot it
- Outdoor extension cords and a GFCI-protected outlet
- An outdoor timer or smart plug
- A tape measure, a chalk line, and a plastic scraper for removal
How to hang Christmas lights on brick, step by step
- Measure your brick and the run. Measure the brick height and mortar recess to confirm clips will fit, then measure the eave or wall line and add about 10% for slack.
- Choose the clip type. Pick mortar-joint clips for a flat wall or brick-edge clips for a ledge, and keep adhesive hooks or hot glue for any brick the clips will not grip.
- Test the lights on the ground. Plug in and confirm every strand works before it goes up the ladder.
- Set a level reference. Snap a faint chalk line or sight along the eave so the run stays level across the open brick.
- Fit the clips. Slide mortar-joint clips into the recessed line by hand, or press adhesive hooks onto clean, dry brick and let them cure.
- Space clips evenly. Place a clip roughly every 12 inches, closer for heavier C7 or C9 bulbs so the strand does not sag between them.
- Clip in the strand and route the cord. Seat the wire or bulbs, then run the outdoor cord to a GFCI outlet and add a timer.
- Power up and straighten. Light it at dusk, step into the street, and fix any clip that slipped or bulb pointing the wrong way.
Brick clips and the mortar-joint trick
Brick's recessed mortar joints are the reason it is one of the friendliest surfaces to light. Mortar-joint clips wedge into that gap and grip with no adhesive and no hole, and they carry a full strand of C9 or mini lights. Brick-edge clips instead hook over the lip of a brick where there is a ledge or a soldier course. Both slide on by hand. The catch is fit: clips are sized for standard modular brick, so measure first and keep adhesive hooks or hot glue for oversized or handmade brick. The best christmas light clips roundup breaks the clip types down by surface.
When to use adhesive hooks or hot glue instead
Not every wall suits a clip. On painted brick, thin brick veneer, or irregular sizes, outdoor adhesive hooks rated for masonry grip the face for a season, and hot glue holds each bulb for the budget route. Both need a clean, dry surface and both peel or scrape off in January with no mark. Prep matters most in the cold — warm the spot and the hook with a hair dryer if temperatures have dropped, then press firmly and let the adhesive cure before loading the strand.
Getting a straight, level run across brick
Open brick with no eave is where runs go crooked, because there is no edge to follow. A chalk line fixes it: snap a faint level line and mount every clip to it. Where trim exists, outline the windows and doors for a crisp architectural look. Space clips about every 12 inches, tightening to 6 to 8 inches for larger bulbs. For a mount-once solution, drilling into the mortar joint — never the brick face — accepts a permanent clip or track that fills cleanly with fresh mortar or caulk later.
Powering the display safely
Run an outdoor-rated extension cord from a GFCI-protected outlet and keep connectors off the wet ground. Warm white LED strands are the common choice because they draw little power and connect into long runs without overheating, letting you cover a wide brick facade on a few strands. Stay within the connect limit on the tag, and add a timer so the display runs itself. For the strands themselves, compare owner-rated sets in the best outdoor christmas lights roundup, or the best C9 christmas lights guide for the classic large-bulb roofline look.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying clips before measuring the brick. Clips fit standard sizes only. Measure the brick and mortar recess first.
- Hammering nails into the brick face. It cracks and spalls the surface. Use mortar-joint clips or adhesive.
- Freehanding across open brick. The line wanders. Snap a chalk line and mount to it.
- Overreaching from the ladder. Move the ladder rather than stretch for the next clip.
- No GFCI or timer. Outdoor lights belong on a GFCI outlet, and a timer saves you a second climb.
Related outdoor lighting guides
Brick is one surface among several. For the neighbors, see how to hang christmas lights on stucco and how to hang lights on gutters, and put them away right with how to store christmas lights.
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