How To Hang A Pendant Light Without Drilling: Easy Guide

Are you worried about ruining the walls or ceilings of your new home or rental when hanging pendant lights? 

Never fear – we’ve got a quick guide to help you avoid those hefty fines and unwanted stress when it comes to preventing those awful, unwanted marks!

In this article, we’ll teach you how to hang a pendant light without drilling. You will learn:

  • The different ways you can hang a pendant light
  • Top tips and tricks you can implement
  • Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

So, stay tuned to learn all things pendant light-related!

How To Hang A Pendant Light Without Drilling

There are a few easy ways to hang a pendant light without drilling. You can do so by using hooks, a couple of different types of rods, or a removable ceiling plate:

Using adhesive hooks or ceiling hooks

With this first method, all you need to do is choose a high-quality hook that can hold the weight of your pendant and then affix it to the ceiling!

Avoid the cheap hooks and instead look for higher-quality varieties as these will hold better instead of dropping (and damaging your pendant light as a result).

Hanging the pendant light from the ceiling can be harder than doing so on a wall. So, make sure to use a stool or ladder that allows you to reach the ceiling with ease! 

That way, you can apply sufficient pressure to the hook to ensure it sticks firmly onto the ceiling. 

Using a tension rod or curtain rod

Tension rods make use of window or door frames to hold the pendant light in place. 

They usually have rubber tips at the end of the rods to prevent wall marks from appearing. 

Tension rods are great ways to avoid drilling and causing unwanted marks on ceilings! 

However, depending on where you want your pendant light to sit, tension rods may ruin the aesthetic of the space as they are highly noticeable.

It can also be difficult to find tension rods longer than 84 inches, so if you’re looking to hang pendant lights in the center of your ceiling, this could be difficult to achieve. 

Using a removable ceiling plate

Removable ceiling plates are extremely useful when you are in your own home and have the freedom to install fixtures as you please. 

They make the installation of electricity easy and can hold a pendant light in the perfect place without any of the wires showing! However, if you opt for this method of hanging your pendant light, you may need more assistance. 

Tips for Hanging a Pendant Light Without Drilling

When it comes to hanging lights in homes, it’s always a little nerve-wracking to think of the damage or unwanted marks or dents that may accidentally occur. Here are some of my top tips to prevent this from happening:

Make sure you turn off the electricity/ light before placing the pendant light.

This sounds very self-explanatory, but you would be surprised at just how many people forget to turn the electricity off when testing out the placement of their pendant light!

Remember that if you start finding yourself handling the cords and cables excessively, it might just be safer and easier to contact an electrician to avoid hurting yourself. 

Ensure proper weight support

When placing an adhesive hook or tension rod onto the ceiling to hang your pendant light, it’s important to apply plenty of pressure to the area to ensure it sticks in place and doesn’t fall off!

Grab a stool or ladder so that you can use more of your body weight to put pressure on the hook or tension rod and ensure that it stays in place. 

Consider the height and location of the light

Think about where you want your pendant light to hang from. 

If you place it in the center of your ceiling in a large room, then it’ll become difficult (or even impossible) to use a tension rod to hold it in place. 

Placing your pendant light in a corner or closer to a window instead will give you more flexibility when it comes to the method of fixture. 

Test the stability before installing

Make sure you test the stability of the tension rod or ceiling hooks before putting it in place! This will prevent the unfortunate scenario of pendant lights dropping.

You can do this by applying the rod or hooks to a different area first, or by holding the adhesive hook from your hand and hanging the pendant light off it to make sure it can hold the weight properly. 

Advantages of Hanging a Pendant Light Without Drilling

There are various advantages to hanging a pendant light without drilling, including:

No damage to the ceiling or walls

You’ll be able to avoid those nasty ceiling marks and unwanted holes caused by drilling! 

Hanging a pendant light without using a drill ensures a clean finish and keeps everything looking fresh and new. 

Easy installation and removal

Don’t worry about having to call someone to help you do this! It shouldn’t take long at all and is a straightforward DIY project.

Suitable for temporary living spaces or rented homes

This is the ideal way to implement the vibe you want in a building you don’t own without having your initial deposit taken off you! Avoiding ceiling holes and drill marks has never been easier. 

Conclusion

As you’ve seen in this article, hanging pendant lights without drilling is very straightforward. 

My top recommendation would be to stick to those adhesive hooks as they are easy, affordable, and less noticeable when in action.

Hopefully, you no longer have to put off hanging that pendant light just because you’re living in a rental, and instead embrace the DIY skills you’ve learned from this article! 

John Bayly

John Bayly

John has dedicated his career to the lighting industry. Starting out as an interior designer with a specialism in lighting, he went on to found his own commercial lighting business. He now shares his expertise and passion for all things lighting with readers of OLighting.com.