How to hang decorations in a sukkah
Trying to figure out how to hang decorations in your Sukkah? Here, I share my best advice for hanging things in wood, canvas, and plastic Sukkot, PLUS different ways to hang things from the roof, or schach. This post contains affiliate links.
I grew up in a home with a gorgeous wood Sukkah that my parents built themselves (yes, they still have the same one!) I always took for granted how easy it was to hang decorations in the Sukkah.
Many years later and my first (and current) Sukkah is actually a canvas one! Canvas Sukkahs are possibly the most challenging to hang things in.
I decided to share with you some ideas for hanging all sorts of posters and decorations in different types of Sukkahs.
While this post is focused heavily on the HOW to hang Sukkah decorations, if you’re looking for WHAT to hang, I’ve shared that in the past! You can check out my favorite DIY Sukkah decorations for every age group or my favorite cool Sukkah decorating ideas in general.
How to hang posters in the Sukkah
This section focuses exclusively on wall decor, one of the most challenging things to hang in slightly different Sukkahs.
When hanging, keep in mind the weight of your decoration. A large poster can get quite bulky. A small kids’ craft that’s a paper size is usually lighter. Foam board creations are light but bulky, and wood panel crafts, like these Sukkah welcome signs or this pomegranate string art can be their own challenge.
Things that are breakable need to be more secure. It’s kind of expected that a few things might fall here and there, but you don’t want that with heavier or breakable items. With all that in mind, here are some of my favorite tips for how to hang decorations in a Sukkah of every type.
Hanging things on the walls of a wood Sukkah
- Use picture hanging hardware or nails for anything with a natural hook on the back. Heavier items can be reinforced with a mounting tape (see below).
- Use binder clips on nails for flat items like posters. This is a great solution for nails that are left in the wall from previous wall art.
- Use thumb tacks to hang flat items – you’ll need to hammer them in. This is one of the most secure methods and you may even want to leave items in place from year to year because they can be challenging to get out!
- Or, go a bit prettier with fun push pins. This will work with softer woods (you can’t really hammer these)
- You can even go with push pin hooks that you leave in place from year to year, just hanging the decorations!
Another great method for hanging heavier items is to attach two screw-in eye hooks to the top/back of the art and a string between them. Hang it from a nail but wind the string around the nail a few times to reinforce it. It’ll have a bit more hold than a simple alligator hook.
Ideas if you don’t want to put holes in your Sukkah walls:
- Try nano gel tape – that super strong but non-permanent mounting tape that’s super popular! look for a waterproof variety and test it with heavier items in advance. It may pull off some paint finishes so again, test it in an area you don’t care about.
- Another option with the same caveat as above: outdoor-friendly command tape. This mounting tape is often used indoors for pictures and there’s no reason that a water-resistant variety wouldn’t work outdoors as well.
- On that note, command hooks are a great option instead of nails. Again, make sure to get a variety that is water resistant, and graded for the weight of your artwork.
- Velcro strips are a great way to create a “template” to add removable posters. They’re not necessarily “renter-friendly” so again, test ahead of time.
Plastic Sukkah decorating tips
Those plastic Sukkah walls come in so many varieties, it’s hard to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution! Some have ribbed walls making it even harder to hang things. Here are some ideas, and I hope you find one that works well for you!
Similar to wood you can try:
- Nano gel tape – you’ll have less of a problem of stripping paint, unless yours has an external printed finish. On ribbed finishes, it may work but it might be a bit less secure.
- Command tape – again, mounting tape can be a great solution. If it leaves residue, you can always try Goo Gone. You have the same caveat with ribbed finishes.
- Velcro strips – These will probably work even better even if your Sukkah is ribbed! It Should be able to catch and hold if it’s not crazy heavy, even if it’s in increments.
- You can also try making use of the metal supports if your plastic Sukkah has those! Magnets come in the form of clips and hooks, and you may be able to glue some magnets directly onto the decorations themselves. Be careful with magnets around kids; they are extremely dangerous if swallowed. And they may blow down in extreme weather, but that’s somewhat expected.
- You can also try suction hooks on smooth walls – but get good ones!
Hanging Wall Decor in a Canvas Sukkah
Yes, this is the sukkah of my own experience, and it can definitely be a challenge! But we’re all up for that challenge.
Most of my ideas will use the poles or roof/schach:
- One of my favorite methods of hanging all the kids decorations is using a beaded clothesline tied from pole to pole.
- Hang posters or other wall art from the ceiling using invisible fishline to “drop” it to wall-level.
- You can use strong magneticnclips and hooks from the pole frames – especially the upper ones, if they show. This is a bit more awkward but it’s a way to do it without tying or finagling anything. Again, magnets are extremely dangerous if your toddler finds them. And it won’t be as secure as tying methods
- You can also hang decorations against the walls from poles using most of the ceiling/schach hanging methods below.
If you want to hang it from the walls, there are ways, but you’ll be adding weight to the canvas. Make sure the poles can handle it.
- Something that I haven’t yet tried personally: you can use large safety pins to pin items to the canvas wall, but it’ll be a bit more challenging, and it can tear cardstock posters.
- If you feel like a bit more DIY: Grommet kits can be used to to add reinforced hanging holes to canvas walls. You’ll want to do this in pairs and thread a ribbon or something to hang your posters from. Be careful not to add too much weight to your canvas this way.
- You can also try magnets on both sides of the canvas but be careful if you have young kids around – strong magnets are extremely dangerous if swallowed.
How to hang things from the Schach (Sukkah Roof)
The schach – or roof – is one of the easier ways to hang decorations in a sukkah! Here are some favorite methods.
- My favorite is zip ties – it’s the easiest – and so affordable! You’ll need to cut the decorations off when it’s over, and make sure to trim the ends.
- Ribbon or string is the most obvious method of hanging things from schach.
- And once again, you can use fishing line for that invisible suspension look. This is great for lower suspended items.
- Rubber Bands – These can be used to wrap things onto poles by doubling it over through a hole on the decoration and looping both ends over the end of the bamboo pole.
If you want a less disposable solution, try these:
- If you’re looking for something easy and aesthetic, try metal S-hooks. They won’t be as secure if it’s windy but they’ll look great.
- You can also use shower curtain rings. They may slide around a bit but they add a fun decorative touch.
More tips for hanging decorations in the Sukkah
- Try group hanging methods to make things go faster. For example: a bulletin board with multiple items pinned on.
- Test things in advance so you don’t end up with a Sukkot surprise!
- Clean your base first with rubbing alcohol when using adhesive methods. Otherwise, the dust and oils there get in the way of the adhesive. Alcohol evaporates faster, making it ideal for cleaning, but if you need to clean large surfaces, you can mix it with water.
- When searching for supplies, search for outdoor or “water resistant” options.
- Understand that in especially stormy seasons, things just might not stay perfect if you decorate as you want.
- Trim down any loose ends – ribbons, zip ties, etc – for a neater look.
- Hang heavier items strategically, and add extra fasteners.
Got any more tips for how to hang decorations in a Sukkah? Comment below!
