Hang Icicle Lights

During the holidays, many apartment renters or homeowners decorate their homes with icicle lighting. There are many options to choose from and whether you like pure white or multicolored bulbs, these strands of lights dripping from roofs or balconies can be an incredible display. Learning how to hang icicle lights the right way will make your holiday decorations stand out from all the others.

Steps

  1. Determine where you want to hang the icicle lights. Popular choices are under the eaves of your roof, along or under the railing of your deck, or around the windows of your home.
  2. Estimate how many feet of lights you will need. Use a tape measure to measure the locations you are placing the lights. If you are placing them along your rooftop, you may need to estimate the length rather than to actually measure the roof.
  3. Purchase your icicle lights from a local retailer. There are varying sizes available, and most lights are sold by the "count," or by how many bulbs are on each strand. You can find the approximate footage of each strand on the product's packaging. Buy as many sets as needed to cover the area you want to hang the lights on.
  4. Purchase an extension cord that has enough power to support the number of icicle lights you are hanging. You may need more than 1 cord. The total wattage of the lights can also be found on the manufacturer's packaging. Add up the total wattage of all the sets you intend to string together, and make sure the extension cord can support that number.
  5. Purchase enough icicle light clips to support the number of strands. Refer to the light clips' packaging for guidance on how many you will need. These clips will hang on your deck, rails, or windows and hold the lights in place.
  6. Map out how you will hang the lights prior to performing the work. It may help to take the lights out of the box and lay them out on the ground in the order they will hang. Determine where you need to plug in the extension cord, and then plot out where the first string will need to hang. The next string will need to plug in to the first, and so on until all lights are connected together. Make sure you have the arrangement correct before installing the lights.
  7. Place the Christmas light clips on the area of your home that you are lighting. The clips should be evenly spaced and no more than 1 foot (.31 m) apart. The clips will need to run the entire length of the area.
  8. Attach the first light string to your home with the light clips. Place the first hanging string as closely to the clip as possible, and hang it. Pull the slack from the main cord so that it's tight against your home, and attach the next section of the string to the next clip. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the first string.
  9. Attach the remaining strings, and repeat the process of hanging the icicle lights until you have covered the entire area.



Tips

  • If you are lighting multiple tiers of your home, rather than use multiple power cords and connections, you can continue with 1 string of lights, but unscrew or loosen the bulbs that you don't want to light up. This will give the illusion of separate strings without having to go through the trouble.
  • Consider purchasing LED icicle lights. While the initial expense will be more costly, they last longer, shine brighter, and save on energy costs during use. LED lights also do not have the risk of overheating as some of the standard lighting sets do.

Warnings

  • Never hang your icicle lights while they are plugged in. While it may seem logical to hang them while lit, you run a higher risk of electrocution if you damage the cord while hanging.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Icicle lights
  • Extension cord
  • Light clips

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Sources and Citations

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