Icicle Christmas lights on a house: how many strands?
Plan one foot of icicle strand for each foot of gutter or eave you want to cover. A typical set is about 25 ft, so a 100 ft front takes 4 sets, plus one extra if a downspout or corner breaks the run. Hang them from the gutter lip with clips every 8 inches.
How many icicle strands you need
Icicle sets come with drops that vary in length, commonly 6 to 20 inches. Sets are sold by LED count (150, 300 or more) and by overall length, which is the number that matters for coverage. Read the package for the length of the main wire, not the drop.
Icicle sets hang from the run, so unlike C9 and mini lights they need no extra length for sag. Buy one extra set if you have corners or a downspout to work around. Set length varies a lot. Store listings for 70-light 5 mm icicle sets commonly show about 7 to 7.5 ft of lit wire, while the 25 ft the calculator assumes matches a long 300-LED set. Divide your run by the lit length on the box, not by 25.
| Run length | Per 25 ft set: sets needed | Clips (every 8 in, 10% spare) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 1 | 40 |
| 40 ft | 2 | 70 |
| 60 ft | 3 | 100 |
| 100 ft | 4 | 170 |
| 150 ft | 6 | 250 |
If your sets are short: the same run in 7.5 ft sets
Short sets mean more plugs and more joints, so check the label for how many sets can be linked and the wattage of each. A chain of short sets also hangs unevenly where one ends and the next begins, so plan the joins at downspouts or corners, where the line breaks anyway.
| Run | 25 ft sets | 7.5 ft sets |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 1 | 3 |
| 40 ft | 2 | 6 |
| 60 ft | 3 | 8 |
| 100 ft | 4 | 14 |
| 150 ft | 6 | 20 |
Warm white or cool white icicles
Cool white icicles look like frozen drips and suit modern houses and cold climates. Warm white icicles look like candlelight and suit brick and traditional houses. See cool-white icicles and warm-white icicles. Blue-tinted whites are in blue and white winter.
How to hang icicle lights
- Test the strands on the ground. Lay them out and plug them in.
- Plan from the outlet. Start with the strand nearest the plug and work to the far end so the cord run is short.
- Clip the main wire to the gutter lip or fascia every 8 inches using gutter clips sized for your gutter. Do not nail or staple through the wire.
- Let the drops fall straight. If they tangle, shake the strand out before it goes up.
- Join strands only up to the package limit. See how many strings can you plug together.
- Plug into a GFCI-protected outlet, which CPSC advises for all outdoor lights, and put a timer on it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hanging over a gutter that is full of leaves. Clean it first.
- Mixing icicle sets from different batches. The whites will not match.
- Putting icicle lights where snow slides off a metal roof. The sliding snow can rip them off.
- Icicle lights over a doorway. Drops at head height look odd and get caught.
For the full hanging method on gutters see how to hang Christmas lights on gutters.
Frequently asked questions
How many icicle lights do I need for my house?
One foot of icicle strand per foot of gutter or eave. A 100 ft front takes 4 sets of 25 ft, or 9 shorter 12 ft sets.
How far apart should icicle lights be?
The drops are already spaced on the strand. Clip the main wire every 6 to 12 inches so it does not sag between clips.
How do you hang icicle lights without damage?
Use clips designed for gutters or shingles. Never staple or nail through the wire, and do not clip them to shingle edges that crack in cold.
Are icicle lights better than C9 on a roofline?
They give a different look: dripping rather than a bold line. Many houses use C9 on the roof edge and icicles on the eaves below.
How long should icicle drops be?
Common drops run 6 to 20 inches. Longer drops look dramatic but catch the wind. Pick medium drops for a typical house.
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