Elaborate on the ice cascades that
nature uses to decorate your
roofline.

• Window screen (available in rolls at hardware stores or home centers)
• Scissors
• Clear rhinestones, large silver sequins, and other embellishments
• Boxes of plastic wrap
• Strings of miniature white lights
• Thin aluminum wire
• Needle-nose pliers
• Gloves
• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
• Hammer and nails or staple gun and staples

 

Consider installing your
icicles early in the season so
that real icicles can form
between the artificial ones.

1. Cut screen into a long, narrow triangle. (Our icicles ranged from 15 to 36 inches long and about 8 to 14 inches across the top.) Scatter some embellishments on the screen.

2. Bunch up a long, narrow cylinder of plastic wrap; place over the embellishments along center of screen triangle. (The plastic wrap will keep the trims secure.)

3. Arrange white lights on plastic wrap, leaving both ends free at top of triangle (for stringing to other lights). Try to keep lightbulbs visible outside of plastic wrap and tuck wire within wrap.

4. Bring long edges of the triangle together and secure with pieces of small twisted wire, leaving top open. When completely wired closed, scrunch and mold to create irregular icicle appearance. Wear gloves during this step, as the screen edges and wire ends are prickly.

5. Hot-glue or wire some embellishments to outside of icicle. Hang from eaves or gutters either by wiring, nailing, or stapling. Hang one at a time, spacing as desired and connecting light strands when needed.