String lights: how many metres you actually need

String lights are bought by length and hung by path, and the two rarely match. Measuring the run first avoids the classic problem of finishing half a metre short.

Measure the path, then add a third

Follow the line the lights will actually take — along the rail, up the pillar, back down. Add roughly a third for droop between fixing points and for the drop to the socket. A straight-line measurement is always too short.

Spacing decides the look

The same 10 m set looks completely different pulled taut versus swagged. Wider spacing with deeper swags suits a balcony; tighter, straighter runs suit a window frame or a shelf edge.

Where the plug has to reach

Plan the socket before the path. Most decorative sets have a short lead, and an extension across a doorway is a trip hazard people accept far too easily.

Joining sets

Only some sets are designed to connect end to end, and each has a maximum number of joined runs set by the maker. Where the supplier states that maximum, we list it. Where a set is not marked as connectable, do not chain it.