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Ole Anderson
01-05-2012, 4:29 PM
Well, I just took down the 8 strings (about 80 feet) of those white "icicle" style outdoor Christmas lights I had along the eaves of my home. This is my first year for those lights and they are a pain to put up, mainly trying to get the "icicles" to unfold and hang reasonably straight. Of course I bought the heavy duty commercial version with the heavy wires which compounds the problem. Now the problem of how to store them without "folding" them up like they were when in the box. For now I just laid them, end to end and still connected, in a big plastic storage tub. Seemed too easy and I am afraid I will have a big mess next year. Anybody have a good trick on how to store those bad boys?

Ben Hatcher
01-05-2012, 4:44 PM
I lay them out on top of newspapers or a roll of that brown paper and roll them up. Every other way I've tried ends up with a huge tangle of icicles.

Van Huskey
01-05-2012, 5:37 PM
I hang my light strings in the attic, I don't hang them tight but just the weight keeps them nice and stretched out. To bring them down I just loosely coil them in my hand. After the initial "from the box" year they all hung correctly, no herky jerky up and down bends in the wires.

Ole Anderson
01-05-2012, 5:58 PM
I was thinking about stringing them out in the attic with a fishing weight on the end of each icicle, hoping the weight and summer heat would straighten them out. But I was too lazy and the attic is too crowded. For now I will just keep my fingers crossed next fall when I try to string them up again right out of the tub.

Anthony Whitesell
01-05-2012, 7:39 PM
Ok. So I'm a woodworker. I built 12x12x30 tall frames from 1/2" square stock and noticed the outer corners every 4" in a one 1" spiral that I use to wrap the icicle lights around to store in the attic.

For clarification on the notches. The first edge is notched from the top down at 1, 5, 8, 11, and 16 inches. The second edge is notched at 2, 6, 9, 12, and 17 inches. The third at 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19 inches. The forth at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20. As you go around in a circle it drop 1" from edge to edge. They are tall enough the icicle do not drag on the ground.

P.S. I'd post a pic, but they are already packed up for the year (since there's no snow).

Jay Runde
01-05-2012, 11:06 PM
I use something like this for all my lights, including the icicle ones and never had an trouble with them being tangled:
http://www.amazon.com/Woods-2803-Mountable-H-Frame-Extension/dp/B0037W5W2O

Ole Anderson
01-05-2012, 11:51 PM
I use something like this for all my lights, including the icicle ones and never had an trouble with them being tangled:
http://www.amazon.com/Woods-2803-Mountable-H-Frame-Extension/dp/B0037W5W2O

I made a bunch of those out of 1/8" masonite several years ago, they work great for the straight light strings, but seemed too small for the icicle sets.

David Starks
01-07-2012, 12:57 AM
i think those lights are hideous looking most of the time. when the homeowner takes the time to put them up neatly and with a proper amount of hooks, they can look ok. personally, the only place id store them is in the trash... :)

Ole Anderson
01-08-2012, 8:40 AM
Ah, the Grinch lives!

Jerry Thompson
01-08-2012, 8:59 AM
My neighbor just leave his up year around!

Myk Rian
01-08-2012, 9:29 AM
I use a cable spool about 2ft diameter to roll all my lights onto.

Curt Fuller
01-08-2012, 10:48 AM
I hang my light strings in the attic, I don't hang them tight but just the weight keeps them nice and stretched out. To bring them down I just loosely coil them in my hand. After the initial "from the box" year they all hung correctly, no herky jerky up and down bends in the wires.

Excellent idea! After several months of 100+ summer temps in the attic they should hang straight as a string. Thanks!