A little searching around the net provides some suggestions.
How to get new icicle lights to hang straight.
Place each light bulb on the strand inside a clip.
It was a bit of a pain to do this for each icicle but didn t take that long and they hang nice and straight now.
If you decorate your eaves and or awnings start with 60 feet of icicle lights then include an extra 10 to 12 feet if needed.
Most people seem to think you shouldn t worry about it because from the road no one will notice.
Decide where you re going to hang your icicle lights.
Icicle lights are a beautiful addition to a winter outdoor light display but when they come out of the packaging they are notorious for being kinked along the light strands due to being folded up in the box.
Icicle lights are commonly used to line eaves and awnings but they can add a frosty flourish to deck railings fences and arbors.
It s easier we ve been through using christmas tree lights for 20 years for the last 3 years we opted for the fibre optic tree.
It s so so easy up and running straight away.
Test your lights before you start hanging to make sure they work.
Hang them side by side and they will look mismatched.
If you have icicle lights and need to straighten them you can use a hair dryer.
Fibre optic tree here jake.
We have a how to video if you need help below.
At the bottom i put another 180 degree bend followed by a 90 degree bend and then closed it around the icicle wire again.
The severe bends in the light strands definitely detract from the beauty of this type of lighting.
Even if you are using mini lights instead of c7 or c9 lights and have already installed the clips indoors you still may need to attach additional clips when hanging lights around exterior corners.
Lights can even vary based on manufacturer and how old they are.
Unplug your lights first and carefully apply the heat to reform the plastic make sure you don t overdo it.
Make it easy on yourself and buy new lights.
Hold each section of lights taut between the clip points.
Forget staples clothespins or any other contraption you ve used in the past for mounting lights to your house.
Light clips are your new best friend.
Christmas icicle lights to hang straight.
It looks so much nicer than the random curves and bends.