Tangle-resistant decorative lighting assembly

A tangle-resistant, net-like decorative lighting structure having first, second, third and fourth sides that define a rectangular shape, the first side opposite the third side, and the second side opposite the fourth side, comprising:

• a first plurality of lamp assemblies aligned with one another to form a first row of lamp assemblies extending between the second side of the rectangular shape and the fourth side of the rectangular shape;
• a second plurality of lamp assemblies aligned with one another to form a second row of lamp assemblies extending between the second side of the rectangular shape and the fourth side of the rectangular shape, the second row being parallel to the first row;
• a plurality of internally-reinforced intermediate wires, each of the plurality of internally-reinforced intermediate wires electrically and mechanically connected to a lamp assembly of the first plurality of lamp assemblies forming the first row and electrically and mechanically connected to a lamp assembly of the second plurality of lamp assemblies forming the second row, each of the plurality of internally-reinforced intermediate wires including a central conductor, one or more non-metallic reinforcing strands distributed about the central conductor, and an outer insulating layer surrounding the plurality of conductors and the one or more reinforcing strands;
• and
• a plurality of support cords, including:
• a first support cord defining at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sides of the rectangular shape;
• a second support cord connected to a first lamp assembly of the first plurality of lamp assemblies and connected to a first lamp assembly of the second plurality of lamp assemblies so as to extend between the first row and the second row;
• and
• a third support cord connected to a second lamp assembly of the first plurality of lamp assemblies and connected to a second lamp assembly of the second plurality of lamp assemblies so as to extend between the first row and the second row, the second and third support cords extending generally parallel to one another, and
• wherein none of the one or more support cords are electrically connected to the first power wire, second power wire, power plug, first plurality of lamp assemblies or second plurality of lamp assemblies.