How to handle fixtures and props

[hoosierdoc]

I've read the tutorial several times and watched a few videos and still a bit confused, hoping you guys can set me straight. I am trying to build a cross that has 9 strings of lights (channels) and then a strobe channel with a bulb at each end. I created 10 fixtures in visualizer and it works, but I think I still did it incorrectly. I have the same number of fixtures as I do props. Or is that typical until you associate all fixtures as one prop?

I want to be able to group the cross together and save it as one prop but can't figure out how to do that based on where I'm at. Did I do something wrong in creating each new strand as a new fixture?