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Singing Christmas trees


Simo81

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I brought 4 x singing Christmas trees from holiday.co thinking it comes with everything, well turns out it's just the plasterboard cut outs. 

So i was hoping because im new to this. If someone couldhelp with with what lights, how many controls i need etc.. i do have a list attached with how many lights needed.. 

Thank you so much.. 

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One controller works 2 trees.  Each tree has 8 strings. You can get one controller that works 16 strings. Light -O - Rama controller CTB16PC16 or Professioal one LOR1600w. You can get on ebay and look for used ones. The lights are M5 lights. Best time to buy them is a week or two after Christmas when they are 90% off.  

 

Tip on lights. You can find youtube videos on how to cut the lights.  You can buy like 75 lights,100 light. 150 light, 300 light string. Say you need 20 lights. Smallest light string you can find is 75 lights. The 75 lights you can cut in half to 35 lights. ( look for youtube video how to ). So you now only have 15 unused lights. Same with the 100 lights you can cut them to two 50 strings and with the 150 lights cut them to two 75 lights snd do on. 

I bought all my lights for this year at Wal-Mart at 90% off. I looked to see what I was buying this year. More Halloween stuff. Wrote down what colors I needed and lenths.  So best to think ahead when xmas stuffs at 90% off. 

 

 

Edited by Richard365
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 You shop at different stores you will find different count in bulbs. I even went to the dollar store . They had a string of 20 bulbs. They where label indoor use. But for a dollar I can chance it. I got the 4 trees, santa clause, 4 monsters for Halloween. Then this year I order the big American flag, skeleton drummer, skeleton guitar player and santa guitar player and tombstones. I bought all the lights at 90% off after Christmas. So I saved alot. I made a list on what colors I need and number of bulbs. Went shopping.    

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You will pay for the smaller count string lights. Also they are not easy to find. I also have 90% of every coro singing item available. Minus the drummer and monster faces (gave them to another member here). I never used them.

Best to buy outdoor strands. You can use electrical tape or buy black covers to place over the bulbs. If you use 2X4 frames you can pretty much just leave the extra lights uncovered , no body can see them. Also I use the uncovered lights as an indicator that all is going well, esp during storms. Just look out the window and watch for blinky blinky.

Also keep in mind, I do singing face sequences by request FOR FREE! I will post up a Christmas Request pretty soon. Also search for me and take a look at the ones I have / have shared. Please don't send me a blanket request. I pretty much sequence 16 or more hours a day and don't have time to send all.

JR

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Holiday Lights Express is your friend!! Commercial grade 35, 50, 70, and 100 counts.  I use M6's and for the extra lights I use blackout caps (PM me for sources if you go that route).  We are doing a singing snowman this year that is HC and so far it's been easy peasy!!

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i got all mine from holiday light express, wanted to make sure the colors all matched across the 4 i have.

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I also got all my singing tree lights from Holiday Light Express, going on third season now and only 1 partial string failure out of 8 trees, and HLE replaced it with no questions asked, great company and excellent product. The M6 lights fit great and with the 35,50,70 and 100 light counts you will have very few leftover and they can just be left behind the frame, I didn't even black them out.

 

Keith

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On ‎7‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 9:57 AM, Richard365 said:

One controller works 2 trees.  Each tree has 8 strings. You can get one controller that works 16 strings. Light -O - Rama controller CTB16PC16 or Professioal one LOR1600w. You can get on ebay and look for used ones. The lights are M5 lights. Best time to buy them is a week or two after Christmas when they are 90% off.  

 

Tip on lights. You can find youtube videos on how to cut the lights.  You can buy like 75 lights,100 light. 150 light, 300 light string. Say you need 20 lights. Smallest light string you can find is 75 lights. The 75 lights you can cut in half to 35 lights. ( look for youtube video how to ). So you now only have 15 unused lights. Same with the 100 lights you can cut them to two 50 strings and with the 150 lights cut them to two 75 lights snd do on. 

I bought all my lights for this year at Wal-Mart at 90% off. I looked to see what I was buying this year. More Halloween stuff. Wrote down what colors I needed and lenths.  So best to think ahead when xmas stuffs at 90% off. 

 

 

 

On ‎7‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 9:57 AM, Richard365 said:

One controller works 2 trees.  Each tree has 8 strings. You can get one controller that works 16 strings. Light -O - Rama controller CTB16PC16 or Professioal one LOR1600w. You can get on ebay and look for used ones. The lights are M5 lights. Best time to buy them is a week or two after Christmas when they are 90% off.  

 

Tip on lights. You can find youtube videos on how to cut the lights.  You can buy like 75 lights,100 light. 150 light, 300 light string. Say you need 20 lights. Smallest light string you can find is 75 lights. The 75 lights you can cut in half to 35 lights. ( look for youtube video how to ). So you now only have 15 unused lights. Same with the 100 lights you can cut them to two 50 strings and with the 150 lights cut them to two 75 lights snd do on. 

I bought all my lights for this year at Wal-Mart at 90% off. I looked to see what I was buying this year. More Halloween stuff. Wrote down what colors I needed and lenths.  So best to think ahead when xmas stuffs at 90% off. 

 

 

Actually you can buy 10, 15, 25 counts. You just have to pay for them and availability is sometimes low. However you can buy them.

 

JR

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I search ebay all year for 20 count lights in bulk.  Usually find them by the time I need them.  Hit the jackpot at Walmart last year after Christmas.  I have a ton of 20, 50, and 100 clear mini's.  Coro elements are the only thing I still use incan bulbs on.  Keeps the cost way down.  Think I paid $0.29 a box for the 20's, and $0.50 a box for the 50, and 100 ct.  I could unload them on Ebay for $4 a box if I wanted, but I have learned that you can't have too many lights laying around.

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58 minutes ago, Dcroc said:

I search ebay all year for 20 count lights in bulk.  Usually find them by the time I need them.  Hit the jackpot at Walmart last year after Christmas.  I have a ton of 20, 50, and 100 clear mini's.  Coro elements are the only thing I still use incan bulbs on.  Keeps the cost way down.  Think I paid $0.29 a box for the 20's, and $0.50 a box for the 50, and 100 ct.  I could unload them on Ebay for $4 a box if I wanted, but I have learned that you can't have too many lights laying around.

I'm with you. I scored at Home Depot after New Years just happened to stop by to pick something up, saw a Christmas tree and just as I was walking up to it a forklift passed me moth 2 pallets of lights. I purchased everything from minis to C9's that were not multi colored.

got like 85% off and then military discount. Now I have a mini warehouse.

I asked why they still had them " found in corner of storage area". My lucky day.

JR

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IMO, unless you own a solar grid what you save in icans on the price you pay you send to the power company.  I didn't initially believe that but my first  year with LOR my light bill was $400 higher using ican.  The following year I switched to commercial grade LED with only a few additions (props) and the light bill was only $75.  This past year I went RGB (display is half and half) and the increase on our monthly light bill here was only $30.  When you do the math I have saved approx $800 in light bills and spent $400 on commercial grade LED's so far I am $400 ahead of the game.  As stated above when you buy from various "big box" stores all blue lights (just an example) are not created equal.  There is limited quality control because the retailer is only looking price per thousands.  Though most that watch my show might not be able to tell the difference I will and that would just stress me out.  I have done business with Holiday Lights Express and Novelty Lights over the years, both offer commercial grade products.  Novelty is a bit higher in price but they sometimes have things others don't (spools of rope light both ican and LED, chasing rope light, LED spheres, different styles of commercial lights, C7 and C9 replacements (ican and LED)).  They are a tiny bit pricier but I feel better knowing they will replace what doesn't work and most of what I have has been going strong for 7+ years.  They ARE NOT squirrel proof, as many of you know the coating on most Christmas lights is made from peanut oil and most squirrel can't tell the difference between peanuts and Christmas lights.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 7/24/2017 at 9:09 PM, Richard365 said:

 You shop at different stores you will find different count in bulbs. I even went to the dollar store . They had a string of 20 bulbs. They where label indoor use. But for a dollar I can chance it. I got the 4 trees, santa clause, 4 monsters for Halloween. Then this year I order the big American flag, skeleton drummer, skeleton guitar player and santa guitar player and tombstones. I bought all the lights at 90% off after Christmas. So I saved alot. I made a list on what colors I need and number of bulbs. Went shopping.    

I was just wondering where you found the guitar playing Santa . Really wanting to get one this year . Thanks. 

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1 hour ago, Slowpoke said:

I was just wondering where you found the guitar playing Santa . Really wanting to get one this year . Thanks. 

Personally I have never seen a "coroplas such as our trees, pumpkins etc. ) guitar playing santa. Doug can probably make you a wire frame one though youll probably  have to order this year for next year. I don't know how busy he is but I am guessing he is booked solid. There are also this place but this is probably that plastic stuff (non corregated) sheet that cracks after a couple years.https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=KiGMD2lb&id=B2920BCF2241CDFE51B7F442D79BA929856F634E&thid=OIP.KiGMD2lb09lMHkUXIoPkwAEsEs&q=holiday+lights+guitar+playing+santa&simid=608036889716655297&selectedIndex=1&ajaxhist=0

I do have a guitar playing snowman though I believe I purchased from HC. I never have used it but will someday put those around 2000 bulbs in it.

JR

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Thanks for the response. I tried dougs website , he's not taking orders for this year any longer. I did see the snowman on holiday coro site and I may get that and just modify it for better arm movements ,but I didn't realize it took that many lights. I have a line drawing of Santa with guitar I considered getting some coro and transferring with a projector to trace and drill it for lights but I'm not sure if that would be too much to try this year. I haven't seen where anybody has made their own, and would need to experiment with drilling tools. May need special tool to make perfect holes ? Has anyone drilled their own design out ? 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Slowpoke said:

Thanks for the response. I tried dougs website , he's not taking orders for this year any longer. I did see the snowman on holiday coro site and I may get that and just modify it for better arm movements ,but I didn't realize it took that many lights. I have a line drawing of Santa with guitar I considered getting some coro and transferring with a projector to trace and drill it for lights but I'm not sure if that would be too much to try this year. I haven't seen where anybody has made their own, and would need to experiment with drilling tools. May need special tool to make perfect holes ? Has anyone drilled their own design out ? 

 

 

I have made some coro faces and my wife is currently drawing me some baby pumpkins. I use 6mm coro which is a pita to make the holes. I would suggest going to a gas station and ask them for their old promotional signs. Pepsi, coke Mt Dew all use coro and if they are lazy they probably have some brand new in the box. The score there is also some extreme duty zip ties.

I get those for free since my in-laws own a convenience store.

Use a drill bit but in "reverse" os you will tear up the coro. Another method but longer is to score an X wherever a hole would be and pop the lights through. That's the tighter way but will take a while. The thinner the coro the easier it is.

A leather punch may work, I gave it thought but just take my time with a drill. My faces are a little kept quiet this year and some know but I wont share my idea until I see how much of a hit they are. I will say they are popular.

JR

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On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 0:01 PM, Slowpoke said:

Thanks for the response. I tried dougs website , he's not taking orders for this year any longer. I did see the snowman on holiday coro site and I may get that and just modify it for better arm movements ,but I didn't realize it took that many lights. I have a line drawing of Santa with guitar I considered getting some coro and transferring with a projector to trace and drill it for lights but I'm not sure if that would be too much to try this year. I haven't seen where anybody has made their own, and would need to experiment with drilling tools. May need special tool to make perfect holes ? Has anyone drilled their own design out ? 

 

 

I am also adding some coro to some of my existing props to make them "move". I have tested and they will look really great when done. This will work well with any of the props that are not face only. Trees, light bulbs etc.

JR

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On 8/24/2017 at 0:01 PM, Slowpoke said:

Thanks for the response. I tried dougs website , he's not taking orders for this year any longer. I did see the snowman on holiday coro site and I may get that and just modify it for better arm movements ,but I didn't realize it took that many lights. I have a line drawing of Santa with guitar I considered getting some coro and transferring with a projector to trace and drill it for lights but I'm not sure if that would be too much to try this year. I haven't seen where anybody has made their own, and would need to experiment with drilling tools. May need special tool to make perfect holes ? Has anyone drilled their own design out ? 

 

 

Sorry about not taking any more orders for this year. Due to the large amount of orders received by Feb. I had to cut off taking orders. I can make the frames for you and have made several drummers in the past. If you do want me to make something for next year, please place your order as soon as you can as I've already got a list of frames to build for next year. Please remember that I don't build in Oct and Nov due to the fact that I'm working on my own display during that time.

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1 hour ago, DougP said:

Sorry about not taking any more orders for this year. Due to the large amount of orders received by Feb. I had to cut off taking orders. I can make the frames for you and have made several drummers in the past. If you do want me to make something for next year, please place your order as soon as you can as I've already got a list of frames to build for next year. Please remember that I don't build in Oct and Nov due to the fact that I'm working on my own display during that time.

No need to apologize Doug, you do great work and for the rest of us we just need to plan better.  If you are looking for something that has to be made at the time of purchase then you need to order early.  Your work isn't massed produced but handmade one at a time.  Those of us that have benefited from your product understand that and are willing to wait.

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Well I definately wasn't complaining Doug . Just stating that I had checked your website. I just don't seem to ever plan that far in advance. Glad your business is good. Your frames do look awesome. 

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