Woohoo...bring on the lights! Super Newb Q - Mini Trees.

[aaronmunson]

Hey everyone,

 

First off thank you SOO much for all the input and help you give everyone on the board. I missed my deadline for my controllers this year, but will be starting to design my show for next year very shortly, which will hopefully include 3 controllers and plenty of lights! If I can funnel some extra cash into my budget I would REALLY like to work on adding a mega-tree, and of course you all know how much of a controller hog those are. 

 

However, my question today is: I see many many shows both here and on Youtube that utilize mulitple mini-trees in the front, along people's yards. I just recently found out that some people just use the tomato cages, turned upside down, wrapped in garland, and then typically 4 different color strands of lights. Is that what most people do on here for those front mini-trees? I know it's such a basic question, but in my research to find out how to get those trees, that's all I could find, and even that took some time, perhaps because it's so basic. Also are there any DIY/step by steps on that to make sure I do just just right? Call it the perfectionist in me. 

 

Any and all advice helps, and thanks in advance.

[Orville]

I've not made any mini trees, however, when I am ready to create some, this is what I'm planning on using:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/24-inch-pathway-tree-set-of-4/1041428122?mcid=PS_bingpla_nonbrand_none_

 

These are 24" {2 feet} tall, come 4 to a pack for $12.99¢ at Bed Bath and Beyond.   What I plan on doing is removing the pre-installed lights and redoing the trees with my own LED lights, making them 3 or 4 channels per tree,   I figure a little over $25 will get me 8 trees, will use 5 and keep 3 as spares.   This way they will look even better in daylight views as opposed to the wire tomato cage ones, which may also require PVC pipe to keep them off the ground, whereas these are probably more plastic than metal, so no ground faults or GFCI trips with these.

 

But that's just what I'd use.  May go and buy some and try them out this year and see how they work out.

[Al Saunders]

Hi Aaron,

 

I have made the tomato cage mini trees and they work very well and look real good in my show. In the past years I secured them with 3-4 wire "anchors" that were made from pieces of wire clothes hangers. I cut 7-8 inch sections of the wire hangers then bent them into a V shape. I then stuck these V sections over the bottom wire of the tomato cage at an angle. Only ones did I have two blow over from wind. I built new ones this year that ended up being larger than my previous ones so I am going to use metal tent stakes to secure them.

I am also adding 10 smaller trees that I am calling micro trees. I got the idea from Chuck Smith's article on Planet Christmas website. They are wreath hangers bought at Hobby Lobby. I am using the 20 or 24 inch ones. I don't remember exactly. You just need to cut down two of the legs to match the length of the shortest leg then string your lights how you want to. In the article he used 3 100 count light strings. I only used 2 100 count strings and the coverage came out pretty good. I can be a bit of a perfectionist also so don't be surprised if you make these you end up moving bulbs around if you use regular incan strings. At parts I had too many of one color so I moved the bulbs around to give a more mix of the multi colors.

I hope this helps and good luck on your show next year!

 

Al

[scubado]

Use two cages per tree.  One inside the other and offset so that you have 6 vertical runs, helps keep a more rounded looking tree.