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Tomato cage snowflakes instead of mintrees

TJ Hvasta

By TJ Hvasta
in General Decorating Questions

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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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I saw this on a different forum last year, made up one as an experiment and decided to make a bunch more for the house eaves.. Tomato cages, cut, zip-tied (or welded) butt-end to end, wrapped with white-wired minis then garland for 6' snowflakes.. Pix are attached..

Two cages makes one snowflake. Cut at midpoint on each loop so you have 3 evenly spaced sections that look like barbs (or upside down T's, a vertical leg, and the ring legs pointing to the sides). Bend it flat. Bend each leg into abt 60degree angle from each center leg. Butt the three bottom "angled" legs together, and zip-tie(or weld) them so it looks like a snowflake, LARGE, but a snowflake. Wrap with white-wired minilights, then with white garland and you have a 6' snowflake to hang from an eave..

I made one last year, think I'm going to make 5-7 more for this year.. Plug them into 6-8 channels and make them bounce to the music.. just a lil different than minitrees.. frees up a lil bit of the yard too. Wrapped, they're a couple pounds each, so some strong piano/picture wire would be needed to hang from. I zip-tied a 1/2" pvc pipe to the back of mine, and stood it up against a wall with a board for a foot, slid over a furring strip. Worked well..


Attached files 207273=11511-TomateCageSnowFlake1.jpg

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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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Second pix.. Plug them into LOR channels, add them to an existing line.. just a minitree alternative..

Also, be very careful of the sharp points on the cut legs.. file them round for your safety, dip them with plastic tool dip or put vacuum line plugs over the tips.. um, dont ask how I know this.. but "chicks dig scars.. just not the Frankenstien kind.." :)

Attached files 207274=11512-TomateCageSnowFlake2.jpg

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lightzilla Member

lightzilla

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TJ Hvasta wrote:

I saw this on a different forum last year.

Which forum? Maybe I shouldn't say these words as a few missiles may come my way but I well say it anyway Planet Christmas.

"BOOM"

lightzilla was just blown up.

Whatever forum you got the idea from is not important, but to view the thread would be good. I an looking for something to replace mini trees if the effect would still look good.

I saw something in Ikea that might make a good mini tree but different.

I guess those coro guys probably already have snowflake and stars that would work.

I like this idea and gives me something to think about.
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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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I don't really remember which one it was. Might been PC.

The coro forms, while nice, don't lend themselves to hang from eaves or gutters. Price and size is different too. I like these in that no one has snowflakes but again it's just an alternative to mt's. =}

if you go to my YouTube page (www.YouTube.com/user/skygodtj I have several christmas videos with the snowflake in them ( left side of screen against back wall ) for how it looks. The Christmas Lights Disney Pirates of the Caribbean video shows it pretty good..

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Dan C Member

Dan C

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Great idea! I just so happen to have 2 extra cages that I haven't used yet and some extra lights. Might have to put one together if I have time.

Thanks for the idea.

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jimswinder Member

jimswinder

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TJ Hvasta wrote:

I don't really remember which one it was. Might been PC.




Attached files 207380=11520-stupid me.GIF
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Linda Member

Linda

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I liked the idea so well I made one today. I can't wait to get the lights on it and see how it looks. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it.

Attached files 207449=11525-100_3216 snowflake.jpg

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rstately Member

rstately

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Hi,
I wanted to put a lot of snow flakes on my roof, and have each one on a separate channel. So I made a snow flake out of 1/4 steel, didn't take to long.
Looked great. but when I started putting lights on it, then turned it on in the dark, It looked a lot like figure 6 on the drawing, just a blob of lights.
I ended up buying the philips snowflakes from target. I now have 40, at 20.00 each. (they are awesome just pricey when you need a lot.)
So I can't wait to see if these things light up to look like a snowflake?
Good luck, and take care to put the lights on neatly.;)

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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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Thanks Linda, and everyone.. When I wrapped the lights , it took several tries to get the lights to wrap in the lines and still have the stubby points defined.. Just keep trying.. :) The original idea wasn't mine, I just brought it here (I think)

TJ

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rstately Member

rstately

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TJ Hvasta wrote:

Thanks Linda, and everyone.. When I wrapped the lights , it took several tries to get the lights to wrap in the lines and still have the stubby points defined.. Just keep trying.. :) The original idea wasn't mine, I just brought it here (I think)

TJ

I hope my post didn't come across as a criticism, I think it's great,
and creative idea.
I just wanted to point out that certain wire frames, the snowflake
being one of them. are difficult to get right.
Knowing that going in, could help you get it right the first time!
:)
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Linda Member

Linda

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That's my main concern too. It was really easy to make, but I'm not expecting the rest to be that easy. If it doesn't work, oh well, maybe I can make a spider web out of it for Halloween......:cool:

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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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no worries, I know its a little tough to figure out how to wrap it at first, took several tries, but my wife actually figured it out, and after it was wrapped, the white garland helped define it more and redirect the ligght more inline with the wireframe .. as I wrote, you can see what it looks like on my youtube pages..

'just over the red lollipop at 0:10 and 1:35
http://www.youtube.com/user/skygodtj#p/u/2/C--i1WfYOHA

'to the right of the megatree, just over the blue flood-lit wall
http://www.youtube.com/user/skygodtj#p/u/10/1Hxp3Y7a_bc

you'll see it lit, looks good from the street.. again, just takes a little experimenting on wrapping and the garland helps lash the lights to the wire.

teege

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TJ Hvasta Member

TJ Hvasta

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rstately wrote:

I hope my post didn't come across as a criticism, I think it's great,
and creative idea.
I just wanted to point out that certain wire frames, the snowflake
being one of them. are difficult to get right.
Knowing that going in, could help you get it right the first time!
:)


No worries 'mate.. it was something new, I couldnt remember how we wrapped it, but Diane (the wife) figured it out. If I rack my brain, I think she used a couple 100ct sets, basically going up, folding back down at each tip, either the sets meeting in the center, or started at a tip (was going to hang it from the eave) and worked towards the middle and back out again. Either way would work, and the garland makes the light glow sorta puffy.. the videos show it..

never thot of it as critisizm, so we're still good :)
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