Pumpkin lighting options?

[AndyK]

For those that use the $1 plastic pumpkin and add lights to them, what sort of lights do you use>? C7/C9’s, a small string of white lights (led or incand) or what else? Also, do you “weather proof” them in any way; drill holes at the bottom for the water to drain or use any type of plastic wrap to try to cover the top to keep the water out?

I picked up a few and just trying to figure out the best way to light them (currently going to use some strands of white lights that I already have, vs. spending $3 per pumpkin to add c7 clip in lights - I have 25 pumpkins, so it would quickly add up and the Halloween budget is already low)

Thanks!

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[tomskillman]

I simply drill a hole in the bottom and put a string of 100 incandescent minis in there(unraveled so that they mostly fill the pumpkin). I take the approach that you're never going to keep water out so you might as well let it drain out the bottom, kinda like electrical connections! Been doing that for a long time and never had a problem and they look decent. A sheet of theatrical diffusion gel will spread out the light and prevent seeing individual bulbs, but I've never bothered worrying about it. Give it a try and see what you think.

[pyromill]

For lighting those pumpkins I take use a single c9 with a clip on them to hold onto the backside of the pumpkin facing down. Drill or punch a couple holes in the bottom and a 16d nail to hold them in place, sometimes also a couple rocks and all is good to go

oh and the c9's .. come from cut up after Christmas sale ones I got for dirt cheap uses less energy than a string of mini's per pumpkin

[Guest guest]

I would hang mine over the porch light fixtures with a strobe bulb screwed into each fixture.

No, they weren't LOR controlled, but made for a nice effect at the entrace to the recessed porch area at the house we lived in in 2010.

If I were going to light them individually and use LOR, I'd probably use a single C7 4w night light bulb and drill a hole in the back of each pumpkin in the upper area so it points down, then drill a few small drain holes in the bottom. And use the flickering effect, which I improved on my original design of, and have then flicker like real candlelit Jack-O'-Lantern's.

You can see this effect and how I sequenced it in many of my sequences, which you can find here:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=7d6d47dfa1c635ae&Bsrc=EMSHGM&Bpub=SN.Notifications&id=7D6D47DFA1C635AE%211240

The effect works well with all lighting types, incandescent strings, LED strings, C7 or C9 bulbs. Just look at the Jack O Lantern track of my 2011 sequences.

[AndyK]

Thank you all - those are all GREAT ideas!! I did not plan well enough after Christmas last year (to buy incand. C7/C9's), I was stocking up on LED sale items. But for $9.99 at Garden Ridge, I can get a set of 25 C7 or C9 and use some dead strings I havee for wire and re-wire them all to get the distance I need between each light (that's way cheeper than the $3 per bucket for the single socket clip in lights at Hobby Lobby). I also like the orange plate idea for the top!!! Thanks again everyone!!

[Pepper]

I used those pails for my 2007 display.It was a big hit & worked out really easy.I drilled a hole in the bottom then lit with a string of c7 bulbs.The string was probably from a 10 light pathway pumpkin set.Those have a lil more space between lights.To hide the wire I covered it with moss I got my dad to pick for me.Being on the ground I don't remember if it flipped the breaker or not when we got rains but seems it didn't.

[huskernut]

I used vampire plugs and c7 sockets to make my wiring harness. I cut holes in the back of them just big enough for the threaded part of the bulb so it holds in place when screwed into the socket. I stacked them in the window in a 4X3 matrix format

rp

[TJ Hvasta]

I did what Pepper did, just line a bunch of those pumpkins around the tree and ran them with 16channels, filling in voices from the talking ropelight faces.. single C9's, SPT1 and vampire plugs..

Andy, you can also cut open the back and fit the pumpkins over your porch lights, if you have them and they're small enough.

[AndyK]

I went and got a string of C9 from Garden Ridge yesterday and then found a dead string of lights and started untwisting and salvaging that string. I need two sets of 10 lights. I WAS going to use the salvaged wire to extend the distance between each light (I need 36 inches between light as I am alternating the pumpkins they are 12 inches apart and up on stakes). So I am ok with that… What I am concerned about now is splitting the 25 into two 10’s (and then make 4 individual ones), and then having the right (safe) wattage/amperage. Now I’m thinking C9 may be too strong so I am thinking of going back to get C7 and then just double up (2 lights in each pumpkins). I found a thread on PC on splitting 50’s into 25 & 100’s into 50’s – but I’m concern reducing this string of 25.
Am I being too paranoid?

[pyromill]

AndyK wrote:

I went and got a string of C9 from Garden Ridge yesterday and then found a dead string of lights and started untwisting and salvaging that string. I need two sets of 10 lights. I WAS going to use the salvaged wire to extend the distance between each light (I need 36 inches between light as I am alternating the pumpkins they are 12 inches apart and up on stakes). So I am ok with that… What I am concerned about now is splitting the 25 into two 10’s (and then make 4 individual ones), and then having the right (safe) wattage/amperage. Now I’m thinking C9 may be too strong so I am thinking of going back to get C7 and then just double up (2 lights in each pumpkins). I found a thread on PC on splitting 50’s into 25 & 100’s into 50’s – but I’m concern reducing this string of 25.
Am I being too paranoid?

each c9 would use aprox .08amps I wouldn't worry about a single bulb being on old mini light wire..two sets of ten would be aprox 1.6 amps... being mini light strand fuses are rated at 3 amps I wouldn't worry much at all...

[Tom Clapper]

I am also lighting up some pumpkins this year but mine are funkins. I am using c7 nitelites from menards. They were .99 cents each and then I put orange c7 christmas light bulbs in them. I think they were .99 cents for a 4 pack. So for $1.25 a pumpkin they were pretty cheap. I have set up mine and tested some sequences I have ready and they look great. I've even tried a flickering sequence and they look like real candles in them.

[Dad02]

This year's Halloween addition is a pumpkin tower.

Meet Jack.....

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