How to make a wire light display?

[NV1985]

Those of you who have made your own wire light displays what did you use?   What kind of wire?  How did you hold the lights on?  (or cut the lights short to fit smaller parts [example santa hat]?).  I'd really like any advice or even links to blogs/videos to get an idea on where to start.   I'm trying to get prepared for next year already.  I want to add some unique ideas if possible.  We made the star on our roof this year in a similar way to these diretions, but I kind of like the wire ideas better.  I know the whole square lights up when the star goes off on the one we have now.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joiEAYdv4vg

 

I don't know if these belong to anyone on here but this is some examples I've seen that people did themselves by searching videos online.  So neat! 

 

 

 

 

Or another idea I had was to add lights to wooden cutouts & painted, but I wasn't sure how that would look.  So that at night I could animate them (maybe singing etc) but during the day they were just a square with holes.  :0/    

 

Ideas or suggestions welcome.  As you can see I'm all over the place.  haha 

 

 

 

 

[Max-Paul]

Keep your eyes open. There are a few on this and other Christmas light forums that make the wire frames. You can buy clips that clip to the wire frames and then you can put mini or M5/6 LED lamps in the clips. You cant just cut light strings, be it mini or LED strings. But if you have some training in electrical and electronic basics you might be able to figure out how it is done. Removing bulbs or LED raise the voltage on the remaining lamps. Thus you burn them out without adding a proper resistance and wattage resistors. Also with LED you might need to re-install a diode or two. More to it than just snipping and taping.

[zman]

If you check the How-To section on my website, I have a Wireframe Workshop we did here in the PNW. I cover a lot of basics of making them, but no specific details like animated or what Max-Paul mentions. A lot animated wireframes are experience, or finding the right vendor to work with you.