Ideas for static parts of display using multi color minis

[Klayfish]

I've been hitting every Wal-Mart hard since Christmas, snapping up LED stuff on clearance.  I've picked up a nice assortment of lights, lots of minis, some C9s.  Today, one Wal-Mart just dropped their prices to 75% off.  So I took every last box of LED mini lights they had.  About 60 boxes of multi color.  Add that to what I have already grabbed and I probably have about 7000 new LED multi color mini lights.  I was tempted to grab some incan minis as well, as I can now get them for $.60/box and they have cases upon cases left.  But for now, I grabbed LEDs.  Now the big question...what to do with them??? 

 

Sorry I don't have any pictures of my yard right now, I can post later.  But it's very large, so space isn't an issue.  I currently have 32 channels, will be expanding to 48 for 2014.  However, I already have those channels planned out.  So I'm looking for ideas on how to use these LED multi color minis in static form.  I'll browse through the My Christmas Display portion of the forum to look at videos, but just wanted to post to see if anyone had good ideas.  If you had a ton of extra multi color minis for static use, what would you build with them?  Big or small, open to all ideas.

[75redman]

I would prob. make a few mini mega trees between 8-12ft.  Or start thinking for 2015, adding arches, you could start making the sleeves and have them ready to go.

[Jim Hans]

Loop them between candy canes to "fence in" your display.

[75redman]

Or you can send them to me and I'll use them for ya!  

[Klayfish]

I can definitely do some arches.  I had dancing arches in my display, but I wasn't thrilled with them because I thought they were too small.  I used a 10' PVC and irrigation tubing as sleeves.  The arch was only about 2.5' tall or so.  I'll use them again this year, but want to make taller arches.  For a 10' mini mega, what do you guy use to secure it into the ground?

 

Jim,

I actually used multi color C9 LEDs this past year to fence in my parking area.  Since I live on a main roadway, people have to come up my driveway and park on my lawn.  My driveway goes about 100' up a hill, then you can veer slightly to the right and there's a loop (previous owner of the house had it put in as a "race track" for his kids).  I had the lights up the driveway, around the loop and creating a roped parking area.  I used about 40 boxes of C9s.  At first, my wife didn't like the idea, but after seeing it light up, she loved it.  Definitely plan on doing it again in 2014.

[Klayfish]

Oh, and 75Redman...I'm not done snapping up lights yet.  Just got off the phone with my wife, who's home from work today due to the snow.  Roads are cleared out, so she's going to another Wal-Mart to snatch up what they have.  I'll find a way to use them...as they saying goes...where's there's a will, there's a way.

 

[gc75067]

I can definitely do some arches.  I had dancing arches in my display, but I wasn't thrilled with them because I thought they were too small.  I used a 10' PVC and irrigation tubing as sleeves.  The arch was only about 2.5' tall or so.  I'll use them again this year, but want to make taller arches.  For a 10' mini mega, what do you guy use to secure it into the ground?

 

Jim,

I actually used multi color C9 LEDs this past year to fence in my parking area.  Since I live on a main roadway, people have to come up my driveway and park on my lawn.  My driveway goes about 100' up a hill, then you can veer slightly to the right and there's a loop (previous owner of the house had it put in as a "race track" for his kids).  I had the lights up the driveway, around the loop and creating a roped parking area.  I used about 40 boxes of C9s.  At first, my wife didn't like the idea, but after seeing it light up, she loved it.  Definitely plan on doing it again in 2014.

not sure what others do.. but my mini-mega tree is ~10ft or so plus a 30" 4 channel star on top.. i used sch40 pvc to make mine.. at the base i used 4 ways for the uprights.  i placed the tree where it was going to sit and used 4 pieces of 3/8"x48" rebar where 4 of the 4 ways were located.. lifted the tree up and slid the rebar into 4 of the uprights.  we have quite a bit of wind and mine held up just fine.  no snow though.

not sure what others do.. but my mini-mega tree is ~10ft or so plus a 30" 4 channel star on top.. i used sch40 pvc to make mine.. at the base i used 4 ways for the uprights.  i placed the tree where it was going to sit and used 4 pieces of 3/8"x48" rebar where 4 of the 4 ways were located.. lifted the tree up and slid the rebar into 4 of the uprights.  we have quite a bit of wind and mine held up just fine.  no snow though.

ugh - still no edit.. thats for my spiral mini-mega tree

[Klayfish]

Just want to bring this question back up.  Since I'm stuck at home basically useless I'm going to start planning my 2014 display now (I had initially planned to wait until Valentines Day).  Just looking for any ideas on what to do with LED mini strands and LED C9s.  Things I already have included are:

 

1.  Using C9s to outline my driveway and the parking area.  I did it in 2013 and it was great.

 

2.  Approx 10' mega trees.  I'll make them nice and full by using a lot of strands. 

 

3.  4 or 5 candy canes that are 5' tall and made from PVC pipe. 

 

4.  Arches

 

5.  Use C9's to make a "grid" on my lawn

 

So I'm looking for any other ideas on how to use these lights, things I could build.  I'm looking for ideas that would be good as static display, as I've got all my channels already used up.

[bob_moody]

Without knowing your layout .. I can only add that we have about 4000 Multi-color incans laid out in an 8x8 yard grid ... takes a single LOR 16 channel controller... but .. a lot of impact to the display ...

I see your in PA .. so snow on the ground is probably a big issue .. BUT .. I have seen grids under the snow and they look pretty awesome ...

 

Bob

 

(This is what I get for multi-tasking to many things at once .. didn't see that you already used c9's for the yard grid ... my bad)

Edited February 7, 2014 by bob_moody

[George Simmons]

DISCLAIMER:  I've never liked multi minis, except for the inside tree where you could view from a short enough distance to appreciate the separate colors.  I've seen static displays done with multis and everything just washed out and blended together - there was no sense of depth or individual identity with anything in the yard.  Granted, these were all incandescents and most LEDs have bolder colors.  Also, I'm no fan of mixed displays.  I've seen a few people who've pulled it off reasonably well, but IMHO, most times it significantly diminishes the sequenced elements.

 

I think if you're careful and use the multis in specific elements rather than all over the place, it can be done without too many things running together visually.  I'd also make sure you don't have multis in front of (as per the viewer's line of sight) other display elements, especially those which are sequenced.  Another consideration might be using the multi's for things you're sequencing and using solid colors for the static stuff.

Edited February 7, 2014 by George Simmons

[Klayfish]

George,

No worries, if money were no object multi minis would not be at the top of my lights list either.  However, for me I grabbed whatever I could get my hands on in clearance sales.  I love theme or color oriented displays, a lot of the videos I see are really cool.  Just a personal taste thing, but I'm enjoying the potpourri display.  With the really large yard I'm lucky enough to have, there's plenty of room to spread it out so that it's not just one huge cluster.  I try to do little pockets of themes.  I'm sure with this many multi minis there's bound to be some run together visually as you first approach my yard, but it's a trade off I live with. Your thoughts on keeping them away from the display elements is right in line with my plan.  With the way I have the parking area set up for guests, they look right across my driveway and at the sequenced props.  From that perspective, most everything else is behind that stuff....imagine being in the end zone of a football field standing at the goal post.  The sequenced props are at the goal line, and everything else would be down the field.  My yard isn't an exact rectangle, but it's the same concept.

 

Still trying to figure out what else to use them for.  So far, I've come up with:  lolipops, mini-mega trees (static), a large lighted "MERRY CHRISTMAS" sign and I'm going to try some 6' static PVC candy canes.