Looking for Ideas

[Chad Fitzgerald]

I have a craft show coming up. Chamber run event "festival of Trees". Basically all local businesses are invited to make their own xmas tree. plumbers use plumbing supplies, auto body uses auto parts, etc. We get a booth as well to display our products. Trees are judged in different categories and prizes awarded. Runs for two weekends and the week in between. This is my first year and have been trying to come up with a unique design. Then I thought, why not ask the forum, wevryone here always have very unique ideas.
My tree will be aprox. 2' tall, i want to show off the lasers ability. My first thought is making a tree with acrylic(have 3/16 on hand) somewhat like the 9 point snowflake design i have seen in some past posts. Utilizing different materials for the ornaments, wood, leather, alum., glass, mirror. photos on some, text and simple graphics on others.
The presents under the tree im thinking of making acrylic boxes (blue red green) leaving off the front and making the same color alum. bus cards that people can take. the cards would sit in a slot and make up the front of the box"present". if that makes any sense.
Not sure about the tree skirt yet.
ANY ideas or suggestions are much appreciated. this will be my first "show" and want to use it to get my name out there. I will also be displaying several items and hopefully taking orders for xmas. this comes perfect timing, dec. 1-dec 9.
Suggestions on the "best way to display is welcome as well.
Thanks in advance and i cant wait to read your ideas.

[Mike Null]

Chad

Do a search on SMC for Christmas ornaments. There are some really attractive items in the files.

[Chad Fitzgerald]

Hi Mike, i have and have found tons of neat ornaments. Almost too many, my tree wont be big enough for all. was just thinking, anyone have a design for a tree about the size im thinking?? or an idea on the skirt, material to use??

[Dee Gallo]

Chad, I make these from time to time, I call them Halos. They look great and work with your regular lights and best with LED lights. They are good for a tree but also nice for general decorations, along stairways or doorways, etc. Feel free to take the idea and make your own!

They fit over the lightbulb and glow on the edges. I also make them for other occasions, like Valentine's Day, Easter, Birthdays, etc. Some people like to leave lights up all year long.

cheers, dee

EDIT: regarding the tree, there is (somewhere) a tree design, but it is small... I don't think acrylic is a very "warm and inviting" material to use for a tree, personally.

[Chad Fitzgerald]

wow dee, those are awesome. love em. it looks like the light "snaps" into the hole and that is what hangs them, is that right?? and when you say regular lights you mean regular xmas lights right?
are you using different color acrylic or is the color coming from different color lights?.
any chance you would share the files?
One of the categories to be judged ius best use of lights, i think you just gave me a "one up" on everyone for that category.
thanks
this place is awesome

[Dee Gallo]

Chad,

The Halos are made from clear cast acrylic, 1/8" thick. The hole is tricky - you have to measure the light diameter and make it exact or it falls off. There is a little hole on the side to allow for some flex to hold it better. Look at the B&W pic to see what I mean (the one on the far left shows it).

The color of the light is what colors the halo. I buy small light strings of 20 and people seem to like those. They can connect several if they want to. These things have a tremendous WOW factor when seen in person.

I'll have to get onto my "laser computer" to locate the files. But I'm leaving for the day in a few minutes, so it will be later tonight or tomorrow, okay?

cheers, dee

[Glen Monaghan]

My first thought was that these were a great idea, but then I wondered what sort of variation there was in the "bulb" diameter on led lights and thought it would be almost hopeless to have these fit/stay on lights unless you provided matching lights with them. Started wondering whether maybe three small "pips" around the hole would work (sort of like the way I use nodes on tabbed construction) but it didn't seem like it would be suitable for mating to a plastic led housing. It took a few seconds of staring at the picture before I realized that your "little hole" wasn't a circle but a slot positioned so that it left a narrow strip of acrylic along one edge of the hole, and that narrow strip provides the flex to give/deform around a tightly fitting led housing. Seems like a nice solution to allow for small variation in size and still provide a snug friction fit with acrylic! Any idea how much variation in led size it allows with your particular dimensions?

-Glen

[Chad Fitzgerald]

thanks dee, appreciate it.

[Vicki Rivrud]

Wow Dee! Those are very pretty. I hope you share the design file. Every year I have a special Christmas project with the 3 grand kids and these look like they will be fun!

All the best,
Vicki

[Dee Gallo]

Here is a file in v10, so most people should be able to open it. I have a bunch of these with different designs. Once you see how it's made, you should be able to make your own. It would be cool for your show to make one with your logo or spelling out the name of your company or something else like Merry Christmas. I've made them with my logo and attach them to a Christmas card sent out to good customers.

I'm not sure which one this is, but I have found that the lights vary a lot, even on each string... so the holes have to be adjusted if you have a specific bulb size. That's why I usually sell them with the lights, but also because people are lazy and they prefer to buy the whole kit. If you get the lights after season on sale you can make some money on them. As it is, the 20 light strings are only $6 or so.

So take one hole, cut it out on a scrap and test with your lights. Then you can adjust bigger or smaller as needed. I have also made them with TWO side slots, which allows for more size variation.

Have fun, dee

[Vicki Rivrud]

What a great idea! I just had a customer asking about "personal" Christmas give aways instead of him sending out throw away cards.

Thanks a bunch,
Vicki

[Chuck Stone]

EDIT: regarding the tree, there is (somewhere) a tree design, but it is small... I don't think acrylic is a very "warm and inviting" material to use for a tree, personally.

Might work well in Baltic birch, though.. and size can be adjusted if you remember to adjust the slot size to match
your material..

[Dee Gallo]

Here is the one with the candy canes, but also a rectangular ornament you can use with a photo or whatever.

If you ungroup the little hole/slot, you will see the size of the opening. I think the most common size I found is .19, so I made the holes .19 x .18, with the slot on the short side to take up the tension. It's best to do your design first, group it and then place the hole in the position you want it. Resizing the image will resize the hole, so make sure you separate them first if you are going to change the size!

cheers, dee

EDIT: BTW- I had a store that wanted a display of these, so I got a fake wreath and attached a 20 light string - it looked great!

[Vicki Rivrud]

Thanks! Opened fine and the candy canes are going to be a big hit.

The grand kids get to make & decorate their own ornaments every year for their own little tree . . . when they are grown what an assortment they will have :)

Vicki

[Chad Fitzgerald]

thanks again dee, these are greast. Like the idea of my logo or name in the lights.

[Chad Fitzgerald]

OK, know what im doing for ornaments and lights, using dees ideas along with some wood ones, leather, etc. BUT, now im thinking that using acrylic for the tree may NOT be a good idea. acrylic ornaments AND TREE, too much of the same.? Any suggestion on what to make the tree out of???

[Mike Null]

Way out---how about making the Eiffel Tower as your "tree"?

[Chad Fitzgerald]

oooh, that is out there, i like it, i think. would that fit into a "festival of trees"????? got to think about this one, love the uniqueness factor. hmmmm?

[Mark Ross]

I don't know, I think an acrylic tree would be kind of a kick back to the old silver trees with the color wheel if you were to edge light the tree from the bottom. I have attached a file for a table top tree that was in the forums somewhere, you could scale it up. Maybe engrave different things like a nativity scene or other non political christmas scenes like Santa, oh wait, well anyhow, the file is attached.

[Chuck Stone]

well anyhow, the file is attached.

I just bumped it up to 24" and changed the slots for 1/8" plywood in case new
folks need it now. (instead of waiting till they learn Corel.. like me!! )

[Bill Cunningham]

Seems to me that there was a really nice acrylic tree posted here a few years ago.. I probably have it someplace, but a 'creek' search may turn it up..