Thread: Rotating christmas lights for a clown room

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We are thinking of doing a brightly colored clown room... At the ceiling we wantt to string colored christmas lights.
I would like to have the ceiling of lights rotate.
Anyone think of a way to make this work? I am thinking along the lines of a rotating christmas tree stand hanging from the ceiling to plug the lights into?? Do they just rotate one direction and then the other direction? Or do they rotate only the one direction? Guess I dont really care if it reverses and goes the other way.

Anyway, we would need to make the whole thing turn... not sure this would be strong enough to turn the whole thing?

An thoughts or other ideas...? This is an early plan so right now its just a thought, but it would sure make the room more circus like! Maybe a little disorienting too?

Sorry,.... just had another thought. The lights could just blink to give the effect of them turning... like spokes on a wheel.

How could that be accomplished?

I know when you buy most halloween lights there is usualy a flicker bulb that can be attached to make the whole wire flash. Oh, I just thought of something else, what if you take the christmas lights and cut open the wire (near the plug), and attach a florescent starter (very inexpensive - can be bought at home depot.) That would create a random and continuis flickering of ther lights, and because they aren't florescent, they will never stop!

Good luck,
the halloweenie

Without getting into a lot of expense, maybe try a set of rope lights with a chase sequence. Just a thought.

you have a couple of options,
1) attempt to spin the entire ceiling
2) attempt to simulate the entire ceiling spinning
3) keep the ceiling still and spin the room.

i am going to address option 2 ( which i will call "vegas style")

how about 8 or 16 strings of lights like spokes in a wheel. being christmas light strings they will be long enough to go end to end of room.

below is drawing of 8

then you can spin the light spokes depending on how much light you want in room and effect. I would put a white border around the circle of lights that stay on all the time to help with the effect of a spinning wheel.

with 8 i would....

string 1 is on, string 2 on, string 1 off, string 3 on, string 2 off, string 4 on, string 3 off, string 5 on, string 4 off.... (two strings on at all times)

or string 1 on, string 2 on string 3 on, string 1 off, string 4 on, string 2 off string 5 on, string 3 off (three strings on at all times)

with 16 it would be two sets on at the same time

string 1 and 9 are on at the same time 2 and 10 etc...

so string 1 and 9 on, string 2 and 10 on, string 1 and 9 off, string 3 and 11 on... etc

to control it you will use a kit 74 (attached to a computer) or a prop 1 controler.

speed and length on is up to you with a little help from US with programing if needed. plus you could reverse it and go the other way, turn them all on, every other on and off, etc. for the same idea for more $$$ search LOR.

i'd also suggest using c7 or c9 lights and not the tiny mini lights, which might add to the circus feel



sorry for the crude drawing. it was on a paper place mat i was goofing with during lunch.

OR and this option bugs me with weight over people. large round circle of thin ply or foam - 8 feet by 8 feet might be your max, spin it with motor and paint with black light paint. while your at it might as well make a dot room on the walls and only use black lights and the dots on wall and spinner on ceiling as the light source. (dang, now i like this if it wasnt for the 8 x8 ft limitation.

Gravedigger Greg has two great ideas here.

Just to add to your choices, you could use the Christmas tree stand idea. Here's a picture of one:



If you look at the top circle, that is the only thing that rotates...and luckily, so do those two plugs for lights. I could see you attaching this to the ceiling and then attaching a frame to hold up the lights (using steel rods or foam structure). btw: It is 1 RPM. Oh, and a new unit is about $75.

Easiest to simply go buy this... Udo Disco Ball in

They are also stocked at their mall stores. I have one for my kiddos garage party dance floor and it works great.