Thread: Does anyone on here also do xmass props

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I make a lot of those Light Balls using the 9 ounce plastic cups.
I like "modifying" those animated wire reindeers with different motors.
Latest thing I made was the Xmas Teeter-Totter I doubled as a Halloween prop.
I'm trying to come up with some new ideas for Xmas props.

I will do a christmas tree and thats it. The only reason that goes up is that I have a 2 year old and a tree is a vital component in summoning santa.

On a different tune. I noticed a neighbor has already put up a fairly descent light scene. I don't recall them going all out like this in the past. Makes me wonder if my Halloween display inspired them at all. I guess thats ok, as long as you can inspire in some form, it still makes you feel good.

Originally Posted by DaveintheGrave

I make a lot of those Light Balls using the 9 ounce plastic cups.
I like "modifying" those animated wire reindeers with different motors.
Latest thing I made was the Xmas Teeter-Totter I doubled as a Halloween prop.
I'm trying to come up with some new ideas for Xmas props.

Can you tell me how to do those?They look cool.

My house is visible from space. 23K lights strung over 150' of street frontage. The best prop I have is a 1950's full size department store Santa with a gearbox that allows him to turn at the waist and wave his arm. After I got him, for free on craigslist, I had to do some work on his suit and his guts. It's amazing how well built he is, with oil filled ball and sleeve bearings on all the moving parts. He now works like new, and makes all the modern ones look like crap.

Craig

slanks, your decorations are outstanding!!! What did you make the gingerbread siding out of, how do you attach it to your house, and most importantly, how the heck do you store all of it? I also love the "fence" made with the lighted posts and the garland. Did you make the posts? Normally I don't like a really busy yard, but yours works very well, especially themed with elves decorating the trees and such. Very well done!

We decorate the house and yard at Christmas, but nothing like that. We have several lighted wire figures we put out (whole sleigh team and sleigh, polar bears, skiing bear, and snowmen), and a 12 foot light tree that I made. Here's two links to photobucket albums for 2007 and 2008. About the only difference is I didn't put up the candy cane arches last year, and we added a Santa to the front porch.

Christmas2007

Christmas2008

This year, I'm putting Gemmy LED lights around the edge of the roof, and going with LED lights for the yard tree...1800 of them, to be exact. Gotta love LED's.

Originally Posted by mikentn

slanks, your decorations are outstanding!!! What did you make the gingerbread siding out of, how do you attach it to your house, and most importantly, how the heck do you store all of it? I also love the "fence" made with the lighted posts and the garland. Did you make the posts? Normally I don't like a really busy yard, but yours works very well, especially themed with elves decorating the trees and such. Very well done!

We decorate the house and yard at Christmas, but nothing like that. We have several lighted wire figures we put out (whole sleigh team and sleigh, polar bears, skiing bear, and snowmen), and a 12 foot light tree that I made. Here's two links to photobucket albums for 2007 and 2008. About the only difference is I didn't put up the candy cane arches last year, and we added a Santa to the front porch.

Christmas2007

Christmas2008

This year, I'm putting Gemmy LED lights around the edge of the roof, and going with LED lights for the yard tree...1800 of them, to be exact. Gotta love LED's.

Mikentn,

Thanks! Your yard isn't too shabby either!

The gingerbread is 1/2" pink foam. I have a pseudo-stucco house so it is fairly easy to attach. I cut it so it is very snug to start with and then a couple screws per sheet, just barely going into the wood, holds it well, even with the winter storms we are prone to in Chicago.

Were do I store everything - anywhere where I can! Let's just say you don't want to challenge me to a game of Tetris.....

The candy cane fence poles are made out of 3" PVC, red duct tape and ceiling fan lights.

Jim

oh dont get me started on christmas....

Have spent all weekend working on it, but except for a couple items (Hot Cocoa stand and the teeter-totter) I am finally done.

Not much new this year - basically expansion on previous years

However, for the first time, I am syncing to music. Am running 12 channels of the Gemmy controller. Hoping to expand to LOR next year.

Below are a couple pictures as well as a link to the entire album.

The first shot is the "Before" photo.









PhotoBucket Album:
Christmas 2009 pictures by jslanks - Photobucket

Holy cow... Looks AMAZING, I'm soooo jelous. Make sure to post a vid of it when it's syncronized to music!

Very nice. I, too, would like to see a vid of your house.

What is that in the middle of the third picture? It's blurred but it looks like a merry go round with snowmen, is that right? What are you using to keep your fence from falling over? It looks to wide to be just rebar.

I like seeing the change from Thanksgiving to Xmas. But what did your Halloween before and after look like?