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Christmas Word Tree Project

Here it is, probably our most ambitious home-made project for Belardo Lights! The Christmas Word Tree! We put the finishing touches on it as we were gearing up for the 2007 Lighting Season. The Word Tree consists of 17 individual words that are made using mini-lights inserted into Coro plastic and then framed into "branches" that are arranged symmetrically around a "trunk" in the shape of a tree. Of course, each word is individually addressable by our Light-o-Rama controllers, which is going to make it fun!

The goal is to be able to flash single words and combinations of words depending on the song or "phrasing" that is going on with the music at the time. It's a little hard to explain, but once you see the Christmas Word Tree, we hope you'll like it. Of course, special programming will make the Christmas Word Tree come to life!

Here is how one part of the Word Tree is made. We start with the "Joy" layout, tape it on the coro sheet, measure for the layout of the lights every 3/4", punch the holes, and turn it into a complete sign with the addition of a string of mini-lights and a frame.

Signs are combined together based on length (longer panels on the bottom of the tree, shorter panels on the top of the tree). Here is a view of the "Green" and "Red" signs lit up. Notice the ever-so-subtle color coordination of the lights with these signs...

During a "fit to test" session for the Christmas Word Tree, here is Brandon expressing his pleasure with the design. Making each of these coro signs, and then combining certain pairs together for the "branches" took several weeks over the spring and summer in 2007.

Here's a look at the "Cure" and "Hope" signs as part of the Word Tree. Making each of these signs was a very painstaking process that involved choosing the contents, projecting the word on the wall, tracing the letters, laying out the punch pattern, punching the letters, choosing colors, inserting lights, framing, and finally, joining words together to form the branches on the tree. In 2008, we've decided to re-do a few of the signs to reduce the number of colors and change a few words.

And, finally, this last photo shows the rear section of the word "Green" on the Tree. When the letters are punched and lights are inserted in the coro plastic sign base, special care is taken in the routing of the lights so that the holes can be filled sequentially and no lights are left "stranded." Each sign in the word tree is built this way, and then they're all joined together in branches and at the "Trunk" to make the finished product...

Please stop by this year and see our Christmas Word Tree in action! Brandon has been working with me to refurbish the lights in the tree and program them with our Light-o-Rama software. We hope you like what we have done! The Christmas Word Tree!