Tree lighting is one of the most popular landscape design techniques. It simultaneously brings aesthetic pleasure and allows you to illuminate the backyard area in the dark. There are several methods for lighting vegetation: using lamps and spotlights located on the ground, fixing LED garlands on trunks, and creating LED trees. How to make an LED tree with your own hands, and we'll talk further.
How to use the backlight correctly?
Depending on what result you want to get from illuminating trees, one or another method of illumination is chosen. In order for the luminous trees for the street to look beautiful, you must follow a few basic rules:
spotlights are best placed on the ground at some distance from the tree under a slight slope;
Multiple spotlights can be used at the same time different kind lighting: halogen and LED;
for not too tall trees and bushes, lamps screwed into the ground are perfect, which can also be moved from place to place;
lamps can also be installed on a tree trunk, directing the light upwards - this will allow the light to scatter between the foliage;
creating luminous tree with your own hands, you need to take into account the density of foliage, the height and diameter of the plant, as well as its shape;
for overhead lighting, halogen or LED lamps installed on nearby buildings are usually used;
in order for the plantings to cast a shadow on a vertical surface, the spotlights behind them are installed at a great distance.
The use of LED garlands
If you want to create an LED tree with your own hands from an existing plant, then you just need to attach led garlands that are connected to electrical network. Such garlands are divided into fruits that look like large lanterns, which are located far from each other, and leaves - small bulbs, located very densely (see photo). Presented LED lights trees has a lot of advantages, which include efficiency, long service life, resistance to low and high temperatures, precipitation. Trees with its help can be made both monophonic and multi-colored.
Self-creation
And now let's look at how to make street LED trees from scratch. First of all, I would like to note that luminous plants can be very diverse. This is an LED sakura tree, palm tree, maple, and a variety of spruce and pine trees. So, the stages of work on creating a luminous tree are as follows:
tree diagram
First of all, the future plant must be drawn on a piece of paper, where you also need to indicate its height, diameter, length and number of branches.
Creation of the trunk
The tree trunk is created very simply - just take a metal-plastic pipe and cut it to the desired height (see photo).
Frame erection
From wire of different thicknesses, it is necessary to cut the required number of thick, medium and thin branches, and the latter should be as large as possible. All branches for ease of installation are bent in the shape of the letter "L" and attached to the trunk.
Working with LEDs
Resistors are soldered to the LEDs, after which they are isolated. For this, electrical tape and a tube of approximately the same shade are taken. The diameter of the tube should be such that the LEDs fit into it without problems. Each such element is attached electrical wire. Next, the LEDs are attached to the branches of the tree. In this case, the wires from smaller branches should be connected into a bundle and connected to the wires of thicker branches. As a result, all available wires are soldered in the main wire and run inside metal-plastic pipe. And don't forget to isolate them.
Twig decoration
In order for the luminous LED trees to look as natural as possible, leaves and flowers are cut out of plastic and taped to the branches with electrical tape, and the tree trunk is completely wrapped with brown electrical tape, as, for example, in the photo.
Tree installation
In order for the luminous plants to be stable, they are placed in a barrel, beautiful pot or any other container hidden in the ground. And in order for them to begin to please the eye, it is enough to connect them to the electrical network.
For more detailed information on how to make LED trees with your own hands, see the video below.
You can add unusual lighting to your home or festively decorate a hall for a celebration with the help of LED trees and bushes. Such an unusual decoration will be a worthy replacement for the usual artificial flowers and other decorations. In addition, it will become an additional source of lighting and will look good both in the daytime and in the evening.
LED Trees everyone will be pleased with their radiance and transform the space. These trees can be used both outdoors and indoors. These trees are often used in landscape designs as decoration and additional lighting.
Of course, the LED tree, designed by professional designers and mass-produced in the factory, looks very different. And you can install it on the day of purchase. But after all, this time the main thing for us is to realize our creative impulse and make such a lamp with our own hands.
Making an LED Tree
This article is intended for those who are thinking about testing themselves and devoting a few weeks to the mystery of scientific and technical creativity. Creating an LED cherry blossom tree is difficult process, which involves the study of every detail. The luminous crown of a tree is created from many LED petals, which are securely attached to the wires of the tree, and the frame is made of metal.
The whole process of creating a glowing tree with your own hands can be divided into stages:
- We draw a diagram. We make a sketch of the future tree on a piece of paper and designate its height, the number of branches, diodes.
- We make a stem. To create it, you can use a metal-plastic plumbing or other pipe. We measure and cut the required length.
- We create a framework. Cut from wire required amount branches of various sizes. We bend them with the letter "G" to make it more convenient to attach them to the trunk. We fix small branches to large ones with black or black electrical tape. Brown, and then firmly attach the resulting branches to the trunk with adhesive material.
- Let's take LEDs. At this point, we will need a soldering iron to solder the resistors to the LED. Make sure that all diodes are soldered only to the long leg of the resistor, or only to the short leg of the resistor.
- Insulation. Coinciding in color with electrical tape, the insulating tube must have a diameter sufficient for the passage of the diode. This tube must be cut in such a way that the soldering point and the resistor itself are hidden from the audience, but at the same time leave a place for connecting to the power wire. Put the tubes on the diode bulbs and heat with a lighter so that the insulation braids the parts.
- Mounting LEDs. Tape each LED on small twigs to wires of the appropriate polarity and wrap with electrical tape. Wiring from small branches must be connected to the wiring of large ones (one wire per branch). As a result, the resulting bundle of wires should be divided into plus and minus. Ready bundles of wires can be immediately put along the trunk and soldered to the main wire.
- Branch decoration. You can decorate the branches with leaves and flowers cut out of plastic. All branches of the tree must be wrapped with electrical tape, bringing its appearance closer to natural.
- Installation. For the base for the LED tree, you can use a large pot or other container. After choosing the base and installing the tree, it can be connected to a power source.
The main advantage of such trees is the economical consumption of electricity. Moreover, this design has long term operation and is quite easy to install, and small diode bulbs are not afraid of moisture and direct sunlight.
Glow in the dark bushes and trees are a new fashion trend in lighting technology. Such lamps not only perform their main function - they illuminate the streets at night, but also decorate the city, emphasizing the features of the general atmosphere and setting the necessary accents.
Luminous trees for the street - "useful" splendor
LED trees can be installed almost everywhere, but most often such unusual lamps flaunt at the entrance to a cafe, shopping center, restaurant, cinema, boutique, etc. So they become the very attractive highlight that lures visitors to these cultural places. Luminous shrubs and trees are very similar to real ones, they completely imitate the shape of their prototype plant. The metal branches of the LED miracle are covered with artificial bark, life-sized plastic or silicone leaves and flowers are attached to them. Small single-color or colored LEDs crown the whole structure. Such ornamental trees they can work from the network, but more often they are equipped with an autonomous power supply, which somewhat increases the cost of the design. You can, of course, just decorate an ordinary tree with an LED garland (for example, you can use solar-powered street garlands), but the effect will not be good enough. What are the benefits of using LED trees?
Pros: Durability lighting serve at least five years; Artificial trees do not require maintenance, which is so necessary for real ones; Not a large number of electricity consumed, even to illuminate the largest giants, a maximum of 700 W of energy is required; Easy to install, here you can easily do without the help of specialists; The design is resistant to low temperatures, high humidity and dust; If one or more LEDs burn out, the rest of the lamp continues to burn, while the LEDs are easily replaced with new ones; Properly selected bushes and trees can favorably emphasize the design of the landscape, become part of the overall decor.
These exotic trees are usually made to be at least 2 meters tall and can be dyed any color. More simple models are made in such a way that the trunk smoothly passes into sprawling branches and its structure and color is identical to the crown. For more expensive palms, the texture and color of the pillar is close to natural wood, and the leaves completely repeat the shape of the real ones. Among themselves, such lamps can also differ in the number of branches, the thickness of the trunk, the presence or absence of artificial nuts or fruits. Palm trees are most popular in sanatoriums, boarding houses, hotels and other recreational areas, because they successfully create an atmosphere of sultry fun and freshness of the sea breeze. The average price of luminous palm trees is 50-160 thousand rubles.
Willow
Weeping willow, glowing in the dark, gives lovers the opportunity to enjoy a date under a spreading tree at any time of the day, without taking their eyes off each other. This wonderful lantern is able to give a park or square an extraordinary romantic atmosphere, illuminating long alleys and cozy benches. Here, flexible long branches are attached to the massive trunk, dotted with small leaves-plafonds, glowing white or any other color of the rainbow. Prices for willows range from 16,000 to 50,000 rubles.
Fruit trees
For spring to bloom 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, it is enough to install street LED lights in the garden, in the country house or just somewhere on the street. fruit trees. Peaches, apple trees, cherries, apricots, pears will delight those around them with their lush bloom shades of lilac, white or pink. On such trees, flowers and fruits are made in full size and look like inflorescences and fruits of real plants, like twin brothers. The cost of such lamps depends on the selected tree, its size and number of branches. This is 12-80 thousand rubles.
Glowing Maple
Maple Stars glowing in the dark can be found not only in the sky, but also on the LED maple that illuminates a square or a park. Five-pointed silicone or plastic leaves of different sizes on mighty branches - good decision for decorating a public place, and the path is visible, and the view is pleasant. The price range of maples is 15-50 thousand rubles.
Sakura
This tree can be placed in a special category, since it is sakura that is especially popular. Such trees are especially beautiful, they are able to turn a simple everyday environment into a fairy-tale kingdom. The branches of these trees are covered either with special high-strength plastic or aluminum alloy, and designed in such a way that they are very reminiscent of the real ones. The lantern is strewn with large silicone flowers and leaves, while their density and shape seem to be copied from real Japanese sakura. Although such trees are made in small sizes, they give no less light than tall palm trees and branchy willows. The color scheme of the cherry blossom LEDs is very soft and delicate in gold, white, pink and purple tones. There are such oriental beauties from 5 to 80 thousand rubles. Fairly high prices for luminous trees are largely due to the price of LED lamps. street lighting(more details here), which are used in their manufacture.
How to make a glowing tree for the street with your own hands
1) Draw detailed diagram. Draw a sketch of the future tree on a sheet of paper on a scale, marking its height, the length of the branches, the number of luminous elements on each of them, and other necessary dimensions with numbers.
2) We measure the trunk. Cut off a part of the required height from a metal-plastic plumbing or any other pipe - this will be a tree trunk.
3) We make a frame. From the wire, cut the required number of medium branches and many smaller branches. Bend them into an "L" shape so they can be easily taped to the base. Using black or brown electrical tape, fasten small branches to medium ones, then tape the latter to the trunk with the same adhesive material.
4) Let's move on to the LEDs. Using a soldering iron, solder the resistors to the LED. Keep in mind that the latter have two legs - one is longer, the other is shorter. Make sure that all LEDs are soldered either only to the extended, or only to the shortened contacts of the resistor.
5) Isolate the LEDs. Take an insulating tube, the color of which matches the shade of the electrical tape, and the diameter is sufficient for the LED to easily fit inside it. Cut the tube, taking into account that the soldering point and the resistor itself should be hidden from the observer, but at the same time it is necessary to leave a place for connecting to the power wire. Put the tubes on the LED bulbs and lightly heat with a lighter so that the insulation completely wraps around the parts.
6) We fix the LEDs. Attach each of the LEDs on small branches to the wires, respectively, of polarity and wrap with insulating tape. Now connect the wiring from small branches to the wires of medium ones, one wire per branch. We connect the bundle of wires received again so that all the pluses are together, and the minuses, respectively, are connected exclusively to each other. The resulting bundles can be immediately soldered to the main wire and run along the trunk, or you can first thread the wires from each branch into holes pre-drilled in the pipe, connect them together and solder to the main wire so that it is subsequently located inside the pipe. Do not forget to observe the polarity, and then insulate all bare conductors.
7) We decorate the branches. With the help of leaves and flowers cut out of plastic, decorate the resulting tree, carefully wrap all the branches with electrical tape, bringing the appearance of the tree-lamp as close as possible to the natural one.
8) Install. The basis for the resulting tree is a barrel, a large pot, a container hidden in the ground, etc. Install your luminous structure in it and connect it to a power source
Such a tree will delight you especially, like everything that is done with your own hands. You can make a lot of useful things for your site, such as DIY birdhouses.
A DIY LED tree is a great opportunity to create a fairy forest yourself, guided only by your own imagination and imagination. At the same time, it also saves money. But if you are not very “friends” with a soldering iron or do not have free time, the best way out is to purchase a ready-made representative of the LED flora.
Content:Currently, there is a huge range of decorative lighting products that are successfully used for decorating rooms and streets. LED trees are becoming especially popular. various types, which serve not only as a decoration, but also perfectly complement the illumination of buildings with adjacent territories. Due to their qualities, they fit perfectly into almost any interior. In the daytime, artificial trees look quite natural, and with the onset of darkness they begin to delight others with all the colors and shades.
There are many for sale finished products, however, if you wish, you can make an LED tree with your own hands. important positive factor is low energy consumption, so such trees are increasingly used for decoration in offices, shops and restaurants, attracting the attention of potential customers.
LED tree for house or apartment
Most often, when self-manufacturing LED trees for indoor installation, two main methods are used.
Tree with LED garland
The manufacturing process starts with a frame, for which aluminum wire is best suited. It can be easily bent at any angle, giving the future design any configuration. A more realistic color is obtained by wrapping the white insulation of the wire with black electrical tape.
Then, the finished frame is evenly wrapped with a garland, fixed to the wire with black electrical tape. If desired, you can create additional decorations for LEDs in the form of decorative nozzles made of transparent plastic. Upon completion of the work, the manufactured tree just needs to be connected to the electrical network and its performance can be verified. Thus, the question of how to make an LED tree with your own hands can be considered resolved.
The main advantage of this method is the ease of manufacture. The main disadvantage is the impossibility of making wood large sizes. This is due to the standard length of the garland, which is not enough to fit the entire tree. Therefore, this method is most suitable for the manufacture of miniature products, which are also very popular.
LED tree
Making a tree from individual LEDs is considered a more labor intensive process. However, this method does not have the disadvantages inherent in ready-made garlands, which makes it possible to manufacture structures of any shape and size. The main material is 5mm LEDs. Resistors are needed to equalize the voltage.
Direct manufacturing begins with soldering. The LED contacts have different lengths, so the legs of the resistors are pre-shortened on one side. You need to solder the contacts of both elements very quickly so as not to damage the LED.
Heat shrink tubing is then cut for the wires to cover solder points and resistors. It is necessary to leave a place for soldering the power wire. The tube is inserted onto the leg of the resistor and warmed up a little with a lighter to give the insulation the necessary shape. This operation is performed for each LED.
After that, you can start making the tree itself. Most often, the trunk is made of thin plumbing pipes, and the branches are made of wire, about 50 cm long. 45 cm is left for the main part of the branch, and 5 cm remains for attaching it to the trunk. Small branches are cut up to 10 cm in size. The number of LEDs on one branch must be calculated in advance.
At the next stage, small branches are taped to large branches with electrical tape. The number of LEDs on each small branch is recommended to be equal to the number of LEDs on the large branch. Each LED is fastened with electrical tape.
The wires must be stretched along the entire length of the main branches, after which they are cut off taking into account the bends of small branches. The ends are wound to the trunk, after which all the pluses and minuses are connected on each branch. Their number must match the total number of branches. The wire connections are insulated. It remains only to evenly hang decorative ornaments and connect the finished tree to the electrical network.
Outdoor LED Trees
Artificial trees with LEDs can be installed in any place as a decoration of the landscape and surrounding areas. attractive force beauty actively attracts visitors to restaurants and cafes, shopping centers and boutiques, offices and others public places. Each luminous tree in its configuration largely resembles real plants, and sometimes completely imitates them. Artificial bark is used to cover metal branches. The maximum similarity can be achieved thanks to silicone or plastic leaves and life-size flowers.
The entire structure of the artificial tree is decorated with multi-colored LEDs. Most often they work from the mains, but in some cases it can be used autonomous power supply, which leads to some increase in the cost of the design. Sometimes LED garlands are used, but they do not give the same effect as LEDs used separately.
Advantages artificial trees with LEDs:
- Long service life of at least 5 years.
- Artificial structures do not require the maintenance required by real trees.
- Low power consumption. Even the most big trees consume electricity in an amount not exceeding 700 watts.
- The simplicity of the design allows you to install it yourself, without involving specialists.
- Design resistance to low temperatures, dust, high humidity and other negative influences.
- In the event of a burnout of one or more LEDs, the rest of the chain will continue to work, and faulty elements are easily replaced by others.
- Right choice artificial trees and bushes allows you to emphasize and complement the elements.
Sakura is especially popular among LED plants. These trees are particularly beautiful due to the high strength coating of the branches with plastic or aluminum alloy. Their appearance is as close as possible to the present. Despite the relatively small size, this tree gives as much light as taller structures. Sakura has a soft and delicate light range, predominantly white, pink and golden tones.
Self-made tree for the street
When making a tree with LEDs for outdoor use, it is imperative to take into account the aggressive influence environment. Therefore, before you start making a do-it-yourself LED tree for the street, you need to determine in advance the entire procedure.
The general scheme of work will be approximately the same as for conventional structures intended for premises. IN street version it is recommended to pay attention to a more thorough covering of the trunk and branches with quality materials.
It is also necessary to take care of good insulation of the LEDs after soldering them with resistors. The heat shrink tubing should completely hide each pair. If necessary, all unreliable places can be additionally insulated with black electrical tape. The same goes for wire connections at the plus and minus points. Decor items should be fixed more efficiently so that they are not torn off by strong gusts of wind.
Master class: do-it-yourself luminous tree
The desire to decorate your house or apartment is familiar to all happy owners of real estate, as well as to those who have to live in a rented room. Modern manufacturers of various decorative fixtures are racing to meet the growing demand, offering novelty after novelty and creating the most unimaginable combinations of styles and technologies.
Some of them perform a purely aesthetic function, others combine attractiveness. appearance with functionality. Glowing trees made of polymeric materials and equipped with a large number of small ones can be attributed to such useful decorations. This decor is able to perfectly illuminate part of the room.
Naturally, the brightness of such a lamp cannot compete with full-fledged lighting; rather, it is designed to replace lit candles or a night light.
What is LED Lighting
The dynamically developing production of LED lighting devices is confidently replacing traditional incandescent lamps, conquering the market with numerous advantages:
- Exceptional durability.
- High quality lighting (brightness).
- Safety.
- Economical power consumption.
- Environmental friendliness.
- Resistant to humidity and temperature extremes.
The essence of the work of lamps is the release of light by a semiconductor material under the influence of the movement of electrons. The manufacture of such devices does not require phosphorus, mercury or other dangerous substances. And during operation, burns are excluded, and since the lamps do not heat up and consume a negligible amount of electricity (5-9 watts).
What do LED trees look like?
The lion's share of popularity LED lamps can be attributed precisely to their attractive appearance.
Luminous trees, whose branches are dotted with numerous sparkling lights, decorated with flowers, berries or other decor, evoke only the most pleasant associations with fabulous landscapes and fantasy films. In addition, the owners of some devices have the opportunity to change the color of the shining lights, turn on the flashing mode, or get a design whose lamps play in several colors.
Depending on the purpose of the lamp and the style of the room or landscape, there are trees completely without decor. Their lamps are not hidden by flower attachments, and the trunk is made with a minimum of unnecessary elements, which will perfectly fit into a high-tech interior.
Types of LED Trees
When thinking about how to decorate your home or territory with a tree-shaped LED lamp, you should collect information about devices of this kind in advance.
Trees LED can be the most different sizes and types:
Some of these lamps can be purchased in full ready-made, others need assembly and connection. For amateurs, there is an opportunity, in addition to buying a factory product, to make a similar device on their own.
Glowing trees: price and equipment
Of course, in order to get a complete picture, illustrating the equipment of an interior or landscape with a bright LED tree, one cannot do without indicating the prices for such devices.
For fans of traditional shopping who prefer supermarkets, purchasing a lamp will cost a little more than buying it in an online store or making it yourself. On the other hand, they will have access to such benefits of civilization as professional advice, salesman's advice, home delivery and qualified installation.
Summarizing the cost offered by several major manufacturers, you can specify the following prices:
The price of a finished lamp or garland with lamps is also affected by the color of the LEDs. Blue, white and yellow lamps are considered more expensive.
Owners of "golden hands" will be able to save money by purchasing individual components, as well as self-manufacturing and installation of LED lamps.
Creating an LED tree at home
With even minimal knowledge in the field of electronics, you can quickly make a luminous tree with your own hands. Although it will take some effort to select, buy and connect components, even the most demanding hand makers will be satisfied with the result.
There are two ways to create such a decoration:
- Assemble luminous trees from the prepared elements (stable base, frame, ribbon with diodes and decorative flowers).
- Solder your own electronic design using separate LED bulbs, wires and insulation.
The first method is much simpler and faster. It does not require the use of skills in working with a soldering iron and electrical circuits, since you just need to connect the prepared device nodes in a certain order. Here creativity is manifested in the choice colors future wood and in a unique combination of prefabricated elements.
Choosing the second method and completely creating a luminous tree with his own hands, the master sequentially performs the following stages of work:
- Assembles the frame (pipes of different diameters, wire, wooden bases are suitable for this).
- Solder to wires LED lamps resistors and provides isolation of connection points.
- Attaches LEDs to branches.
- Brings out the wires to the power supply and fastens them by soldering (using tin as well).
- Fixes the frame of a tree with lamps on branches on a stable horizontal base.
When doing this work, you need to carefully monitor the observance of the correct polarity (+/-).
Decorating trees with LEDs
Luminous trees for the street look great as a single decor or as an element of a bright composition (decorated alley, garden, house).
One of the main advantages of lamps is their resistance to mechanical damage and exposure to aggressive weather conditions. That is why they are so often used to decorate household plots or areas near offices and shops.
