Retro garland: how to make and install?

The New Year evokes a variety of associations. But Christmas trees and typical dishes, well-known characters and plots do not exhaust the whole atmosphere of the holiday. To decorate the premises for New Years and other celebrations, many people try to use garlands.

Such products are readily supplied by modern industry. But the external effect does not always satisfy the needs of consumers. In some cases, the use of retro garlands, which can even be made by hand, brings very good results. Before such work, it is very important to prepare properly, to select suitable design ideas. Finding suitable designs, photographs is very easy.

There are a few things to think about:

• whether it will be possible to fit the product into the setting;
• whether it will be possible to realize the idea using the available components;
• how much is it.

Garlands of Edison bulbs allow you to create an unusually interesting composition. They fit well even in very modern interiors, they look much more original there than many of the latest designs. The appearance is more reminiscent of incandescent lamps (yes, the same ones that were used for a very long time). Depending on the intention of the designers, the lamps may or may not be equipped with lampshades.

Regardless of whether there is a lampshade or not, the external appeal is not weakened. The tungsten thread is large in size, and it is with it that increased aesthetic characteristics are associated. Importantly, the lamps do not contain toxic mercury and in this regard are better than energy-saving designs. Consumers are pleased with the fact that the color spectrum of radiation completely coincides with the spectrum of sunlight.

There are several weaknesses:

• high cost;
• short duration of operation;
• significant current consumption;
• strong heating of the outer shell of the flask (risk of burns and fires).

Street garlands based on retro lamps can beautify both the home and the garden. All work is easy to do with your own hands.

The basic details for the masters will be:

• cartridges;
• wiring;
• light bulbs;
• plug;
• Dimmer.

All these elements are present in any configuration you create, no matter what technical and design decisions are made. Otherwise, the scope for human imagination is practically unlimited. From the very beginning, you should think about how far the lamps will be placed from each other. It is important to remember that after the completion of all the work, they will be a little closer together. It is recommended to separate the illumination points by 650-700 mm, although the distance may vary depending on the design concept and the specific task.

Further, when preparing a garland for the house or for the street, the wire is folded in half, and its edges are wrapped with insulating tape. Whether it is blue or black, it does not really matter, except for aesthetic considerations. Then they take tongs and bite through the cover of the cover, striving to expose the conductive vein. If special pliers are not available, a knife can be used to break the insulation. When this work is completed, it is the turn of the installation of cartridges.

These designs can differ significantly from each other. They can be installed in luminaires instead of conventional light sources. But in this case, you will have to check how they are combined technically and aesthetically. Another consideration: matching the style of the room or the facade of the house. If the decor is in a classic spirit, a good way to emphasize this is to choose products complemented by decorating cords.

For the street and wet rooms, open Edison lamps are not suitable. They may look quite elegant, but you shouldn't forget about security considerations. Next, you need to focus on the general illumination of a particular place so that it is not excessively dark and a blinding effect is not created. As with other products, selection by manufacturer is important. Not all firms supply equally high-quality products - you need to pay attention to reviews and the duration of their presence on the market.

Experienced craftsmen advise using:

• wires of the PV series with many cores;
• homemade boxes for decorating dimmers;
• carbolite cartridges;
• frosted spherical bulbs with a power of 25-40 watts.

For work, you may need soldering irons and accessories for them, markers, electric drills. It is better to take the wire with a certain margin, the reserve must be left for the power of the dimmer. The marker is used to mark the desired boundaries and connections on a double-folded wire. All places where the contacts are attached must be fixed firmly, but without excessive load. The lamps are connected in parallel so that a malfunction of one does not disrupt the operation of the rest of the garland.

Instead of being powered from the mains, sometimes you need to make a garland on batteries. In this case, even a sudden power outage will not be an unpleasant surprise. Lithium-based batteries are usually used. Recommended voltage is 3 V (no longer needed). The diode mounts are attached to the batteries using epoxy glue.

Similar designs can be used for a veranda or hung out on an arch, as well as on another decorative element in the garden. Usually the anode is attached to the positive pole, and the cathode, respectively, to the negative part of the battery. After the glue has set, it is required to strengthen the connection by wrapping it with tape. It is recommended to use 10 to 20 bulbs in such a garland. If there are fewer of them, there will be no aesthetic effect. If it is more, the complexity of the work will increase unjustifiably.

Finally, it is worth saying about the basic safety rules when using homemade garlands:

• do not put them where at least periodically splashes of water will occur;
• it is necessary to clearly understand the difference between home and outdoor decorative elements both when designing and when hanging;
• you cannot mount garlands in the aisles and in places where water can pour on them, snow can fall;
• it is unacceptable to install such structures close to the ground or very low, since it is easy to catch on or break there;
• each garland must be connected to a strictly isolated outlet;
• Before connecting, you need to check the serviceability of sockets, decorative lamps and insulation.

For how to quickly make a retro garland, see the next video.