Tool and Materials
Bamboo
Hand pruner
Small zip ties
Large zip ties
Scissors
Drill
A 44-inch length of 1-by-2-inch pine
Measuring tape
Finishing nails or brads
Light strand
Binder ring
Blackout caps
Part 1: Shooting Star Christmas Lights How-To
1. Cut bamboo to size with hand pruner.
2. Arrange stakes in a 5-pointed star.
3. Secure the inner 5 points with small zip ties.
4. Secure the outer 5 points with large zip ties.
5. Cut ends of zip ties.
6. Secure plug end of strand to point of star with small zip tie. Drape strand along length of stake; secure at end with small zip ties. Pass it along next stake; secure at end with small zip ties. Repeat until every point is done; trim ends of zip ties.
Part 2: Shooting Star Tail How-To
1. Drill 5 holes into the 44-inch length of 1-by-2-inch pine, spacing first hole 2 inches from the top and other holes 10 inches apart.
2. Place binder ring in each hole.
3. Place binder ring on inner point of star.
4. Hang star on tree with finishing nails or brads and hang the wood strip on another tree, lower than star.
5. Secure prong end of lights to top binder ring with zip ties.
6. Trim tie ends.
7. Pass light strand through binder ring on star and back toward strip, plugging in more light strands as needed.
8. Insert strand through next binder ring down on strip, and loop it back through star's ring. Repeat, finishing at strip's bottom ring.
9. Use blackout caps to conceal the lights between each star.
Resources
The blackout caps came from stnickschoice.com. For more information on this craft, visit marthastewart.com/living.
Shooting Star Christmas Lights
The Martha Stewart Show, November 2007
could you use sticks as a sub.
The bamboo sticks are available in floral department of Hobby Lobby. Look in the dried natural section. They are 50% off this week and next week. I am the floral designer there and have done these. They are 4.99 per bundle.
Another option is to use the salt cedar sticks. They look more primitive. You can double them up.
Lynne www.thewreathartist.blogspot.com
Remembering from last Dec. magazine Dave and construted 4 of these stars. In the garden department we found some $2 four foot metal garden states and with some left over rebar ties we secured them. Then found some lights that just fit the diameter and had cluster of little withe lights. So $20. total for each star. Now waiting on son with extention ladder to help us get this in the big tree in the front. Jean
Remembering from last Dec. magazine Dave and construted 4 of these stars. In the garden department we found some $2 four foot metal garden states and with some left over rebar ties we secured them. Then found some lights that just fit the diameter and had cluster of little withe lights. So $20. total for each star. Now waiting on son with extention ladder to help us get this in the big tree in the front. Jean
I found bamboo sticks at Gardener's Supply Company online. But you could also use any fairly straight sticks you might have in your yard.
The instructions say to use blackout caps to conceal any lights between stars or lights that you don't want lit. They are little rubber nipple-like thingies that slip over the bulbs you don't want to show. They are very hard to find. I've used black electrical tape for that purpose as well. If you happen to have extra burned out bulbs, they are execellent for this purpose.
Where do you get the Bamboo sticks?
My 10 yrld son who is the self proclaimed outdoor Christmas decorator at our house just said he needed some stars for the house. I showed him this project and he is very excited to start making some right away.
Will the star have any excess lights hanging down? That would look strange. Does anyone know how to prevent that.
I would not use battery-powered lights. I have found that the battery box adds excessive weight to any project when you insert the two C batteries. Also they don't usually last all winter long. The battery powered lights suck up all the battery power very quickly. Just use regular miniature Christmas lights. Hope that helps!
Well I can tell by the video for those of you who are confused that Martha used the kind of Christmas lights that do not have a connector on both ends. One end has the plug to go into the wall and the other end finishes with just a light. She started attaching the strand of lights with the end WITHOUT the connector. That way when she came to the end of the string, she would have the connector. You can see the connector strand at the top of the star in the end of the video.
If you look at the article for this project it explains what kind of lights to use and how to attach them. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and pick Outdoor Lighting: Stars under articles.
I love these stars but the directions are not clear as far as what kind of lights were used (these look like they have no plugs on them so what kind of lights are they?
I don't understand what kind of minature lights were used. If it was the
battery run, I don't know how to conceal the battery box. If it is the normal
miniature lights then I don't understand how the cord is concealed,
thank you for the help
I don't understand what kind of minature lights were used. If it was the
battery run, I don't know how to conceal the battery box. If it is the normal
miniature lights then I don't understand how the cord is concealed,
thank you for the help