This sign got a lot of media attention: it was highlighted on both the Ed Show and the Rachel Maddow Show. At night it is particularly beautiful. It is remarkably light, and relatively weatherproof and durable. I estimate costs around $100, with the bulk of that going into the lights. This sign took 5 strings of 50 battery powered LED string lights, and took an estimated 6 hours of work once materials were gathered.
(Note that these instructions are for a 3' x 4' sign with multiple words. Creating a single letter sign is exactly the same process and cheaper due to fewer lights used. We at Overpass Light Brigade have made our single letters 2' x 3'. Make them, of course, the size you want, but be sure they fit in your car!) Blank Sign
Also: If you end up making lighted letters, get in touch with us via our Facebook page so that we can work together to help you start a new chapter. We ask that you include in your organization's name either Light Brigade or Overpass Light Brigade or OLB, such as Light Brigade Maryland, or Overpass Light Brigade - Fox Valley.
We got ours at a regional plastics manufacturer, Midland Plastics. Be aware that "coroplast" is a specific brand, but most people call all corrugated plastic "coroplast."
2) LED Christmas lights: battery powered for field use or plug-in light strings for stationary settings. We shopped around, and these Sylvania lights are the best, available from True Value. Best price, too. Sometimes you can find similar items offered very cheaply on eBay.
Note: other battery-operated LED light strings work fine, though you might have to adjust hole size and on/off switch specs to fit.
3) 3/4" x 1.25" pine (dimensions could vary) for framing sign
4) Liquid Nails (Heavy Duty Construction)
5) various tools: hand drill, bit = size for lights to fit snugly in (we used 1/4", but this would vary according to your lights), tape measure, velcro, 3/4" (#10) wood screws, awl or nail for poking holes.
Print your letters at the desired size. Use a simple font - sans serif recommended. (We used Arial Narrow to save space and lights). Mark on letterforms where holes go (ours were 1.25" apart.) Assemble words or letter, tape paper down on plastic.
Poke holes into plastic with scratch awl or nail.
Drill holes. Obviously, put something under the plastic to protect your tabletop. Test that your drill hole is the proper size for your lights to fit snugly into. They should be snug even before you glue them.
Here are the lights. We found them at a local True Value Hardware store. These are battery operated (4 AA batteries) and seem to last for quite a while. They have some automatic timer which we don't use, but could be cool for stationary use. Regular plug-in lights would work as well - more colors, blink, etc., but would only be good for stationary use. If you had a small "boat" style battery with an inverter, you can install them on a vehicle (hassle, but could have great application on a cart, boat or bicycle.)
Setting them in is like a puzzle, in that you want to think about how to get from one letter to the next. If you need to skip a light (no hole nearby) merely tape it with electrical tape. This makes sense when you do it. Also we have found that "hopscotching" by skipping every other hole out to an end of a letter (for instance, the upper part of a "Y") and then hopscotching back means you don't have lots of unused lights in the string. Works great!
You'll use lots of Liquid Nails the lights onto/into the holes. It is easy to do if the lights are firmly placed into the correct sized hole, and it is a bit tedious to do them all.
Gluing the lights into the holes. They "hand fit" in snugly enough to stay, but the glue is to get them field-worthy. This job is the worst part of the process. I squelch the Liquid Nails out on to a plate, and use a little micro-spatula (any little blade would do, but a little "oil painter's" palette knife works great!) to apply the glue around the lights.
The boxes are the battery packs for each string. We velcroed them on to the plastic sheet at convenient places. Note two other things in this picture: 1) A wood strip is mounted (screwed with 3/4" phillips head screws, drilling not needed if using coroplast... I set screws about every 10"). This strip is slightly wider than the amount the battery boxes stick up. 2) (not shown) A piece of solid coroplast is then screwed down over this frame. If battery change is needed, this can easily be unscrewed to get at the guts.
Our lights have a little "push" on/off switch. We drilled a hole on the sheet plastic and placed the switch right behind that hole. A pencil can turn on/off each string of lights from the front. 5 light strings = 5 holes. Plug in lights could avoid this, and be all strung together with only 1 cord coming out of the bottom.
On/off hole in front of sign. Easy and works well! (use pencil eraser to push)
The sign in its glowing glory!
On The Rachel Maddow Show:
It is Christmas Season so you might as well light up the neighborhood with a radical message from Santa.
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