![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thesmarthomehookup.com\/test_install\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/full-wreath.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTo build this project you\u2019ll need the following materials:<\/h4>\n
25 feet of 3\/4 inch white PEX tubing<\/p>\n
3\/4 inch thin walled PVC pipe at least 5 feet long<\/p>\n
3\/4 inch PVC caps<\/p>\n
8 2\u201d machine screws and matching nuts, some wire<\/p>\n
heat shrink tubing<\/p>\n
IP65 silicone coated WS2812Bs in the 30\/led per meter density<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve got all your parts together, start by cutting 4×4 inch segments of your thin walled PVC. If you\u2019re using a PVC cutter like mine and it has gotten dull over the years make sure to wear safety glasses because PVC goes everywhere when it shatters. After you\u2019ve got those sections cut, you\u2019re going to need to cut a 31\u201d length that will be your structural piece. Go ahead and put your endcaps on your structural piece and then make a mark directly under the endcap and then mark every 2 inches for a total of 4 marks at the top and 4 at the bottom.<\/p>\n
Cut your PEX Tubing<\/h4>\n
Lengths should be<\/p>\n 93 inches (236.22 cm)<\/p>\n 81.5 inches (207.01 cm)<\/p>\n 69 inches (175.26 cm)<\/p>\n 56.5 inches (143.51 cm)<\/p>\n That adds up to exactly 25 feet which is handy because PEX tubing is normally sold in increments of 25 feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next you\u2019re going to drill holes in the middle of your 4 inch sections to complete the wiring later on. I used a 3\/8 inch drill bit, but anything around that size will work. When drilling PVC with a large drill bit you should drill in reverse so the drill doesn\u2019t snatch the PVC out of your hands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After that you\u2019ll use your 4 inch sections to join your PEX lengths into circles and set them aside. At this point if you use a hair dryer or heat gun on the the PEX it would help them keep that shape, but it\u2019s not completely necessary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next you\u2019re going to attach your PEX sections to your structural piece using the 2 inch machine screws and nuts. Drill out the holes that you marked earlier with a 1\/4 inch drill bit and drill a centered hole in the 4 inch connector piece of each PEX circle. Once all of the tops are attached, measure to make sure your two sides are equal, then drill a hole in the PEX tubing at the bottom and attach each section. There\u2019s probably a good way to measure this to make it perfect, but I eyeballed it.<\/p>\n For 30 LED\/m density strips your lengths will be<\/p>\n 42LEDS<\/p>\n 52LEDS<\/p>\n 61LEDS<\/p>\n 71 LEDS<\/p>\n Solder on power and data lines to each end, I recommend giving yourself between 10 and 12 inches of wire at the end of each strip. It\u2019s significantly more than you will need, but no need to cause yourself a headache to save 10 center worth of wire. With the IP65 strips you\u2019ll need to cut away a bit of the silicone near a set of copper pads, tin each pads with solder, then tin your wire and connect them by using a little bit of heat to melt the pre-tinned ends. After that you should cover everything in hot glue for stability and waterproofing, then use a bit of heat shrink tubing to seal it all off. You\u2019ll know you\u2019ve got a nice watertight connection when the hot glue oozes out of the end of the heat shrink tubing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To get the strips through the tubing, you don\u2019t really need any special tools since they should be rigid enough to push, but you could use wire tape or even a wire coat hanger if you needed. Before you put the PEX tubing back on the structure I recommend marking the PVC with the direction that the data will be traveling, then make sure you orient all your strips correctly according to those arrows.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nCut your lengths of LEDs:<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n