DIY Christmas tree made of LEDs. DIY set Christmas tree Colorful Led. A smart solution is to create a garland with your own hands
Perhaps one of the few DIY soldering kits, the result of which is useful product(we do not take into account kits for assembling full-fledged devices), which after assembly will not go to lie in a dark corner, but will be used for its intended purpose, especially if a child is involved in the assembly.
The review contains a description of a DIY 3D Christmas tree and assembly instructions.
After assembling the constructor, you should get a 3D Christmas tree, flashing LEDs in 3 colors, which can run on 3 AA batteries or be powered by USB.
The set is packaged in a bubble wrap bag and additionally wrapped in foam film. I ordered from this seller () several times, everything arrived without damage in the same packaging, the package was in order. At the time of ordering he had best price on AliExpress for this tree, and there were about 200 sales, now there are already more than 1,700.
The kit for soldering a 3D Christmas tree includes:
3 boards (CTR-30C base and 2 tree trunk pieces CTR-30A and CTR-30B)
LEDs (12 green, 12 yellow, 13 red)
6 capacitors at 47uF 16V
6 transistors S9014
7 resistors 10 KOm
2 resistors 330 Ohm
2 resistors 1 KOm
2 resistors 2 KOm
1 button
1 power connector (length 1 m)
1 x USB power cord
2 bolts and 2 nuts
Box for 3*AA batteries
Here's what was included.
Main details close-up. The EQKIT logo is on the boards. 
Reverse side boards: 
Larger: 
All components were available, there was even an extra LED left. Before soldering, I checked all the elements with a transistor tester, they all turned out to be in good order. Unfortunately, there are no assembly instructions included.
The seller attached assembly instructions in the form of photographs, but did not sign the resistor values, and the attached photos make it very difficult to see the resistor values. But the seller is responsive, quickly sent a diagram, albeit in Chinese, but most importantly from a completely different tree. After pointing out this fact, he said that he only had such a scheme, but still promised to answer any questions if something could not be assembled. At this point, it was decided to finish torturing the seller and try to collect from the pictures he had with the assumption that they were from this set. In the end, everything worked out, all resistor values and other information on the assembly will be indicated below.
The contact pads on the boards are perfectly tinned. When soldering, I didn’t even have to use flux; what was contained in the solder was enough. He soldered half of the tree with primitive Chinese, although with some purchased separately for him. Actually, I started this to test new tips; it turned out that the “unusable” Chinese soldering iron is quite suitable for such simple work, because... the native stings didn’t even want to take the solder. The other half was soldered with a soldering iron at a station with T12 tips. Now I couldn’t determine where and what it was soldered with, i.e. You can assemble this construction set using any tool, as long as your hands are in the right place :)
I checked the resistors with a multimeter for compliance with the markings and signed them for convenience. Perhaps it will be useful to someone. 
First, I soldered all the resistors to boards A and B. Everything is clear with the 10K resistors, they are labeled on the board. The remaining denominations should be placed in the following places:
CTR-30A board
R1, R3, R5, R7 - 10K
R2 - 2K
R4 - 1K
R6 - 330
CTR-30B board
R1, R3, R5 - 10K
R2 - pictured - 330
R4 - pictured - 2K
R6 - pictured - 1K
The following happened. You can see where the resistors should be. 
Next you need to solder the transistors and capacitors. On the board the capacitors are labeled as 22uF, but in the kit they come with 47uF, for some reason the Chinese didn’t save money here. We bend the legs of capacitors and resistors 90 degrees so that after soldering they lie horizontally on the board and do not stick out in different directions on finished product. The negative contact of electrolytic capacitors (C1, C2, C3) is indicated on the board by a shaded area, and on the capacitor itself by a light stripe. The orientation of the transistors (Q1, Q2, Q3) is also indicated on the board in a semicircle; accordingly, the contour of the transistor body must coincide during installation (before bending the legs) with the pattern on the board. IN in this case it turned out that all the transistors are “face down”, and oriented in reverse side from the semicircle on the board.
All resistors, transistors and capacitors are soldered in. 
Next we solder in the LEDs. LEDs have polarity, everything is marked on the board. All LEDs are oriented in the same way, so it’s enough to remember how to solder one, the rest are similar. For those who are not in the know, in this case the LED is soldered with a short lead (cathode, “-”) closer to the top, respectively, with a long lead (anode, “+”) to the bottom of the tree. During the final assembly of the tree, you will need to solder the last red LED on the top, the polarity is already indicated there; we solder the long lead of the LED to the “+”.
Before soldering, bend the legs of the LEDs at a right angle so that the body of the LED extends beyond the tree. 
The distribution of LEDs by color is as follows:
Fee A:
D1-D6 - red,
D7-D12 - yellow,
D13-D18 - green.
Board B:
D1-D6 - green,
D7-D12 - red,
D13-D18 – yellow,
All parts on the main boards are soldered. 
Another photo from a different angle. 
I recommend testing the boards before assembly by applying a voltage of 4.5-5V to them. Each board can operate independently, i.e., in principle, you can get two 2D trees. If the trees work separately, you can proceed to further assembly.
I think there is no point in describing the assembly process further, because... everything is obvious. Boards A and B are secured together with solder. The main thing is not to confuse the polarity when installing the Christmas tree on board C (the polarity is marked everywhere, you need to try to confuse it).
The battery holder has a rather long wire, which is not needed here; it is better to cut it to the required length. Just in case, let me remind you that the red wire needs to be soldered to the “+” terminal, the black wire to the “-” terminal (labeled BAT 4.5V).
We solder the power button, a connector for power via USB, screw on the battery holder - the whole set is ready. 
For more reliable fastening of the DC 5V power connector, the kit does not include a metal bracket, although holes are provided for it. Instead, you can use the rest of the leg from a resistor or capacitor, which is what I did.
Here you can see how the boards are soldered together. Everything is held up very confidently, it will fall apart only if you specifically set this goal. 
The Christmas tree works quite well on Ni-MH 1.2V batteries, I tested it on . But when working from USB (5V), the light is still brighter. I tried to measure the power consumption when connected via USB, it shows 0.00A, while the Christmas tree is flashing with all its might and working as it should, therefore the current consumption is very small, below the minimum response threshold of the tester, so the batteries should last for a very long time.
3D Christmas tree assembled: 
We turn on the power - the LEDs glow and blink smoothly, pleasing to the eye. 
I liked the toy, it was interesting to assemble, and so did the children. This is one of those soldering kits that, after assembly, is not thrown into a distant drawer, but can be used, for example, as a night light for children.
Those who saw this Christmas tree and know what a soldering iron is also wanted to assemble it. Apparently there is something in it... I bought it in the summer, so I had time to assemble it for the New Year. But now the prices for such sets have decreased.
In anticipation New Year's holidays the soul just demands that everything around is beautiful, magical and reminiscent of the upcoming celebration. People actively decorate not only indoors, but also outdoor spaces. In this article we will tell you how with my own hands make a bright glowing Christmas tree. It will complement well the area near a house or a small store.
You will need:
- plastic hooks;
- the LED garland itself (for a 2.5 meter Christmas tree, approximately 30-50 meters of garland are required);
- pegs;
- vertical support ( metal pipe, wooden block, etc.).
A little secret: a garland with closely spaced bulbs will help create a brighter and “fluffier” Christmas tree. It is also important that the threads are located as closely as possible to each other. The standard length of a garland does not exceed 10-20 meters. To lengthen it, you can choose models with a special connecting connector at the end or fasten the products with improvised means (for example, tie them with threads). Once the garland is ready, start creating the decoration. What need to do:
- prepare free space on the site (for safety reasons, it is better to choose an area away from buildings and trees);
- install and securely fasten a vertical support, you can dig it into the ground;
- around the stand on same distance place pegs;
- take the garland and arrange it in this way: starting from the first peg, lift it to the top, fix it on a plastic hook, lower it down to the second peg, wrap it around, bring it along the ground to the third, lift it again to the top, etc.
As you can see, making an LED Christmas tree is very simple. It will take a minimum of time and will not require special preparation. The recommendations given can be used to create decorations not only outdoors, but also for the home. The principle is the same, you just need to adjust the height and cut out a round base with symmetrically located attachment points. Don't forget to disguise the vertical stand and bottom: you can cover them with green wrapping paper or wrap them with threads, ribbons, and tinsel.
Borisova Tatyana
I am an ardent fan of everything natural and environmentally friendly, so the question of which tree to buy for the New Year holidays - live or artificial - is not even worth it. I bought a Danish spruce 200/225 cm. The smell in the house is simply divine - fresh pine, and the festive atmosphere and the corresponding mood appeared on their own. I'm very pleased with the purchase.
Krasko Svetlana
I work as a secretary for a private children's center development. We purchased a live spruce 300/350 for installation in the hall. The tree is simply gorgeous - fluffy and thick, and also has a very beautiful and rich emerald shade. And after decorating with toys and garlands, it looks like it is in the best traditions of American cinema. Both children and parents are delighted.
Zhukova Larisa
Every year I promise that this year we will not put up a Christmas tree and will limit ourselves to a small artificial one, but from the eyes of my husband and children I understand that I am not going anywhere. I have been ordering green beauties from Denmark from this store for several years now. Although their price is slightly higher than domestic ones, they also look more presentable and last much longer. Last year our tree stood until Epiphany and looked the same as the day it was purchased.
On New Year's Eve I want to do something festive! And the best decoration of the house is everyone’s favorite Christmas tree.
For achievement home comfort we need: a small piece of wallpaper (or some cardboard), green rain, tape and steady hands.
We roll up our sheet of paper into a cone shape and secure it with tape. Next, fold it and cut the bottom evenly so that it can stand straight. Then we'll take some copper wire(0.3..0.5mm) and wrap our cone, fixing the wire with tape, this will give it elasticity. We cut it according to height (this makes it easier to install rows of LEDs). After the tiered (they are numbered in the diagram) installation of the LEDs, we fasten the cut with the tape we are familiar with. We also place the board inside the tree. At the next stage, starting from the top, we wrap the cone with green rain so that the LEDs protrude a little. Well, by design everything...
As for the scheme. We supply 7..12V (I think everyone has enough such blocks) to the stabilizer to power the controller and make a common + (not stabilized) which is common to all LEDs. From this common wire, LEDs are turned on in parallel in each tier; we do this so that we do not have to pull two wires to each group of LEDs. At the outputs of the MK, 0 or 1 alternately appear, which go to the bases of the transistors to open them. Transistors are needed, since several LEDs are connected to each port of the MK; the controller may not be able to handle all these currents. By the way, current-limiting resistors can be placed between the MK ports and the transistor bases. The LEDs are connected with the “minus” to the collectors (emitters to the ground), and in front of their “plus” there are current-setting resistors. I think there should be no questions regarding the operation of the circuit...
Transistors: BC547 (or any equivalent)
Current setting resistors: 200 Ohm...1kOhm
Capacitors: any (these are power filters) from 0.1 µF
In the diagram, the numbering (1-6) is our tiers of LEDs, starting from the bottom. The 6th is our top, an asterisk or something like that. Do not mix it up, otherwise the glow pattern will disappear!
The application contains the source code in , anyone who wants can rewrite the program at their discretion.
List of radioelements
| Designation | Type | Denomination | Quantity | Note | Shop | My notepad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MK AVR 8-bit | ATmega8 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| Linear regulator | L78L05 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| Bipolar transistor | BC547 | 12 | To notepad | |||
| Resistor | 10 kOhm | 1 | To notepad | |||
| Resistor | ~900 Ohm | 38 | To notepad | |||
| Capacitor | 0.1 µF | 2 |
This instructable shows how to handle LEDs in order to make some kind of luminous circuit out of them, talks about general rules application of LEDs using the example of making a glowing Christmas sign LED Christmas tree. Knowing and using the principles outlined here, you can easily repeat other designs using LEDs, such as
, a section of the site where ALL homemade Christmas trees and ALL options for making a Christmas tree are presented.
Step 1. Details
This LED tree is made from 17 red, green and yellow LEDs - the cheapest ones that were available at the electronics store (I don't know who the manufacturer is).
Their specification: (same for all colors)
forward voltage drop = 2.0 V
Max continuous current = 15 mA
If you can, try to find LEDs that have the same characteristics - this will make creating the tree easier.
The power supply from an old printer was found on the street - no power source direct current no more. In this case I have a voltage of 30 V, with a current of up to 400 mA. Enough power for 300 LEDs, but overkill.
Step 2: Circuit Design
There are three possibilities when designing an LED tree circuit, depending on the number of LEDs, their forward voltage drop, and the supply voltage.
1. The LEDs will drop less voltage than the power supply supplies.
(That is, for example, if you have a 12V supply, and you have 5 LEDs - each with a forward voltage of 1.8V - then the drop across the LEDs will only be 9V)
When connecting LEDs in series directly to a power source, too much current will flow and at least one of the LEDs will burn out (hopefully breaking the circuit and protecting the others).
In this case, you must include a resistor to limit the amount of current to a safe level. To calculate the total resistance you need:
R = (Vs - Vf * N) / Is
Vs: - Supply voltage
Vf: - Voltage drop per 1 LED.
N: - Number of LEDs
Is: - Safe current for LEDs.
My initial design was similar to circuit A: R1 and R2 each have half of R_total (for symmetry), resistors added to give total resistance.
2. The LEDs drop exactly the same voltage that the power supply produces. Great! No resistors are needed, just connect all the indicators in series to the power terminal wires.
Be careful, if you calculate incorrectly the LEDs will burn out.
3. LEDs drop more than the supply voltage. The bad news is you can't connect LEDs in series. However, you can divide the LEDs into parallel strings. If you look at Diagram B, you can see that there are two paths for current to flow from Vcc (+) to GND (-). The path on the left circuit only has 2 LEDs, so it needs a current limiting resistor to keep the current flowing at a safe level (Scenario 1). The path on the right circuit has 15 LEDs, the voltage drop of each LED is 2.0V and the power supply is 30V, this gives me exactly the voltage drop I need when I can do without a resistor (Scenario 2).
If you have a known supply voltage and the required number of LEDs with a known voltage drop across each, you can figure out what scenarios are possible for you and design your own LED Christmas tree!
Step 3. Aesthetic design
It's time for artistic skills!
When designing a tree, remember:
1. The electrical circuit must be defined (see previous step), which will determine your next steps.
2. Try not to make the distance between adjacent LEDs more than twice the length of the LED leads, or you will have to use an extra wire.
If you look at Design B, you can see that there are two paths that current flows: the pins on the bottom green LEDs connect to the power supply and the current follows them around the entire outline of the tree. Another way is to connect the bottom two green LEDs through a resistor to create a second parallel circuit.
Step 4: Use the jig!
This project does not use printed circuit board, and anyone who has tried to solder components together knows how difficult it is! The tree represents even more difficult option, as wires and components should be placed aesthetically - you want the wires to be straight and the wood to be symmetrical.
To overcome this, I used a jig - print out your layout plan or draw it by hand, and glue it to a piece of wood at least 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. If you have smooth wood like plywood or MDF, you can simply paint directly onto it.
Find a drill bit the same size as your LED (3mm or 5mm as a rule) and drill small holes for each LED. Ideally, each LED should fit snugly in the hole, without moving.
Step 5. Soldering LEDs
At this stage, you need to find out in which direction the current flows through your tree (clockwise or counterclockwise). This will determine the location of the power pins and how you want the tree to be oriented (forward facing).
Deal with this - otherwise, either the Christmas tree will not light up, or it will be turned backwards.
Place each LED in the hole of the jig, making sure they are oriented so that the positive lead of the first LED goes to the power source (possibly through the first resistor), and the negative lead of each LED connects to the positive lead of the next LED.
Carefully bend the LED leads towards the adjacent LEDs, and trim the excess so that there is only ~1cm of overlap. Align them carefully and solder them together.
WARNING:
LEDs are temperature sensitive - if you overheat the leads, they will burn out.
Solder as far away from the LEDs as possible.
Try melting the solder and placing it on the connection rather than heating the wires while the solder is melting on them.
If you fail to solder in the first ~10 seconds, wait for the LEDs to cool and try again. If you are soldering two long wires together there is little risk, but if the LEDs are very close together (like the yellow LEDs in my design) then you have to be much more careful.
Step 6. Almost done...
(If you rush to take out the LEDs, you will warp your tree)
Using the pliers, go around the jig and carefully pull each of the LEDs and then move on to the next one, then go back and pull each one a little further until the wood is free.
After removing the tree from the jig, it must be connected to a power source. If you have a good compact power supply like I do, then you can use that as a sturdy base...otherwise you may need a small block of wood.
Insert the tree with its legs into the holes, or bend the legs at an angle of 90 degrees, and solder to the power supply terminals.
Now that the tree is firmly in place, you can correct any deformations that have occurred by carefully bending the structure. Make sure the wires are not touching each other before you connect power.
This instructable does not show checks at each stage of construction, as needed to ensure that each LED is connected correctly, that electrical diagram It will work that the supply voltage is sufficient, that the forward voltage drop of the LEDs is within specification, and that the LEDs are not overheated during soldering.
Take due care (measure twice, cut once) and you won't have any problems with anything going wrong.
Step 7. C LED Christmas tree Otova!
Hooray! New Year's LED Christmas tree, which doesn't take up a ton of space when not in use, is ready!
In addition to the traditional Christmas tree, your home can also be decorated with miniature versions of the New Year's beauty. To make them look no worse and also please the eye, you can use LED garlands to make them.
The traditional large Christmas tree has been replaced by its miniature versions, made from the most different materials. A Christmas tree made of LEDs looks the most festive. There are several ways to make an LED Christmas tree with your own hands. The Christmas trees look different and original.
LED Christmas tree on the wall
The simplest and easiest option for making an LED Christmas tree does not require special effort. To make such a Christmas tree you will need an LED garland, push pins and photographs or small plastic toys. The Christmas tree will decorate the wall.
The buttons must be secured at the top of the spruce tree, at the ends of its legs and at their base. Mark the middle of the LED string and secure it to the top button. Next, pass both ends of the garland through the buttons, depicting a Christmas tree. You can decorate such a Christmas tree with light balls, toys or photographs. Turn on the LED garland and admire the new Christmas tree.
LED Christmas tree from a bottle
An original Christmas tree with LEDs can be created using an empty champagne bottle. In addition to the bottle, you will need a drill, drill bit, plasticine, glue, LED garland and parchment paper.
The bottle must be removed from the label and rinsed. Secure the prepared bottle to the work surface using plasticine. Cover the drilling area with plasticine at the bottom of the bottle. Start drilling the hole. Once a small indentation is formed, place a few drops of water into the hole. This is necessary so that the drill does not heat up too much. Drill the hole all the way through. Remove all plasticine, rinse the bottle and wipe it dry.
Pass the garland through drilled hole and fill the bottle with it. To make the product more reminiscent of a Christmas tree, roll the white parchment paper into a cone and secure the edges with glue. Turn on the garland. Now your Christmas tree is ready.
LED Christmas tree made of floral mesh
This Christmas tree appearance will resemble a champagne bottle Christmas tree, but will look more aesthetically pleasing. To make a Christmas tree you will need a floral mesh, thick cardboard, cling film, scissors, PVA glue, brush, sewing needles, LED garland and Christmas tree decorations.
From cardboard you need to twist a cone of the desired height. Cut the floral mesh into strips. Dilute PVA glue with a small amount of water in a container. Wrap a cardboard cone cling film, cut off the excess. Soak pieces of floral mesh in a glue solution and apply them to the cone, fastening them with sewing needles. After the first layer of mesh has dried, lay out the second in the same way. Leave the cone to dry completely.
After this, remove the cone from the mesh from cardboard construction, also carefully remove the film. Place an LED garland inside the cone and decorate the entire Christmas tree with toys.
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