making a fake pond ???

[A Freezing Canadian Witch]

Hi everyone.....

i would like to make a fake pond for our north pole christmas display eventually in the next year we will make ice skating elves on it but for this year we dont have the budget for that but i would like to at least make the pond because we have a large inflatable bear with fishing penguins on it and i also have a large eskimo inflatable and i plan to had christmas lighted trees around this also ....

what can i use how can i make this and i need it to light up....thanks for any info you can give me :)

Ps not a pond with water lol but a fake frozen lake lol

[Craig]

You might want to consider a glass topped table normally used on a patio or deck. They have a translucent or frosted top that would give you the look you are after for the appearance of "ice":)

[Just Whisper]

Hey Freezing...I made a pond last year for my animated sled and also one for my deer. Here is a link to my PhotoBucket pics. You can browse through them and see the pond I made. I laid mini lights (nets or strands) on the ground in the shape I wanted the pond and filled it in with lights also. Then I used clear painters' plastic, about 3.5 mil and laid it over the lights. Cut it to whatever shape you need. I used metal stakes to hold it in place.



Christmas album (http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/Just_Whisper/2009/Our%20Yard%20and%20Home%20Christmas%2009/)

Hope this helps. It was super easy.

[A Freezing Canadian Witch]

You might want to consider a glass topped table normally used on a patio or deck. They have a translucent or frosted top that would give you the look you are after for the appearance of "ice":)

thats a good idea but limited in size and in Quebec the patio sets are no more in seasons in stores :) lol but a very good idea...i'll check garage sales etc next spring for something like that .

[A Freezing Canadian Witch]

Hey Freezing...I made a pond last year for my animated sled and also one for my deer. Here is a link to my PhotoBucket pics. You can browse through them and see the pond I made. I laid mini lights (nets or strands) on the ground in the shape I wanted the pond and filled it in with lights also. Then I used clear painters' plastic, about 3.5 mil and laid it over the lights. Cut it to whatever shape you need. I used metal stakes to hold it in place.



Christmas album (http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/Just_Whisper/2009/Our%20Yard%20and%20Home%20Christmas%2009/)

Hope this helps. It was super easy.

that is pretty cool !!! love it !!! i'll see if i can make something similar this year ......i wonder if blue lights would also work ?

thanks again super idea :)

[DanoNJ]

combine white and blue and if you have any twinkle, they look great also!

[A Freezing Canadian Witch]

combine white and blue and if you have any twinkle, they look great also!

i have not seen the twinkle bulbs here in store in quebec ,(the ones that looks like camera flashes or little stobesflashes not the flashing regular ones) do you have a link of what these look like ? i spent my friday morning looking at lights in stores and have not seen these anywhere...i love seing them used in display or lightshow ...

[EnlightenedGrinch]

The twinkle bulbs just kind of randomly dim and then brighten again, kind of like when you look at a bright star in the sky.
I saw some for sale at Target today.

[Just Whisper]

I am sure blue would look terrific.

[theedwin]

How about using a blue tarp under the plastic with lights between?

[EnlightenedGrinch]

Someone on PlanetXmas made an ice pond using aluminum foil, lights, then the plastic on top. Looked really good!

[Craig]

Hey FCW!:)

WhatEVER you decide to do for your pond, I would really like to see how it comes out! I am sure you will do well, and I can always use another great idea! Good luck!:):):)

[Giles]

Edwin, I'm loving the idea of the blue tarp with the plastic on top and the lights sandwiched between. Also the blue and white twinkle lights would give it a cool effect.

Gosh, lots of great ideas on here.

[chris]

Edwin that does sound like a great idea are you planning something we don't know lol?idea::)

[theedwin]

Glad you liked the idea. I also thought of using "saran wrap" type plastic. When it is a little bit crumpled and blows in a light wind, to me it looks like running water.

No Chris, I am not planning on a pond. (This year) I have a big cement one in the back yard already! :D

[EnlightenedGrinch]

Just like Jed Clampett! :)

[Just Whisper]

Glad you liked the idea. I also thought of using "saran wrap" type plastic. When it is a little bit crumpled and blows in a light wind, to me it looks like running water.



Trust me, not fun to work with. For 2 years in a row I used the really thin painters plastic...just shy of saran wrap. It tears way too easily, and saran wrap is very narrow which means you would have to anchor a LOT of narrow rows to make a pond whereby losing the effect. If you don't use a real heavy plastic you will still get that ripple effect, but most people aren't going to stand there and look long enough to make it worth the painful effort you will have to put into getting it. Go for the "nice effect but easy on your back" plan. Chose something that covers the most ground with the fewest amount of strips, and heavy enough to withstand being staked in to the ground and withstand wind and light flooding.

Edwin, I would love to see what the blue tarp looks like, or the tin foil. Sounds nice.

[theedwin]

Excellent point JW. I hate saran wrap anyway. LOL

[Just Whisper]

LMAO @ you edwin. Me too.

[CraigInPA]

A sheet of melamine would also work.

[Just Whisper]

A sheet of melamine would also work.

idea:That sounds interesting Dano. Where would you get it, how much does it cost, and does it come in colors or can you get it translucent? It would be harder to store than painter's plastic and if it is not translucent you cannot light it as easily. But I would be interested in how it looks.

[A Freezing Canadian Witch]

hi guys

well am still wondering of to do this pond and with hubby working so much overtime dont know if we will get this done for this year :/

the probleme is right on the ground is almost impossible here because of all the snow we get we would loose it in the snow completly , i even have all my inflatables on wood skid so that they dont get stuff in the snow.....

i am making a step for my penguins blow mold right now and am thinking of doing something similar for the pond , ......it is a trick (prop) we made for halloween last year fake fire.....light strings (clear ) then cutting wiffle balls in half and gluing them over the lights then great stuff over them and paint it white voila fake snow that lights up :)) i'll get picture and a video when i am done hopefully by monday .....

thanks guys for the the ideas .... and grinch do you have a link for the aluminum technic ?

[Just Whisper]

Here is a link to Planet Christmas but I think you will have to join to see the pics. I have to sign in to see them. http://forums.planetchristmas.com/showthread.php/36909-How-to-make-a-pond

It doesn't really explain about using the aluminum foil though or have a good pic of it because they used batting over it and it is gorgeous but not what you were looking for.

[EnlightenedGrinch]

Yea, what I saw wasn't a tutorial, just a picture. And you have to sign in to the site in order to see the pic.
I'll see if I can find it again.
The wiffle ball/great stuff idea sounds good. I guess you would use blue twinkling lights instead of the red?

[Santas Helper]

We have taken heavy clear plastic and achored it well taking all the wrinkles out of it making look as smooth at ice. Placing a few spotlights in place relecking off of it making it look like ice. We then had maniquiens dressed in Victorian garb ice skating. It was remarkable how real it looked. Make a small (lighted) fire by it and few branches along the edge to make it look like a pond.

[Carl B Zachary]

Here a picture of our Ice Pond this year. We just use 1 roll of painter plastic ( 10'x50' )
Ropelight for the outline and twinkle lights to fill in the middle.

http://christmasinthegrove.com/mediagallery/mediaobjects/disp/3/3_xmas07.jpg

http://christmasinthegrove.com/mediagallery/mediaobjects/disp/8/8_xmas05.jpg

http://christmasinthegrove.com/mediagallery/mediaobjects/disp/8/8_xmas06.jpg

[Craig]

That is one BEAUTIFUL display, Carl! WOW!

Soooooo, just HOW did you ,make those fantasitc lighted lolly pops?

[Giles]

Carl, your display is absolutely beautiful. LOVE THE POND!!

[EnlightenedGrinch]

Terrific display, Carl!
I've always loved your pond!

[Carl B Zachary]

That is one BEAUTIFUL display, Carl! WOW!

Soooooo, just HOW did you ,make those fantasitc lighted lolly pops?

Thanks Craig. Those Lighted Lolly Pops are Christmas Lollipop Light up Pathway Lights

[Carl B Zachary]

Thanks Giles and Grinch!

[Sickie Ickie]

This thread is a couple years old, but a neat concept was on http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/customer/gallery/holiday_deedeec.htm using Mylar, a motor and Styrofoam on the edges. Opinions?

[Just Whisper]

This thread is a couple years old, but a neat concept was on http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/customer/gallery/holiday_deedeec.htm using Mylar, a motor and Styrofoam on the edges. Opinions?

I thought it looked really good. It would be great if you could carve the ice in a curved manner, but I also understand they were on a tight time limit for that project. I loved the turntable idea. It gave me a few thoughts. I know someone on Santa Projects did a similar project where the "ice" turned, as opposed to my pond, where the sled moves independent of the ice. Between those two projects and mine I am thinking up something new, possibly for this year.

[EnlightenedGrinch]

That's pretty cool! It looks like a real ice pond.
Too bad there isn't a video of it in action.

[Sickie Ickie]

I really like the turntable effect, too JW. I know someone had previously used a rotating Christmas tree stand. A wiper motor may be able to do the same thing, but you'd have to add some kind of flange. Using this method though, you could use plywood and save some serious bux over plexy.

I was thinking the same thing EG.

[ij20me]

I like it. I never thought of using edging. I like it a bunch. The edging kicks it up a notch.

[Just Whisper]

I agree Jay.

[ij20me]

Hold on I am going to mark my calendar! JW, agrees! Well, one less thing on my bucket list!

[Just Whisper]

Hold on I am going to mark my calendar! JW, agrees! Well, one less thing on my bucket list!

JW hits the "LIKE" button. LOL

[Hilda]

Still watching this thread! All I wound up doing last year in a last-minute frenzy was making a pond outline with white rope light and thowing a couple strands of LED blue mini lights on the ground. LOL I still thought it was cute (although entirely unbelievable).

[ij20me]

Still watching this thread! All I wound up doing last year in a last-minute frenzy was making a pond outline with white rope light and thowing a couple strands of LED blue mini lights on the ground. LOL I still thought it was cute (although entirely unbelievable).

You need me to hook some LEDS up for you Hilds?