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Building the spider

This was our first build of custom props, and the first time using xLights to sequence a simple light show.

The first props were made from foam board. It proved a little awkward to work with, but it was fine for a first attempt. The first one was a large spider: we sized a spider outline to A3, punched 12mm holes for the pixels, then cut around the shape.

Foam board cut into a spider shape, with the first pixel holes punched along one leg
Foam board cut into a spider shape, with the first pixel holes punched along one leg.

Next, the pixels went in, keeping a close eye on the numbering so the spider could be mapped pixel by pixel into xLights.

The back of the spider with the WS2811 pixel string pushed through and wired leg by leg
The back of the spider with the WS2811 pixel string pushed through and wired leg by leg.
The front of the spider with every pixel fitted, before switch-on
The front of the spider with every pixel fitted, before switch-on.

A WLED controller drives the lights, which made it easy to test every pixel before sequencing.

The spider lit up in white during testing
The spider lit up in white during testing.

Want a custom prop like this?