Silhouettes and motifs

Rope light or LED frame

A rope-light silhouette runs a flexible lit tube round a wire outline, so the whole shape glows as a continuous line; the nativity scenes and bells are made this way and are the ones to fix to a wall or a gable where they are seen flat-on. An LED frame silhouette carries individual LEDs on a tinsel or beaded frame, which gives a sparkle rather than a line and often twinkles in sequence; the starburst snowflakes and the twinkling reindeer are built this way. Both are rated for outdoors on nearly every piece.

Sizes and placing

A 60cm to 70cm motif suits a window from inside or a porch wall. A 1m piece is the size for a house wall seen from the road, a garage door or a fence. The 1.5m starburst with 1,080 LEDs is a centrepiece for a gable end or a large lawn and is listed under commercial as well. Fix wall pieces with the hooks supplied or screw-in cup hooks; stand lawn pieces on the stakes in the box.

Animated pieces

The Musical Kicking Leg Animated Parachuting Santa at £39.99, and its reindeer and gingerbread versions, hang from a hook or a branch, play a tune and kick their legs. They are the pieces children stop for and are the most ordered items in the department.

Colours and power

Warm white leads with 36 pieces, then multi coloured, white and mixed white and warm white. Sixty-nine are mains powered through a transformer and eight run on batteries. Most have a timer.