Creating lighted arches for the holidays

Neighbors in North Willow Glen are creating lighted arches for the holidays. If you would like to create your own, here is a quick how-to.

Materials that we used for each arch:

• One light string (we used this one from Home Depot with 100 lights along a 28.5-foot lighted length)
• Two 10-foot 1/2-inch PVC pipes
• One 1/2-inch coupler
• Two pieces of 3/8-inch rebar cut each into two-foot lengths

Directions and what we learned:

• If your lights come packaged in two bundles, note where the middle of the bundles are so that you can distribute your lights across the two pipes semi evenly.
• Connect the two pipes with the coupler and push them together as hard as you can.
• Attach your light string to one end of the PVC with blue painter's tape
• Twist the light string around with somewhat even spacing, maybe 3 or 4 inches apart with the light string that we used. Have a person twist the pipe from one end to help you quickly twist the lights on.
• Attach the lights to the second end with a twist tie.
• Pound the rebar stakes into the ground (watch for any irrigation pipes) about one foot down
• Place one end of the arch onto the first stake and bend your arch to fit it into the second end.
• Light 'em up and enjoy!