Old school Reindeer want to be upgraded

[JonB256]

I have 10 smallish wire reindeer. Rudolph, and the rest.

They are 11 years old and have already been relamped once with clear incandescent mini-lights.

Now that my yard is virtually all RGB and pixels, they look very out of place. For sentimental reasons, I don't want to trash them but just wrapping them with pixels won't work well either.

What I'd like to do (but can't think of the needed materials) is remove their lights and then encase them in a translucent material to maintain their form, kind of like a blow-mold I guess, and then light them from inside.

Any material suggestions?  As I said, they aren't large, maybe 18" at their back and 30" nose to tail.

[Ebuechner]

https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/32822853214.html?spm=a2g0n.search-cache.0.0.2b71ca31tjTKVQ

This would be a possibility.
Also look through Ray Wu store to see if there is an item that might better fit your needs.
I know he sells the translucent silicone sleeve separate.

[JonB256]

Not quite what I was picturing. Thinking more of a "mummy" wrap that I could wind around the head, body and legs that would be sunlight resistant. I picked up some woven polyester "tree skirt" material at WalMart to play with. I may leave it outdoors for a week or so to see what it does. I could probably fuse/weld seams.

As they currently are, wrapped in 100 mini-lights, their shape is indistinct. I'm thinking a translucent body, lit from inside (again, like a blow mold) is my goal.

Anybody else think of a material? Cost is not as important as weather and sun resistance.

[Ebuechner]

I got ya, for some reason I was picturing a flat model.
I think a lot of the 3D wireframe models these days I rapped with some sort of string or twine and then sprayed with a material that's kind of like a thick paint to make kind of an open mesh.

[Gilrock]

I've retrofitted a wireframe angel with pixels and it looks great.  I wouldn't call it wrapping.  We opened up the frame and zip tied the pixels to the frame inside.   Luckily my wife did all the work on that one.  121 pixels.

[JonB256]

Current thinking is to use Fiberglass cloth and Resin (like you use on a boat or surfboard)

No color and not too thick. Should be very translucent for interior lighting with pixels.

Anyone with experience concerning UV damage and darkening due to the elements.

[drm1963]

What about using something like this after installing the lights?

Never tried it but it could be another way incase you do not like e look it would be way easier to remove than fiberglass would!

https://goo.gl/RExqys

[JonB256]

What about using something like this after installing the lights?

Never tried it but it could be another way incase you do not like e look it would be way easier to remove than fiberglass would!

https://goo.gl/RExqys

Thanks. Great idea. I will call for some samples. Some of that shrink film is very clear but I'll need something to diffuse the light a little bit.

[hattg]

You could use a thin muslin fabric or something like that over the frame first, then the shrinkwrap over that. Use some spray adhesive over the frame to make the cloth stick, then shrinkwrap it.

[JonB256]

You could use a thin muslin fabric or something like that over the frame first...

Also a good thought. I've got a layer of thin, white polyester mesh (think Christmas tree skirt) sitting in the sun and weather right now for an endurance test. So far it still looks good and would be a great diffuser but would be too fragile on its own. Covering with shrink wrap could solve that problem.