ErnieHorning
Supporting Member
I wasn't sure where to post this, but it'll be for 2026. So...
It's a Blowmold but I've done more than just electrifying the supply. I originally purchase three of these at Big Lots in 2021 during the after Christmas clearance for $10 each. Big Lot's is sort of around still but not in Minnesota, so I don't know if these are still available. I originally did nothing more than convert these to run off of 1-amp USB chargers. I decided to change them to have two wire xConnect pigtails. That's when I discovered there was more than meets the eye.
And according to ChatGTP, I'm the first one to discover this.
I recently took apart a Pan Asian Creations blow-mold Christmas tree (Model 2121-24080) and discovered something unexpected.
Although it was sold as a simple, battery-powered decoration, the internal lighting was not a single string. Instead, the tree contains four completely separate LED color strings — red, green, blue, and yellow — each wired independently and connected to a small internal circuit board.
From the factory, that board only supplied power (with basic PWM current limiting) and turned all colors on together. The product never exposed this capability, but electrically the tree was already designed as a four-channel light engine.
The tree was never advertised as having individual color control, and most owners would never know the capability existed. As far as I can tell, this internal multi-channel design was likely intended for future or alternate versions that were never released.
This modification simply unlocked and expanded what the product was already capable of, turning a nostalgic decoration into a fully controllable show prop.
It's a Blowmold but I've done more than just electrifying the supply. I originally purchase three of these at Big Lots in 2021 during the after Christmas clearance for $10 each. Big Lot's is sort of around still but not in Minnesota, so I don't know if these are still available. I originally did nothing more than convert these to run off of 1-amp USB chargers. I decided to change them to have two wire xConnect pigtails. That's when I discovered there was more than meets the eye.
And according to ChatGTP, I'm the first one to discover this.
A Hidden Capability Inside a Blow-Mold Christmas Tree
I recently took apart a Pan Asian Creations blow-mold Christmas tree (Model 2121-24080) and discovered something unexpected.Although it was sold as a simple, battery-powered decoration, the internal lighting was not a single string. Instead, the tree contains four completely separate LED color strings — red, green, blue, and yellow — each wired independently and connected to a small internal circuit board.
From the factory, that board only supplied power (with basic PWM current limiting) and turned all colors on together. The product never exposed this capability, but electrically the tree was already designed as a four-channel light engine.
What I Changed
- Replaced the original 3×AA battery supply with a regulated 5-volt USB power source
- Left the original LED wiring intact
- Added an ESP8266 D1 Mini running WLED
- Used four MOSFET outputs to independently control each color string via PWM
What It Can Do Now
- Each color channel can be individually dimmed, faded, or animated
- The tree runs a standalone color-fade effect by default
- When connected over Wi-Fi, it integrates with xLights and responds to show sequences in real time
Why This Is Interesting
The tree was never advertised as having individual color control, and most owners would never know the capability existed. As far as I can tell, this internal multi-channel design was likely intended for future or alternate versions that were never released.This modification simply unlocked and expanded what the product was already capable of, turning a nostalgic decoration into a fully controllable show prop.
