Windows! All our houses have windows and sometimes we leave them out of our Christmas displays, but they can add great diversity and dimension to your display. Building your own window frames using Gilbert Engineering HD pixel trim kits is a fantastic way to create a stunning, customized look.

Choosing the Right Product

At my old house, I built window frames using the Boscoyo Studios ChromaTrim. While it’s a fairly good system, it didn’t handle corners well. One positive about the ChromaTrim flexible vertical strips, though, is you can roll them up small for storage.

But this year I wanted to research and really figure out the best solution on the market, to make my life the easiest and make it look good – those were my two criteria! 

I settled on Gilbert Engineering HD pixel trim kits, which come in a variety of package sizes, and they have corner pieces, straight pieces (or strips), and bridge backers available. The material is a 10mm black or white coroplast, similar to many pixel models you might be familiar with. These pixel trim kits are a great choice because they’re easy to work with and give a professional finish.

The Assembly Process

Before you start assembling your frames, it's important to plan ahead. This includes measuring your windows before purchasing, to buy the correct amount of strips, corner pieces, and bridge backers. You'll need a bridge backer piece for every section longer than 45 inches, where you have to join two strips. 

Then I recommend building out a “test frame” following the instructions below to check sizing/pixel placement before cutting and assembling the rest of the frames.

Gather the tools you’ll need: electric drill with a small bit, sturdy zip-ties, and a saw.

Take your time - don't rush the assembly process. Make sure that everything is lined up correctly, especially making sure all the strips face the same direction and one isn’t flipped around, for example. 

Measure Your Windows

Begin by measuring your windows to determine the size of the frames you need. I recommend measuring, cutting and assembling one complete frame first, to get a feel for exactly where to trim the strips. This will depend on where you want the pixels to fall on the window frame – just inside, outside, in the middle? No wrong answer here – do whatever you think looks best.

Cut the Frame Pieces 

Once you know the sizes and quantities needed, use your test frame as a template and cut the pixel trim strips to the desired lengths. If one side of your window is longer than the 45" strip, you'll have to cut and join two pieces. 

Two Pieces Joined with Bridge Backer:

 To attach two straight pieces where there aren’t holes for zip-ties, you'll need that small drill bit to make holes. Using a Pixel Bridge Backer (on the back side), overlap the two strips with the backer and zip-tie together. Use the holes on the bridge as a template to drill holes on the strips for your zip-ties. These backer pieces let you overlap and securely attach two straight strips, and they’re available to buy as a separate pack.

Bridge Backer:

Assemble the Corners

The frames are assembled using two corner pieces - an L-shaped piece, and a square corner piece. Slot the square piece onto the L-shape, and secure with two zip-ties (I used 8” ties for rigidity) to form the corners of the frame.

Connect the Sides

Connect the sides of the frame into the L-shape corner piece the same way with zip-ties. Again, if you’re attaching a cut end that doesn’t have the precut holes, line it up with the corner and use the factory-cut holes in the L-shape pieces as a template to drill through the straight strip to make your zip-tie holes.

Add the Pixels

Once the frame is assembled, you can add your pixel strips. Push the pixel strips into the slots in the frame, starting and ending at one corner.

Tips for Success

The pixel slots are spaced every .75” on the Gilbert strips, so if you plan to space your pixels out to every two inches, for example, make sure to do the math to see if you’ll be able to get a pixel in every corner. When figuring out the sizing and cutting strips, you will want to take planned pixel spacing into consideration.

What about mounting the completed frames? My plan is to hang it on two screws at the top corners, and let gravity do the rest. If your windows are especially large and the frame sags in the middle, you can add an extra screw or zip tie where needed.

By following these simple steps, you can easily build your own window frames using Gilbert Engineering HD pixel trim kits for your Christmas light show. With a little planning and effort, you can create a beautiful and festive display that will impress your neighbors and friends.

Of course, if you need some pixel lights to pop in those frames, we’d love to help you over at Above AVL – check out all our pixel options here!