Supplies you will use/need

• Consumables vary with each installation and no two installations are alike. However, it's likely that you'll use multiple kinds of tape -- masking tape, painter's tape, duct tape, electrical tape, silicon tape -- the list is almost endless. You'll use various kinds of screws (sheet-rock, self-tapping and machine types), nails of various kinds and lengths, cable ties/"zip-ties" in various lengths (buy kinds that are UV resistant), plywood, paint of various types and colors, PVC pipe and fittings, etc. In any event, you'll make lots of trips to your local hardware store or home improvement center as you create your display.

• Extension cords. Lots of them. You'll use big, long outdoor extension cables for main power runs and smaller cables for shorter runs. Some users buy large spools of SPT-1 or SPT-2 wire and bags of "pirate plugs" so they can cut lengths and make cables to exactly the lengths they need. And by lots of them we mean that a single, 24-channel controller will need 25 extension cords. DIYers that have hundreds of channels often have as many extension cords in their displays.

• Storage bins. Lots of them. This is often an overlooked item but large, plastic storage bins with covers are helpful to preserve your equipment, wire and other display elements during the off-season so that you can use them again. Careful attention to storage can extend the useful life of your gear for many years and save money.