Rows o’ Spots

James Tucker from Christ’s Church in Jacksonville, FL brings us this row of vintage par cans. 

From James: We wanted a way to incorporate a TON of individually controlled lamps along our back wall. We knew that lambing 50 or so pars with 500 and 1k lamps was impractical, so we looked into a lower wattage idea. We made a test fixture involving a broken old par can and bolting a junction box to the screen and wiring a $1 socket to turn the par into a fixture capable of dimming store-bought lamps. The test fixture looked great but to make the look, we needed 49 more broken pars.

So we did an “all call” on Facebook for old par cans. The next week we were given 60 or so broken pars. Most had burned out or missing sockets.

We gathered all the pars up and had a wiring party. First, we removed the old electric parts. Second we mounted a pancake electrical box to the par can screen using 1/4″ hardware and Lock-Tite to keep the bolts from coming loose. Third we cut a 25′ section of lamp cord and ran it through the par’s original cable hole, through the screen, and to the pancake box. Fourth we wired a $1.50 keyless E26 lamp socket. As a lamp we used a 65 watt R30 lamp that you can get for .75 in quantity. We have done looks using clear 25-watt Edison bulbs, giving a much different effect. We did the math, with a cheap lamp we had less than $6 in each fixture.

Each fixture has a 25 foot 18/2 lamp cord to give us a ton of flexibility on placing fixtures without needing extension cords. This came in handy in following sets as we moved the pars closer and farther apart for different seasons.

We wired a total of 50 fixtures to make our par wall, now we needed a way to hang each fixture. We have been wanting a way to easily hang props/scenery on our back wall so we installed 1.5″ pipes every 8′ from floor to ceiling to accommodate our new par wall and any other sets thereafter. We called our local pipe supply company and ordered ten 32′ pipes and ten flanges. The pipes came in 21 and 11-foot lengths with couplers. We assembled them on site and screwed them into floor flanges. To secure the pipe at the top we used Cheeseboro clamps to mount the pipes to our 1.5″ pipes in the air.

The pars (initially) were mounted at 4′ intervals on the pipe. As a cheap clamp, we purchased a bulk supply of #4 1.5″ conduit hangers to secure the fixture to each pipe.

For dimming, a former Christmas light enthusiast donated several Lite-O-Rama 16-way dimmer packs to the church. The packs spoke DMX so it was a matter of soldering a cat-5 to 5-pin DMX adapter cable. We use a total of four packs to power the 50 pars leaving extra dimmers for other small fixtures and string lights.

For control, we patched in all 64 channels of dimmers into our console and made groups per pipe and per elevation to create different looks/effects for our cues. For the most part, the pars max out at 30% not to blind the audience, we will crank groups or individuals to full for effects and certain parts of our worship set. Using built-in console effects, we are able to build some great-looking waves and ramps across the wall.

The par wall has been the base of all our looks the past year. By re-lamping with different lamp styles and re-positioning, you can keep the look fresh. To add some great contrasting color between the pipes, we use Blizzard Hotbox led pars to do streaks up the curtain.

Why This Design Works

This vintage par can wall demonstrates how churches can achieve professional-grade stage lighting without breaking the budget. The genius of this approach lies in its scalability and adaptability. By using repurposed broken par cans and inexpensive household bulbs, Christ’s Church created a versatile lighting instrument that rivals expensive LED matrix systems costing thousands of dollars.

The modular nature of this design means you can start small with just 10-20 fixtures and expand over time as budget allows. Each fixture operates independently, giving you precise control over patterns, chases, and dimming effects. Unlike fixed LED panels, these individual fixtures can be repositioned, re-spaced, or even moved to different pipes to create entirely new looks without purchasing additional equipment.

Another advantage is the warm, organic quality of incandescent lamp light. While LED fixtures offer color-changing capabilities, the natural warmth of tungsten and Edison bulbs creates an inviting atmosphere that LEDs sometimes struggle to replicate. The ability to swap bulb types—from standard R30 floods to decorative Edison filaments—means one set of fixtures can produce dramatically different moods for different seasons and sermon series.

Related Designs

• Light Boxes – Another budget-friendly lighting solution using simple materials to create glowing stage elements
• Light Chimes – A creative PVC pipe design featuring illuminated hanging tubes that create ethereal lighting effects perfect for worship
• LED Lighting and Haze – Learn how to combine LED fixtures with atmospheric haze for dramatic beam effects
• What is DMX – Understanding DMX control systems, essential knowledge for operating dimmer packs and lighting consoles
• Dimming Lights – Everything you need to know about dimmer systems and controlling fixture intensity
• Firefly Nets – Creative lighting using string lights and fabric to create starfield effects

Pro Tips for Vintage Par Can Walls

Budget Bulb Sourcing: Don’t just look for new bulbs. Check estate sales, closing businesses, and Habitat for Humanity ReStores for bulk bulb deals. Many commercial buildings switching to LED will give away or sell cheaply their old incandescent stock. You can also approach local theater groups—they often have excess inventory from productions and may trade for facility use.

Safety First with Wiring: While this project is DIY-friendly, have a licensed electrician review your plans before powering up. Junction boxes must be properly grounded, and dimmer packs need adequate ventilation to prevent overheating. Consider adding GFCI protection for any fixtures near the stage floor where moisture might be present from baptisms or special effects.

Label Everything: With 50+ fixtures and multiple dimmer packs, labeling becomes critical. Use colored electrical tape to code fixture groups by pipe or function. Number each fixture cord at both ends so troubleshooting is simple. Create a patch sheet that maps each fixture number to its corresponding DMX channel—your future self (and volunteers) will thank you.

Experiment with Spacing: The 4-foot spacing used initially is just a starting point. Try clustering fixtures in groups of 3-5 with gaps between clusters for visual rhythm. Or create a gradient effect by spacing fixtures closer at stage left and progressively farther apart toward stage right. The flexible lamp cords make experimentation easy.

Related: Haze Days – Proper haze techniques for worship services.

Related: PVC Pipe Trusses – Building affordable stage structures with PVC.

Related: Checkered Past – A simple geometric grid design using black frames and white ceiling tiles suspended from the ceiling for a modern checkered backdrop.