I set out to make my own DIY permanent holiday lights for my house using WS2811 "bullet" pixel LEDs. I bought generic vinyl j-channel from a local home improvement store and drilled a couple holes to test the fit. Each pixel is made to clip itself in, but I wasn't happy with how it looked. A lot of the pixel body was sticking out the front of the channel which doesn't even light up. Having that much of the body stick out makes them much more visible during the day without any benefit. I've included a photo showing how much the "factory" pixel mounting sticks out versus what I wanted to see.

So, I decided to design a socket that would hold each pixel where I wanted them to minimize their visibility during the day. After 15 iterations, I finally reached a design I was happy with that printed reliably.

Installation

I started by drilling holes in the j-channel (I don't remember the exact size, maybe 1/4"? You may need to do some tests if you want to try these sockets). Then I used the blunt end of a generic screwdriver without a magnetic bit in it (could also use a wrench socket) to push each socket into the holes. The sockets are designed to snap into the drilled hole. I usually get one side to grip the channel then rock to the other side with pressure to snap it in. The fit can be tight, sometimes an extra swipe or two with a deburring tool can help the sockets click in more easily, but less is more! There's not much wiggle room between a socket that's difficult to snap in, and a hole too big to hold the socket firmly. Once the printed sockets are in the channel, the pixels themselves should click into the sockets pretty easily. For me, the pixels went into the sockets much more easily than the sockets into the channel. I tried putting the pixels into the sockets first before inserted into the channel, but it seemed to take longer for me.

Printing

I printed with a generic white PLA filament. I printed batches of 30 sockets at a time using a skirt to ensure good flow for the first layer since there's not much material. No supports needed on my cheap Voxelab Aquila x2. After a year, the sockets on the house still look great (albeit slightly weathered if you're up close to them on a ladder). They're on the front of my house which faces North/North-West, so they only get sun for an hour or two in the evenings.

Yes, this was a LOT more work for myself, but I'm much happier with the results since these stay up on my house all year.