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CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
Create something that includes an LED that illuminates as a result of sewing a circuit with conductive thread or connecting directly to the battery.
EXTRA CREDIT
EXTRA CREDIT
Design and integrate an on-off switch.
No-Sew Tutorial
No-Sew Tutorial
Supplies
Supplies
Felt Squares, Foam Shapes (sticky back), LED, Sewable Battery Holder, Coin Cell Battery, Safety Pin, Pliers, Permanent Marker
Step 1
Step 1
- With a permanent marker, color the shorter leg of the LED and the NEGATIVE side of the battery holder as shown.
Step 2
Step 2
- Arrange your design on the felt square with the stickers.
- Poke the legs of the LED into the stickers to the other side.
Step 3
Step 3
Here is the front, after pushing the LED legs through the layers to the other side.
Step 4
Step 4
Bend the LED legs so they lay flat on the back of the felt.
Step 5
Step 5
With pliers (or your fingers, bend about ½” up to a right angle.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 6
Step 6
- Poke the leg through the hole on the battery holder.
- Make a bend in the other leg, where it will fit in the other hole.
Step 7
Step 7
- Poke this leg into the hole in the battery holder.
Step 8
Step 8
- With your fingers, bend the legs so they lay flat on the felt.
Step 9
Step 9
- Take your coin cell battery and look for the plus sign (+)
- This is the positive side of the battery.
Step 10
Step 10
- Slide the battery under the “backwards E”
- Press down to snap it into place.
Step 11
Step 11
Attach a safety pin, to attach to a hat, coat, shirt, etc.
TA DA!
TA DA!
Did the LED Illuminate? Follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Check + and - polarity - make sure positive goes to positive and negative goes to negative.
- Do you have a dead battery?
- Faulty LED?
Advanced Version - Using Conductive Thread
Advanced Version - Using Conductive Thread
Supplies
Supplies
Felt Squares, Foam Shapes (sticky back), LED, Sewable Battery Holder, Coin Cell Battery, Safety Pin, Pliers, Permanent Marker, Sewing Needle and Conductive Thread
Step 1
Step 1
Plan your design.
Step 2
Step 2
Poke the LED through the felt.
Step 3
Step 3
- The longer wire is POSITIVE.
- Use the needle-nose pliers to roll up the wire into a small circle.
Step 4
Step 4
- The shorter wire is NEGATIVE.
- Use the pliers to roll the wire into a larger circle (so you can remember that it is the negative wire).
Step 5
Step 5
- Determine which side of the battery holder is the NEGATIVE side.
- Mark this side with a marker so you can easily see which side is negative.
Step 6
Step 6
- Sew the battery holder to the felt with conductive thread, aligning the POSITIVE side to the POSITIVE wire on the LED.
- Wrap the conductive thread several times around the circle, and fasten off.
Step 7
Step 7
- Repeat Step 6 on the NEGATIVE side.
Step 8
Step 8
- Insert battery + side UP.
- If LED does not illuminate, check your connections and adjust as necessary. Re-sewing is OK - don't feel bad!
Step 9
Step 9
- Attach the pin-back at the top.
- Wrap the conductive thread several times around the circle, and fasten off.
Step 10
Step 10
- Admire your work and adjust as necessary.
TA DA!
TA DA!
Taking it Further
Taking it Further
- Felt Wristband with a Switch Tutorial
- Technical Information about LEDs and Circuits - Adafruit
- Tutorial on LEDs - Sparkfun
- LED Project Ideas - Instructables
- More LED Project Ideas - Pinterest
Gallery Walk
Gallery Walk
Additional Resources:
Additional Resources:
- Threading a Needle with Conductive Thread (video)
- Sewing with Conductive Thread (video)
- Sewing with Conductive Thread, LilyPad, and More (from SparkFun)
- Planning a Wearable Electronics Project (from SparkFun)
Materials Needed (sources are hyperlinked)
Materials Needed (sources are hyperlinked)
- Felt square (3" x 3" used here)
- Light Emitting Diode (any color)
- CR2032 Coin Cell Battery
- Conductive Thread (if sewing the LED to the battery holder)
- Coin Cell Battery Holder (Sewable)
- Needle and Sewing Thread (Optional, Mending Kit used here)
- Assorted craft materials (foam shapes, wiggle eyes, etc.)
- Needle-nose pliers, scissors, glue
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