Materials

• Two (2) toilet paper rolls
• Small paper plate
• One battery operated tealight
• Scrapbook paper (not pictured)
• Invisible tape
• Glue stick
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Tape measure or ruler

Cover Your Tube

Using your tape measure, measure the circumference and add 1/4 inch (6 mm). Measure the height of the tube. Using your measurements, mark a rectangle on the back of the scrapbook paper.

If you are not using a tape measure, you can still easily make a cover for your tube. Mark a line on the tube. Place the tube against the back of the scrapbook paper, lining up your mark with the edge of the vertical edge of the paper. Line up the top edge of the tube with the horizontal edge of the paper. Mark the bottom edge of the tube on the paper. Slowly roll the tube, marking the bottom edge on the paper several times as you go. When the mark on the tub hit the paper again, make a vertical mark on the paper. Use the ruler to draw lines, taking care to add 1/4 in (6 mm) to the length.

Cut the paper out. Apply the glue stick to the inside of the paper and apply to the tube, overlapping it slightly at the seam. Take care to apply the paper carefully so that the top and bottom edge of the tube and paper line up. Use invisible tape to seal the seam. If needed, trim the top and bottom edges of the paper so it is flush.

When working with a large group it may be helpful to cut templates out of chipboard or cardstock that can be traced onto the paper.

Attach the Tube to the Plate

Use your scissors to cut tabs, about 1/4 inch in depth and width, along the bottom of the toilet paper tube. They don't have to be perfect. Fold the tabs up and away from the side of the tube.

Measure the diameter of the plate and use it to mark the center of the plate with your pencil. (Alternatively, you can gently fold it in half and pinch the center. Open the fold. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat so that the center is marked where the creases meet.

Press the tube against the center of the plate, lining up the center of the tube with the center of the plate. Use invisible tape to attach the tube to the plate.

Cover the Plate

Place your plate on the back of your scrapbook paper. Use your pencil to trace the circumference. Cut out the circle. You may want to cut just outside the line to give yourself a bit of space in case things don't line up perfectly in the next steps.

As described above, determine the center of your circle. Place your spare tube on the paper, aligning its center with the center of the paper. Trace the circumference of the tube. Carefully cut out the circle, creating a "doughnut" of paper.

Pull the circle of paper over the tube. If desired, use glue or tape to attach it to the plate along the edge. Trim the edges as needed.

Add the Candle Holder

Use your tape measure or ruler to measure the height of your tealight. From the top of the second tube, mark that height. Cut the tube into two pieces.

Use the same method as described above to measure and cut a piece of paper to cover the small piece of tube. Cover the tube with paper.

Attach the piece of tube to the plate with invisible tape, behind the seam on the center tube. Make sure the seam of the small piece of tube is facing down onto the plate.

Add the Tealight

Take the remaining portion of tube and make a cut from the bottom to top in a straight line. Squeeze the cardboard gently to create a new tube that has a diameter smaller than the tealight. Use invisible tape to secure the new tube in place.

Drop the new tube into the large center tube on your Peace Candle.

Turn on the tealight and drop it into the center the so that it rests on the newest tube you made. Your peace candle is complete!

Materials

• Two (2) toilet paper rolls
• Small paper plate
• A 5 mm LED in white or yellow
• 3v coin cell battery (CR2032 or CR2025)
• Adhesive backed copper tape
• Three (3) paperclips (smooth, uncovered, regular size #1)
• Two (2) brass fasteners (small 1/2 or 3/4 inch)
• Scrapbook paper (not pictured)
• Invisible tape
• Glue stick
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Small needle nose pliers (optional)
• Awl or small screw driver (optional)
• Tape measure or ruler

Apply Copper Tape Circuit

Build your cardboard candle as described above. I recommend not adhering the candle holder at this time. Simply mark where it will go.

To create a circuit you need a power source, conductive material that allows electricity to flow, and a load that is powered by the circuit. For this project our power source is the battery, the load is the LED, and the copper tape provides a path for the electricity to flow from the battery to the bulb of the LED. We will build a switch using the brass fasteners and paperclip.

Using copper tape and beginning on the right side of the candle, place tape from the top to the bottom of the center tube, onto the plate and then fold to make a turn towards the candle holder position. Continue the copper tape until it reaches the back of the center tube, between the tube and candle holder. If possible, do this all as a single piece.

On the opposite side of the tube, again place tape from the top to the bottom of the center tube, onto the place the fold to make a turn back to the candle holder position. However about halfway between the location where the tape hits the plate and the candle holder position, end the tape. We will apply the battery here.

Fold over a piece of copper tape into a loop with the sticky side out. Place this on your copper tape. Apply the battery with the smooth, positive (+) side down onto the plate.

From the top of the battery -- the rough, negative (-) side -- start applying tape again headed towards the candle holder. Do NOT bring the tape all the way to meet the copper tape from the other side. Leave a space roughly as wide as the paperclip is long between the paths of copper tape. We will place the switch here.

Use an awl, small screwdriver or the tip of your pencil to piece through the paper and plate at the end of each path of copper tape. Into each hole, place a brass fastener, folding the legs out under the plate. Make sure the fasteners hold tightly to the plate and make contact with the copper tape. If needed add tape from the head of the fastener to the path of tape. Use invisible tape to secure the legs of the brass fastener.

Slide the paper clip onto one of the bras fasteners.

Add your candle holder.

Add the LED

Take two paperclips and gently bend each to form an "L" shape. Slide a paperclip onto each side of the center tube, making sure it makes contact with the copper tape. The paper clip should form a sort of "ledge" into the center of the tube. Use copper or invisible tape to ensure that the paperclip and the tape have very good contact.

Align your candle so that the seam on the tube and the candle holder are facing you. The battery should be on the left.

For this circuit, the electricity must flow in the proper direction to make the LED work. An LED has two leads or legs. The longer lead is the positive lead; the shorter is negative. It may help to mark the positive lead with a black permanent marker, so that you don't get the leads confused.

Using your fingers or needle nose pliers, gently bend the leads from the LED out and away from the bulb. Orient the LED so that the positive lead is facing left and the negative lead is facing right.

Place the LED on the paperclips so that each lead makes contact with one of the paperclips. Again make sure the positive lead is on the left. Gently bend the leads down onto the paperclips and wrap them so that they are secure and make good contact. Crimp the leads against the paperclips using the needle nose pliers. If needed use copper tape or invisible tape to ensure the leads don't wiggle away from the paperclip.

Test the circuit by moving the paperclip on the switch so that it makes contact with both brass fasteners. Your LED should light up. If it doesn't check your connections throughout the circuit and make sure you have good contacts everywhere.

Materials

• Two (2) toilet paper rolls
• Small paper plate
• 1 Circuit Playground Express
• 1 AAA battery pack or Lithium Ion Battery
• Scrapbook paper (not pictured)
• Aluminum Foil (not pictured)
• Wax Paper (not pictured)
• Invisible tape
• Glue stick
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Tape measure or ruler
• Adhesive backed copper tape (optional)

Prepare the Cardboard Tube

Build your cardboard candle as described above.

Using the same method as above, measure a piece of aluminum foil. Gently roll the foil into a tube and insert it into the cardboard tube. Attach the foil to the inside of the tube with invisible tape. This will help to reflect the light from the Circuit Playground Express (CPX) up to the top of the candle.

Cut several strips of wax paper to match the circumference or the tube and about 1.5 inch high. Use your scissors to cut triangles into the strips to create "flames." Layer the two strips, offsetting the base by approximately 1/4 inch. Attach with invisible tape.

Line the top rim of the tube with your wax paper flames. I found it looked best is I slide the wax paper down into the tube a bit. Attach with invisible tape

Create the Flames

Cut several strips of wax paper to match the circumference or the tube and about 1.5 inch high. Use your scissors to cut triangles into the strips to create "flames." Layer the two strips, offsetting the base by approximately 1/4 inch. Attach with invisible tape.

Line the top rim of the tube with your wax paper flames. I found it looked best is I slide the wax paper down into the tube a bit. Attach with invisible tape.

If you have colored tissue paper, you may want to cut your flames from several colors and layer them for an even more realistic look.

Program the Circuit Playground Express

This code is based on the project “Circuit Playground Jack-o’-Lantern,” by Phillip Burgess for Adafruit. He offers a full discussion of the math behind this flickering flames which is really interested for students. It's based on fractals!

For a complete step-by-step tutorial on writing this code, check out Chapter 5 of The Big Book of Maker Camp Projects. In essence, we'll create two variables, one for the level of brightness and one that varies the level. The color and brightness of the neopixels changes very quickly based on these two variables, creating the flickering effect.

Though the code sets the neopixels to various reds, you can adjust that by changing the red, green, and blue levels. You can also use the copper I/O pads on the CPX for capacitive touch to switch the color of the flame in real time. Simply add a "hue" variable, use the "input" menu to change that variable when you touch different pads, and make additional if/else loops for each input. You could even use some of the preset animations for your lighting choices.

I've included both a basic version of the code as well as the color-changing version below. Both are available for free as a download.

Assemble the Candle

Assembly is easy. Simply use a loop of tape, turned with the adhesive side out to attached the back of the CPX to the center of the plate. Place the foil-lined cardboard tube over the CPX, making sure that the neopixels are within the tube. Use a bit of tape to attach the tube to the plate, holding the CPX between them. Attach your battery and enjoy the glow!

If you are using capacitive touch to change colors on your candle, you may want to use copper tape to make it easier to touch.

My cat, Boo, thinks this version is the best.

Happy Holidays!

A short video of the color-changing version with copper tape in action.