Day 7

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday. Since 2012, I've helped to plan a special event in my rural community called Jingle on Main. It started as a way to celebrate our local small businesses and grew to include an annual tree lighting, vendor fair, live music, great food, and free family activities. As a small business owner it was one of my favorite events of the season.

This year, however, the event has been moved online due to COVID-19. So I'm dedicating this gift box project to all the small business owners out there who are working tirelessly through this pandemic to keep their doors open. They truly are gifts to our communities.

Why does it light up? Because there is a light at the end of this tunnel. There are better days ahead. And if we all support one another, help each other out, we can make it through.

So this weekend, shop your local mom and pop shops. Find a local artist and get some unique gifts for your family and friends. Fill your table with delicious food from a local farm stand. Support small businesses and shop local.

This version of the gift box is the simplest. Fold the box and add an electric tealight. It's about 3.75" to 4" square, depending on the paper you use and the accuracy of your folding, so it holds a small gift nicely. A gift card fits in the box diagonally or you can tuck cash into the pocket created on the flap.

• One 12"x12" piece of scrapbook paper, the thinner the better. Do not use cardstock. Do not use paper with lots of glitter, foil or embossing.

• Wax paper cut to a 7.5"x7.5" square. Vellum, mulberry paper, onion skin paper or other translucent paper may work as well.

• Scissors

• Glue stick

• Invisible tape

• Large paperclip, about 2" long, uncoated

• An electric tealight (Do not use a candle!)

• Bone folder or popsicle stick (optional)

This version of the gift box is similar to the previous one, but we use copper tape, an LED, and a coin battery to make a simple circuit that lights up only when the box is opened. The paper clip is used to complete the circuit, but the flap from the top of the box disrupts the circuit, opening it so that the light is off when the box is closed. This is a fun, inexpensive project to demonstrate how circuits work.

You'll need all the same materials as above and the following items in addition.

• 1/4" copper tape with conductive adhesive. You can also use Maker Tape (a fabric conductive tape) or aluminum foil cut into strips.

• One 10mm "jumbo" LED, any color

• One 3V coin battery, CR2032 or CR2025

You can purchase a kit with enough of the electronics components to make at least 10 boxes at Maker Shed.

Follow the instructions above to craft the paper and wax paper boxes. Do not attach the paper clip yet.

This version of the gift box uses the Circuit Playground Express by Adafruit Industries. This fantastic little microcontroller has lots of sensors on board as well as neopixel lights that can change color and a small sound board. If you know someone who'd like to learn to code, try their hand at robotics, or create fun wearable electronics, this is a great gift for them. And now you have a festive way to give it!

You'll need all the same materials list in the first project, but you will also need the following.

• 1/4" copper tape with conductive adhesive. You can also use Maker Tape (a fabric conductive tape) or aluminum foil cut into strips.

• Circuit Playground Express (CPX)

• 3xAAA Battery Holder with On/Off Switch and 2-Pin JST

• Micro USB data transfer cable

• A computer

Follow the instructions above to craft the paper and wax paper boxes. Do not attach the paper clip yet.

The CPX has a light sensor on it that allows you to control the board. You can code it using MakeCode, a free drag-and-drop computer language.

From the Input menu, drag in the "on light" block. Clock the down arrow and change it to "bright." Click on the Variable menu and select "Make a variable." Make the variable "light." Drag the "set" block and place it in the on light loop. Click on the white bubble and change the value to 1. These blocks will register if the light sensor sees light (when the box is open) and set a variable to a positive value.

From the Loop menu, drag in the "repeat" block and place it in the "on light" block. Set the loop to repeat 4 times. (You can adjust this to your liking.) From the Music menu, drag in the "play sound" block. Click on the down arrow and select a sound you like.

Add another "on light" block but set this one to "dark." Add the "set" black and set the value to 0. This will register when the light sensor has no light. Add the "stop all sounds" block so that any music will stop when the box is closed.

From the Loop menu, drag in the "forever" block. Then from the Logic menu add the "if else" block. Then select the "0=0" modifier block and place it into the "if else" block where it says "true". Go to the Variable menu and select the "light" variable. Place it into the first white bubble of the "0=0" block. Set the next bubble to 1. Anything inside this part fo the "if" block will happen whenever the light sensor sees light (when the box is open) and the variable is set to 1. From the Light menu, select an animation that you like and drag it into the "if" block.

Click on the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the "if else" block. This will add a new "else" block. Once again add the "0=0" block and the "light" variable. This time set it to 0, so that when the box is dark anything inside this part of the block with happen. From the Light menu, drag the "set all pixels to" block and select black. Click on the minus sign (-) by the leftover "else" statement.

Now we just need to initialize the board. From the Loop menu drag out the "on start' block. From the Variable menu add a "set" block. Set the "light" variable to 0 so that the board starts with the lights off.

From the Input menu, add the "set threshold to" block. Click the down arrow and set the block to "dark." Set the value to 128. You can adjust this to the appropriate darkness level to trigger your box to light up. This may vary some based on the paper you choose and how tightly your box closes.

You can download and remix a copy of this code at https://makecode.com/_80vPyqUckH3j

Download the code to your computer using the "Download button." Connect the CPX to the computer using the USB cable. Press the reset button on the CPX. A new drive, CPLAYBOOT should show up on your computer. Find the *.uf2 file from you Downloads directory onto that drive. This is called Flashing the device. All the LEDs will turn red briefly, then green. (Having trouble? Consult this guide.)

Disconnect the CPX from the computer.

Plug in the battery pack. Place the CPX and the battery pack into the box. Use invisible tape to make loops with the adhesive facing outward. Use them to attach the CPX and the battery pack to the box.

Turn on the battery pack. Add the wax paper platform. Test to make sure that the box turns off when the box is closed and one when the box is opened.

Perhaps you're more of an electronics kind of person. It's a harder build, but an easier program to code if you add the CPX to a similar circuit to the one we used with the LED.

The CPX has multiple pads around the edge that are conductive. You can use them for capacitive touch or as input/output. So we can use our copper tape to connect to eh CPX and control it with a the same switch as before.

Start by coding the CPW. From the Loop menu drag out the "forever" block. Then add an "if else" block from the Logic menu.

Click on the Advanced menu at the bottom of the menus. This will show additional menus. From the Pins menu, take the "digital read pin" and replace the "truth" block in the "if" block. Select a pin. (They are labeled on the CPX. I chose A2 because it was fairly easy to attach to the circuit.) This code means that if that conductive pad receives current it is will do anything in the "if" block. Select an animation you like form the Light menu and add it to the "if" block.

In the "else" part of the black, add the "set all pixels" from the Light menu and set the color to block. This is what will happen whenever the pad is not getting current.

If you like, use the "repeat" block code from above to add music.

Download the code and flash it to your CPX, as explained above.

Attached the CPX and battery pack into the box. Using a roughly 5 inch piece of copper tape and starting at the top of the front of the box, lay the tape down the front of the box, to the bottom, off to the side of the CPX and folded to attach to the A2 pad. Then do the same, but lead to the right and attach to the 3.3V pad on the opposite side.

This can be challenging. If it's hard to lay down the tape, try tweezers to get in those tight space. Use multiple pieces of tape is needed, just make sure there is good contact between the pieces.

Add the paperclip as we did for the LED circuit above. The circuit should light up. When you close the top of the box, it should open the circuit and the lights will stop. Add the wax paper platform and enjoy your gift box!

If you enjoyed this project, please check out my book, The Big Book of Maker Camp Projects, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Google Play.

"Fun DIY projects that will inspire young makers to explore, create, and share!

This entertaining guide contains dozens of start-to-finish projects that enable you to host an engaging Maker Camp―the kids won’t even know they’re learning! Written by an experienced teacher and dedicated hobbyist, The Big Book of Maker Camp Projects clearly explains the awesome activities that will make your camp epic. Wearables, electronics, arts and crafts, cosplay, and other favorite topics are fully covered.

With expert advice on how to create your own unique program, you will discover how to host the coolest camp on the block and inspire young hobbyists to hone their skills and gain confidence. Whether working with an established makerspace or taking your Maker Camp on to a local library, community center, school, museum, or private home, this book has you covered!"