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Paper Circuit Design Challenge - 5 Lesson Sequence

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Choosing a Power Source

All LilyPad projects need a power source - most use either a 3V CR2032 coin cell battery or a 3.7V lithium polymer rechargeable battery. Which power solution you need will depend on a few factors: the size of your project, the type of LilyPad Arduino you choose, and whether you would rather replace or recharge a battery. The LilyPad line includes a stand-alone sewable coin cell holder or built-in battery connections for coin cell batteries or lithium polymer batteries (available on select LilyPad boards).
More About Powering LilyPad Projects

Conductive Thread Connections

LilyPad boards are made to be sewn together using conductive thread, a specialty thread made with stainless steel fibers. Used instead of copper wiring to connect LilyPad pieces together, it provides a soft and flexible connection between components that is incorporated directly into fabric. Each LilyPad piece has a large sew tab to accommodate a variety of needle sizes for attaching conductive thread.
Learn to Sew With Conductive Thread

LilyPad Pieces

The LilyPad line includes a variety of sewable components for creative projects. Choose from LEDs in a variety of colors, buttons, switches, sensors, buzzers and controller (Arduino) boards. Check out all of the individual LilyPad pieces here. Which pieces you choose to build into your project will depend on your individual vision and goals. Read on for more about the different types of LilyPad projects you can make.
See All the LilyPad Pieces

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Getting Started with Lilypad - SparkFun Electronics

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Choosing a Power Source All LilyPad projects need a power source - most use either a 3V CR2032 coin cell battery or a 3.7V lithium polymer rechargeable battery. Which power solution you need will depend on a few factors: the size of your project, the type of LilyPad Arduino you choose, and whether you would rather replace or recharge a battery.

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The LilyPad system is a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help you build soft, sewable, interactive e-textile (electronic textile) projects. Using LilyPad pieces is a great way to experiment with electronics through the lens of crafting or fiber arts. Each LilyPad piece has large conductive sew tabs for easy sewing and a rounded shape so as not to snag fabric or cut thread. To get started, check out the article on Getting Started with LilyPad or tutorials tagged with LilyPad for project ideas!

Old Tutorials

Looking for the old, archived tutorials? Head on over to the archived tutorials on the main SparkFun site.
Please be aware that the tutorials you find there are no longer actively maintained.

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The LilyPad system is a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help you build soft, sewable, interactive e-textile (electronic textile) projects. Using LilyPad pieces is a great way to experiment with electronics through the lens of crafting or fiber arts.

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Contributors: Feldi In this project, we'll create a decorative embroidery hoop using conductive thread to connect LilyPad LEDs to a LilyTiny, powered by a LilyPad battery holder. Follow along by drawing your own design on a piece of fabric, or download and print one of SparkFun's designs.

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{S}crap Sensors is an ongoing exploration into to the materiality of sensors, responding to the availability of material and resources that feeds into data collection and digital systems.

I've been using rubbish or things that we have on hand to make working sensors. A speaker is made by coiling adhesive copper or sewing copper thread into soft materials. You can hear the vibration of materials like plastics when they move from the force between a magnetic field, and an oscillating electromagnetic field made by the coiled copper.

Sensors are entwined with how we see the world. For example, the sensors in our camera phones capture photons of light to release electrons that define how each pixel in an image will look. Much of the data that sensors produce feeds into perceptions of the environment, and it is often not obvious that the machines producing data are material instruments, collecting information in material ways.

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S}crap Sensors is an ongoing exploration into to the materiality of sensors, responding to the availability of material and resources that feeds into data collection and digital systems. I've been using rubbish or things that we have on hand to make working sensors. A speaker is made by coiling adhesive copper or sewing copper thread...

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Tiny Theaters tell stories inside cardboard boxes using craft materials and light. Turn on and off LEDs using a homemade switch and a circuit made with copper tape. What story would you like to tell?

Exploring Circuits

There are many ways to engage with circuits and electricity. We advocate for an approach that is playful, hands-on, and builds on the stories that learners want to tell. The idea of centering learner choice in Tiny Theaters is intentional. Tinkering experiences have many ways to get started and result in a variety of outcomes. By allowing learners to choose what goals they want to pursue and how they go about it, we connect their learning to previous experiences, personal interests, family and cultural traditions, and promote a sense of belonging and empowerment.

Consider the materials you have on hand in your space and how they can be leveraged into constructing a tiny world inside a box. Many great substitutions exist, so don't shy away from trying things wonderful and wacky!

☐ A cardboard box: A shoebox is a great fit for this activity, but also consider food packaging boxes, delivery boxes, and more.

☐ Light source(s): Paper circuits are a great way to illuminate a scene, but consider other light sources like a flashlight or the sun.

☐ Paper and adhesives: Keep general craft supplies nearby like colorful cardstock, scrap cardboard, markers, masking tape, hot glue guns, and utility knives (with adult supervision).

Getting Started

Brainstorm a Narrative

What story do you want to tell? One strategy is to pick a simple cause and effect, like a traffic light turning green makes the car move. The next step then is to connect that action to lights and movement.

Sketch Your Circuit

Decide where the circuit will live on your box and where you want to place your LED. Consider your battery placement somewhere near the edge of the box so that a binder clip can hold it in place.

With all of your components ready, start assembling your box. Choose whether you'd like to cut an opening in your cardboard box or use an existing opening. If you're looking to add complexity, consider adding another light to your scene.

Gallery of Tiny Theaters

Add More Lights

Why stop at one light when you can add two (or more!). Introducing more than one LED can add complexity to a circuit design and spark conversation around LED compatibility.

Tinkering Tool: Soldering Iron

While this activity is possible to do entirely with copper tape, it's also a great opportunity to authentically engage with a tool. Soldering strengthens conductivity between connection points when overlapping two pieces of tape and makes adding coin cell battery holders possible.

Educator Perspectives

"Tiny Theaters are a great way to expand on Paper Circuits with a stronger focus on creating a narrative because it represents a proper story rather than just a card that you decorate with lights. Some learners really focus almost entirely on the narrative element, spending a lot of time drawing characters and backdrops, and others are more intrigued by the ability to build a circuit on top of the box while the lights and scene are inside of the box. It's like the top of the box is a "behind the scenes" element, but it's actually the most accessible part of the box so it's easy to work on it. A good example of wide walls for the activity! "

- Luigi Anzivino, Activity Designer and Facilitator (Tinkering Studio)

What does facilitating Tiny Theaters look like in an afterschool program for middle school students? Check out this blog post by Lianna: Tiny Theaters at Lighthouse ASP.

For more tips and ideas, check out this PDF guide on Tiny Theaters.

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Tiny Theaters tell stories inside cardboard boxes using craft materials and light. Turn on and off LEDs using a homemade switch and a circuit made with copper tape. What story would you like to tell? Exploring Circuits There are many ways to engage with circuits and electricity.