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Introduction: LED Popsicle Flashlight

Make your own flashlight using a few simple everyday items! This hands-on project is not only fun and easy to make but illustrates how a switch works, so it can be a great introductory project for teachers.

Although, if using this project as a hands-on activity at an educational event or mini-maker faire, I'd suggest prepping through to Step 2. Then just have participants add the final copper tape strip, battery, and LED. Shouldn't take them more than 5 minutes, 10 minutes if they're really young (and then you'd probably want to enlist mom/dad's help)!

Happy Making!

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Step 1: Materials

Jumbo popsicle stick (although a thin one would work too, found at your local craft store)

medium size metal binder clip

copper wire (22 guage, solid)

3V coin cell battery (CR 2032)

LED (I'm using a 10mm LED, but a standard LED will work too)

copper tape (or tin foil, if you really want to keep costs down)

non-conductive tape (masking, electrical, scotch, duct, etc)

hot glue gun & glue sticks

scissors

Step 2: Make the Switch

First, you'll need to remove the second leg of the metal binder clip. Simply pinch the sides together near the top of the clip and wiggle it out.

Using a little hot glue, adhere the metal binder clip flat onto the popsicle stick, about 1.5" from one end. Make sure not to use too much hot glue or the copper wire won't fit through the binder's hole.

Next, cut (and strip if necessary) about 2.5" - 3" of copper wire. Feed the wire through the two holes of the binder clip. Previously, these holes were holding the leg we removed. Twist the wire around the back of the popsicle stick and try to make it lay flat.

Then, take one strip of copper tape (or tin foil) and place it on the back of the popsicle stick. It should cover the twisted copper wire and go almost to the end, leaving about .25" - .5" at the other end of the popsicle stick free.

Step 3: Add the Battery

Flip your popsicle stick back over, so the metal binder clip is facing up.

Lay another piece of copper tape (or tin foil) down the front of the popsicle stick. It should run from one end to about .5" from the metal clip. Make sure it doesn't touch the metal clip or your flashlight won't work (because positive and negative will be touching).

Bend the extra bit of copper tape back, so the sticky side is up, place the positive side of the battery (the smooth side) down onto the sticky copper tape and press it firmly down so it touches and lays flat against the popsicle stick.

**TEST PLACEMENT**

Here's a good time to test if you've placed everything in a good spot. Flip the metal leg down. It should touch the negative side of the battery. If it doesn't, move your battery closer or farther away until you're happy with it's placement and the metal leg touches the battery. Make sure your battery isn't touching the metal leg; otherwise, you're light won't work.

Step 4: Add the LED & Enjoy!

The final step is adding the LED! If you've followed my steps thus far, the positive side is the top (or side with the metal clip) and the negative side is the bottom (or side with the twisted wire).

The LED's cathode (long lead) goes on top, and it's anode (short lead) goes on the bottom. Affix your LED in place with some non-conductive tape. Make sure both leads are touching their respective copper tape sides. If you want to test that your light works before taping it in place, just flip the switch.
If your light doesn't work, here are a few common debugging solutions:
- make sure you've got the LED leads touch their respective correct sides

- make sure the copper tape is firmly adhered to the twisted copper wire on the back

- make sure the battery isn't touching the metal clip

- make sure the battery is laying flat and touching the copper tape on top

Once your LED is in place and taped onto the popsicle stick, you're done! Flip the switch and enjoy your very own LED Popsicle Flashlight!

I'd love to see any variations to this project! Have fun making!

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

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Make your own flashlight using a few simple everyday items! This hands-on project is not only fun and easy to make but illustrates how a switch works, so it can be a great introductory project for teachers. Although, if using this project as a hands-on activity at an educational event or mini-maker faire, I'd suggest prepping through to Step 2.

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Conclusion

Hints:

* When completing this project with students, it's always a great idea to let them play with and explore how the materials work, on their own. For example, give the students the LEDs and batteries and with out any explanation and challenge them to make the LED light up.

* Let students make mistakes in how to align their LED leads. Show them how to use the battery to test which lead is positive. The positive lead is the one that is touching the + side of the battery when the LED lights up, and also the longer lead on the LED. If that doesn't work, the leads may be reversed.

* Challenge the students to prevent a "short circuit." Tell them nothing from the positive side can EVER touch anything from the negative side. The tricky part is that this includes the battery, itself. When connecting the conductive copper tape to the top of the battery, it usually ends up touching the sides as well, leading to a short circuit unless an insulator is placed on the side to protect it. Hint: regular scotch tape can serve as both an insulator and a fastener to keep the battery attached to the card.

Paving bumps in the road:

So, when I decided to take on the task of creating an awesome pop-up Make Robot card, I came across a few bumps in the road. To make this project easy and simple for you, I am sharing those tricky spots with you in hopes that your project will go smoothly (especially if you are working with students).

* Making tracers for designing the inside of the card can give students more direction when trying to figure out what to make.

* With the design you have chosen, make sure that you aren't making it too big! You will want to measure from your card's bottom cut out (essentially from where you are gluing on your design to the edge of the bottom of your card).

* When creating your circuit, you should note that the adhesive on the bottom of your copper tape could potentially cause your circuit to not work at all. It is working as an insulator and not a conductor. You will know this is the case after you double check to make sure no cross connections have been created (positive and negative leads touching, for example). To resolve this dilemma, take a piece of your copper tape with the adhesive cover still connected, and flip it upside down. Then, take a piece of scotch tape and tape the copper onto the lead. The adhesive side should be facing you. Then tape the other side of the copper tape on the battery. That should do the trick!

The original inspiration for awesome LED-spangled cards is http://pdxyoungmakers.com. You will find the PDF project under the "How To" category. There are many websites and books available on how to design simple and complex pop-up cards. For other pop-up card ideas visit Enchanted Learning.

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Hints: * When completing this project with students, it's always a great idea to let them play with and explore how the materials work, on their own. For example, give the students the LEDs and batteries and with out any explanation and challenge them to make the LED light up.

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Introduction: LED Paper Flower

A simple paper flower with LED center. This single flower can be duplicated to make a whole bouquet of LED flowers!

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Step 1: Materials

I used things I found around my workshop. Nothing too fancy, as I was only trying to test the design. But now that I know it works, I'd really branch out and use some textured paper and maybe even some tulle for added decoration.

- paper (I used scrapbooking paper but any will do)
- wooden skewer
- green floral tape (optional)
- hot glue
- ruler
- scissors
- needle nose pliers
- conductive tape ( copper works best but aluminum will do the trick too)
- 3V battery (I use CR2032)
- LED

Step 2: Creating the Flower

I found the heart shape design that I use as my flower base in a Martha Stewart article. You can download the heart template off her website. It also contains very easy to follow instructions for cutting the heart shape.

I cut two heart flower bases one a little bigger than the other. The smaller one will fit inside the bigger heart.

Skewer both hearts through their center (at the base of the heart shape).

Using a little hot glue, attach the bigger heart to the tip of the wooden skewer. Once the glue has dried, we can attach the LED and smaller heart.

Step 3: Add the LED & Battery

This really is a simple circuit. Both leads of the LED will be touching the battery, they're just a little bent.

My design has the diode sitting flat on the top of the skewer. In order for that to work, bend the shorter (negative) lead so it lies flat against the bigger paper heart flower.

Cut a piece of copper tape long enough to not only cover the shorter (negative) lead to the flower but also stick to the negative side of your battery. That's how we keep it in place!

Once you've attached your shorter (negative) lead to the flower and the battery is secured, bend the longer (positive) lead of the LED over the battery. It should turn on! If not, check that you've connected the correct side of the battery to the LED.

Finally, pop LED diode through the hole you made earlier in the smaller heart. Now you're not only hiding the guts of your design but have some color inside your flower and a more realistic appearance with the added petals!

**NB: LED leads can break so be careful not to bend them too quickly or roughly.

Step 4: Adding a Switch & Other Last Touches

You could certainly design a switch on the stem somehow, if you use more copper tape or something, but I went with a very simple switch.

To turn your flower OFF, just shove a single heart shape petal in between the longer (positive) lead and the battery. Voila! You've got yourself an LED Paper Flower!

If you'd like it to look more like a flower with a green stem and all, just cover up the wooden skewer with some green floral tape.

Enjoy!

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

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A simple paper flower with LED center. This single flower can be duplicated to make a whole bouquet of LED flowers! Share I used things I found around my workshop. Nothing too fancy, as I was only trying to test the design.

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LED throwies are cheery glow-dots you can make in seconds from simple components and stick to any ferro-magnetic surface. But that's just the beginning - here's how to hack and modify them.

First make a basic LED throwie, and chain them up into big throwie "bugs." Then learn to hack the throwie with an On-Off tab so you can switch it on whenever you want.

For extreme weatherproof outdoor lighting, slip a throwie inside an Indestructible LED Lantern - it floats, survives rain and ice, and looks really cool in multiples, for lighting paths, patios, or anything you can think of.

Finally, decorate your undersea grotto with LED Jellies - eerie glowing jellyfish. And read on for even more fun hacks using LED throwies, from the MAKE blog.

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Make an Easy and Extreme LED Throwies | Make:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
LED throwies are cheery glow-dots you can make in seconds from simple components and stick to any ferro-magnetic surface. But that's just the beginning - here's how to hack and modify them. First make a basic LED throwie, and chain them up into big throwie "bugs."