LED Bracelet- Felt or Foam
Big picture
Young designers will apply knowledge of electronics to create a wearable, light-up LED bracelet.
What’s the goal?
By the end of this activity, young designers will understand how to create a working parallel circuit and incorporate electronics into fashion design.
Tips
- Extra helpers are essential for this activity if you have more than 5 young designers
- Straight lines are easiest to sew
- Remember polarity! Having the young designers keep the positive line always on top and the negative always towards the bottom as they sew can help keep this straight.
- Don’t squeeze the LED metal tails too hard or bend them back and forth too many times or they will break.
- Loose components (LEDs) may be secured with regular thread
VOCABULARY
Circuit: A path for an electrical current to flow.
LED: light-emitting diode
Polarity: Batteries have a positive and negative terminal. Electricity flows from the positive to the negative end.
Preparation
• Mock-up the circuit using Dough. The ends of the bracelet will act as a switch for the LED’s. Leave a break in the Dough (Figure A), then close it to show how fastening the bracelet will complete the circuit (Figure B).
Figure A
Figure B
- Cut out a bracelet shape of felt or foam that fits the young designer’s wrist
Let’s get started!
- Introduce the activity,the electrical components,and the tools. Remind designers about the features of a parallel circuit.
- Have the designers thread their needles with conductive thread and tie a knot at the end.
3. Tie a knot onto the positive end of the battery terminal.
4. Arrange the 3 LEDs onto the bracelet.
5. Sew along the positive trail over the curled LED legs.
6. Sew along the negative trail leaving a break in the circuit.
7. At the end of the line of stitches sew a snap to the underside of the bracelet.
8. Tie a knot at the negative terminal of the battery and sew a snap on the right side of the bracelet
9. Add decorations and insert the coin-cell battery
10. When you snap the two ends together the bracelet should light up!
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