Blinken-braces! Add color-changing LEDs to a pair of suspenders and hold your pants up in style. 30 NeoPixels are sewn to these suspenders, powered by a FLORA main board running a dazzling Pac Man-inspired animation. The battery pack goes in your pocket! Read the full tutorial to make your own pixel suspenders.
Add a little TRON to your style with an easy-to-make light-up hair bow trimmed with EL wire. We’ll show you two different sizes to suit your changing mood. You may want to watch my EL wire tutorial first!
Portraits by Johngineer, project assistance by Risa Rose!
For this project you will need:
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I found it helpful to keep an inspiration board for this project, filled with pictures, sketches, and material swatches.
For a hairclip-sized bow, grab a piece of wide velvet ribbon and follow my other hair bow tutorial to make folds in the ribbon. Fold over the raw end and cinch the center of the bow.
Stitch through all layers of ribbon and knot/cut your thread.
Use a smaller piece of ribbon or just another piece of the same ribbon, folded over itself to be thinner, to wrap the center of the bow.
At the back, place the small 1xAAA inverter and wrap the ribbon tightly to hold the inverter in place (but not so tightly that you can’t slide it out to change the battery). Fold over the raw edge and stitch the center band ribbon in place with a whip stitch.
For a costume-sized hairbow, continue with the instructions below. It’s also easier to show the project to you at a larger scale, so if the quickstart step above isn’t detailed enough for you, read on for more in-depth instruction and tips for a scaled-up project.
Hem the long edges of a piece of woven fabric measuring ~13″x56″. Fold in half with right sides together and stitch the seam.
Turn right side out and lay your new loop flat on the table/ironing board with the new seam positioned in the center.
Fold a hem along the edges of a smaller piece of fabric in proportion to the larger bow body as shown. Stitching this hem is optional and could help slippery fabrics to stay in place.
You’ll cinch and wrap the center of the bow, but to give it more body at the center, insert a small block of something lightweight but firm like styrofoam.
Arrange the fabric around the foam and use a needle and thread to stitch through all layers of fabric and foam. Tie off and cut the thread.
Wrap the cinched center with the smaller piece of fabric, and fold the ends to the inside at the back of the bow. Stitch in place using your favorite way– we used a whip stitch.
Depending on your fabric, you may wish to apply fabric stiffener to the bow.
Use your hands and/or a paintbrush and allow to dry overnight.
Lightweight, sturdy, ready for EL wire!
Thread a needle with invisible thread (very thin plastic filament)– find it in the quilting section of the fabric/craft store. Tie both ends together several times to make a sizable knot– otherwise it might pull through the fabric. Securing both tails makes it easier to keep track of the thread and prevent accidental unthreading, as the thread is hard to see!
Starting at center back and following the diagram below (click to enlarge), use a whip stitch to loop around the EL wire and secure it to the fabric of the bow along the edges.
To go around corners, make a sharp bend in the EL wire with your fingers or a pair of pliers.
When your thread gets short, tie it around the previous stitch and cut off the tail, then thread a new piece of thread and continue, hiding the knot where possible.
This bow has two spots where the EL wire overlaps (the top and bottom of the center band), it’s ok to stitch it to itself.
Cut off the excess with a pair of snips, leaving a small tail to tuck behind the center band.
Plug in your inverter and test to see it working! Then turn if off, disconnect and get ready to attach the inverter to the bow.
The big costume bow needs the 2xAA inverter, but the smaller bow can be powered by our smaller 1xAAA inverter for less bulk on your noggin.
Remember not to leave your inverter running when there’s no EL wire connected to it, or it could be damaged!
Route the wires behind the fabric of the center band, and apply a piece of velcro tape to the back of the bow and inverter.
You can sew the inverter for the smaller bow directly into the center band during construction.
Stitch a hair clip to the center band facing down– the inverter will sit directly atop it. Use a little E6000 or hot glue here if you prefer not to rely on stitches alone.
The bigger bow needs a little more support: stitch it to a fabric-covered headband.
Clip around a small section of hair and then style as desired. We found this bow to stay put fabulously for hours.
The headband with larger bow may need some bobby pins to stay in place, depending on your headband and hair style, and will still then probably be slightly precarious. If you need stability, go with the smaller style bow.
This project would be suitable for a men’s bowtie as well.
Don’t submerge your hair bow in water! Spot clean if necessary, and take it off if you get caught in the rain.
If you like this project, you may be interested in some of my others:
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Ever wish your clothes could change color to match each other? Make a chameleon scarf to match every outfit using the Flora color sensor and 12 color-changing LED pixels diffused by a ruffly knit scarf.
Prerequisite guides:
Bill of materials:
Tools:
Mod your Converse sneakers with an illuminated star logo made from EL panel.
This is a very simple FLORA project with no soldering– a single NeoPixel lights up on an embroidered angler fish on a pair of shorts. The main board is stitched on the front of the design, in the belly of the fish. A snap is used on the fin as a digital switch, triggering a color change in the pixel in the angler’s lure. Follow the circuit diagram to stitch up this circuit, and tuck the battery in the pocket.
Project created with assistance from Risa Rose, portraits by Collin Cunningham
Bill of materials:
Make clothing that lights up when you move! This is a sewing (no soldering) Flora project using 12 color-changing NeoPixels and the Flora accelerometer/compass module. Spikes in the sensor readings cause the pixels to flash, and sparkle. The pixels are sewn to the skirt’s lining and are diffused by the outer layer of fabric, whether it be a sheer overlay or a cutout lace design.
If a skirt doesn’t appeal to you, use this circuit and code on a hat, a belt buckle, and even a blinky dog collar.
Prerequisite guides:
Bill of materials:
Plush Game Controller with Flora & Conductive Fabric – Make an oversize plush game controller that actually works! Use conductive fabric and a Flora board to stitch up a capacitive touch sensing circuit. The controller acts like a computer keyboard, allowing you to play all your favorite old school games on emulator sites online.
Make a twinkling accent for your updo! This tutorial will teach you to make a ribbon bow and simple LED circuit. One Adafruit LED Sewing Kit has enough supplies for two bows, so make this project with a friend! The included LEDs contain a tiny chip that flickers the LEDs to simulate a candle’s glow, so all we have to do is power them up!
Before beginning this project, check out my LED Sewing Kit guide!
For this project you will need:
Tools:
In 2009, I created an LED sewing kit to make it easy to get the supplies you need to add LEDs to a project using conductive thread. It later became an Adafruit kit that I earned royalties on from 2012-2016. This is the product documentation. Check out v3 of the LED Sewing Kit for upgraded battery holders and more colors.
Add LED accents to textile projects with Adafruit’s LED Sewing Kit! Stitch a glowing circuit with conductive thread– this kit comes with everything you need to get started:
This kit comes with enough supplies to make two projects with two LEDs each, or one project with four LEDs. Great for embroidery and needlework, light-up jewelry and hair accessories, shoes, plush toys, and more. This is a great beginner kit for kids (no soldering!) and adults alike who are looking to get into soft circuits and wearable electronics.
Check to make sure your kit comes with the following parts. Sometimes we make mistakes so double check everything and email support@adafruit.com if you need replacements!
| Name | Description | Qty |
| Stainless Thin Conductive Thread – 2 ply – 23 meter/76 ft | Check out the guide on conductive thread! | 1 |
| Sewable CR2032 Battery Holder | Convenient flat back with sewable tabs | 2 |
| LEDs! | Warm white candle flicker LEDs softly twinkle thanks to a chip inside. | 4 |
| CR2032 Lithium Coin Cell Battery | Fits in the sewable holder. ~3V. | 2 |
| Sewable Snaps – 5mm | Strip of four snaps | 1 |
| Needle set – 3/9 sizes – 20 needles | Packet with multiple sizes | 1 |
Test that each LED works by pinning it onto one of the included coincell batteries. It will only light up one way so if it doesn’t at first, try flipping it around.
The candle flicker LEDs have a chip inside that causes the light to twinkle.
Notice the longer lead is on the positive side marked +
The LEDs pictured are wired in parallel with the 3V coincell. We recommend powering two LEDs with one battery, which is great for projects in pairs like shoes.
Read our conductive thread guide to get to know this quirky steel textile.
