Category: Wearables

Sound Reactive Baseball Hat

Add sound-reactive NeoPixels to your baseball cap! 144 pixel/meter density NeoPixel strip as a wraparound VU meter with a small microphone at the side. The FLORA microcontroller takes input from the mic and sends the LEDs flashing according to the volume in the room!

This intermediate level wearables project requires some precision soldering and sewing. I recommend checking out the following guides before you begin:

You’ll have installed board support for FLORA in your Arduino software by now.
For this project you’ll need:

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The hat displays animations based on the audio volume from the microphone, just like the Ampli-Tie. If you’re looking for a project that reacts to sound but doesn’t require (much) soldering, check it out!

76 eye-blasting pixels adorn the front of the baseball cap design. The small segments of flex strip connected with stranded ribbon cable and the FLORA microcontroller can hang out on the outside or inside of the cap.

The circuit is powered by a 500mAh lipoly battery which is stored in the hat’s band at the back of the head.

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GPS Logging Dog Harness

Make a GPS logger to map your dog’s playtime at the park or hike in the woods! This intermediate FLORA microcontroller circuit is a great first GPS project! Use conductive thread to stitch up the sewable GPS and FLORA so there’s no soldering required.

Before you begin, check out these guides:

For this project you’ll need:

We’re building the circuit on the Ruffwear Single Track dog backpack.

To keep up with what I’m working on, follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and subscribe to my newsletter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases you make using my affiliate links.

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Cell Phone Blocking Pocket

Pesky phone always ringing at just the wrong time? Worried about your phone transmitting data even when it’s off? Make a simple cell phone sleeve from conductive fabric to block RF transmissions.

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Unlock Your Phone with NFC – Ring & Manicure

Unlock your phone by just picking it up! No more pesky password or gesture PIN, just scan an NFC tag! This guide covers creating an NFC ring, putting an NFC tag in your nail polish, modding your Android installation to read tags from the lockscreen, and creating an automation toolchain to unlock the phone when the desired tag is scanned.

The software side of this project can be pretty tricky, and even scary if you’ve never jailbroken a phone before, which is required to get the phone to read NFC from the lockscreen.

However, you can still do a lot of fun projects without modding your Android install, just skip that step and head straight to the page about NFC+ Tasker Automation. You won’t be able to log into your phone with your nail polish, but you could do all kinds of other things like start playing Barry White when you place your phone on the nightstand (just sayin’).The following pages were very helpful while making this guide:

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NeoPixel Punk Collar

Get your cybergoth on with five color-changing NeoPixels studded onto a leather collar. The tiny GEMMA microcontroller can display endless animations on this fun funky accessory that’s easy to make with a little soldering!

GEMMA jewelry! The bitty board fits perfectly in the center of a NeoPixel ring for flashy hoop earrings or a charming pendant. Read on to build your own!

Before you get started, follow the Gemma M0 guide or the Classic Introducing GEMMA guide.

Supplies

  • Gemma M0 or Trinket M0 – you can also use a classic Gemma
  • through-hole NeoPixels
  • leather collar or cuff
  • 150mAh rechargeable lipoly battery and charger
  • solderless breadboard and alligator clips for prototyping
  • soldering iron and solder
  • solid core or stranded wire (20 to 26 gauge)
  • helping third hand tool
  • pliers
  • wire strippers
  • flush diagonal cutters
  • awl or other pointy tool to pierce leather
  • sharp utility knife
  • cutting mat
  • ruler
  • marking pen/pencil
  • gaffer tape or other material to protect battery
  • velcro tape to secure battery to collar
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Purse Light with GEMMA & LED Sequins

Trying to find something in your purse at a dark restaurant or party? What a pain! Make it easy to see what’s in your bag with LED sequins, GEMMA, and conductive hook & loop

This beginner-level e-textiles project has you sewing with conductive thread and loading a simple Arduino program onto the GEMMA microcontroller. This project is perfect for use with the GEMMA Sequin Starter Pack! Just add hook & loop. Before you get started, follow the Gemma M0 guide or the Classic Introducing GEMMA guide

Gather up the following parts & tools:

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FLORAbrella – LED Umbrella with NeoPixels

You’ll be a rainbow in any storm with the FLORAbrella. With its NeoPixel LED strips and color sensor, you’ll be able to match your clothing, or display rainbow and rain patterns. Get ready to have an entourage at the next parade!

This is a collaborative improvement upon Leslie Birch‘s original FLORAbrella.

For this project, you’ll need to create the circuit, mount it in the dome of the umbrella, and then finish it off by creating clear vinyl hammocks for the battery and electronics.

This is an intermediate-level project that requires some precise soldering on the LED strips, so just stay away from caffeine and keep your cat away. Also, make sure you read and practice the following guides:

For this project you will need:

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LED Stego Flex Spike Hoodie

Dress up as a time-traveling dinosaur with these glowing stego spikes! This easy project mashes up 3D printing and sewing to make your own super-custom flexible spiky hooded sweatshirt.

Supplies and Tools

Check out Matt Pinner’s Stego Hoodie – which inspired this build!

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Cyberpunk Spikes – 3D Printed Electronic Fashion

Before you get started, follow the Gemma M0 guide or the Classic Introducing GEMMA guide 

Make your own flexible, spiky, glowing accessory using NeoPixel strip diffused by NinjaFlex flexible 3D printing filament! Magnets let you attach the spikes to anything in your wardrobe. The soft flexible enclosure holds GEMMA, the tiny microcontroller that animates the LEDs, and a rechargeable lipoly battery.

For this project you will need:

Portraits by Andrew Tingle.

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