Quick LED Robot Ornament
Crafting under pressure is irresistible. This year the Craftzine gals suggested an ornament swap– 12 days before Christmas. With a lot on our plates, we all agreed to make time for crafting eight handmade ornaments each, and the deadline made it even more intense. Cheers to speed crafting!
Step 1
Spray paint some scrap cardboard — I chose silver.
Sketch out your robot designs, either in a notebook first or directly on the cardboard.
Step 2
Cut out your robots’ bodies.
Cut legs and arms from small strips of cardboard.
Step 3
Glue on arms and legs.
Keep a bowl of ice water nearby when using a hot glue gun.
Step 4
Pierce two holes for each LED with an awl.
Feed the LED legs through the holes, minding the polarity. The long (+) leads should both be facing the same way.
Step 5
On the back, twist the two long leads (+) together, and twist the two short leads (-) together. This is called wiring the LEDs in parallel.
Look for the (-) symbol near one side of the battery holder. Stack the holder on top of the LED leads matching + to + and – to -.
The circuit is the same as my LED shoe clips project as well as my firefly embroidery project.
Step 6
Use pliers to twist the LED leads around the battery holder legs, and insert a battery to confirm the circuit illuminates the robot’s eyes.
Use hot glue to secure the battery holder while it’s still on.
Step 7
Slide a strip of paper between the battery and the holder to provide a pull-to-start tab.
Insert the battery in the holder, pinching the paper strip between.
Write “pull here” on the paper strip.
Step 8
Draw buttons, dials, the current year, or any other decorations on your robot.
Don’t forget to sign the back!
Glue on a loop of string for hanging.
Merry Xmas!
If you like this project, try these others!