Category: Wearables

Light-Activated Pixel Heart

Wear your heart on your sleeve! Or at least on your lapel. This light-up heart display uses a light-dependent resistor and GEMMA, Adafruit’s tiny wearable electronics platform.

Supplies

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Circuit Diagram

NeoPixels are chained together with data input coming from GEMMA D1, all + to Vout, and all – to GND.

The photoresistor is attached to D2 and GND.

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NeoPixel Tiara for Birthday or Prom

You can make a crown of light for prom or your birthday this year! A few free-wired NeoPixels make you the cyber-pageant queen.

For this project you will need:

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Washing Wearable Electronics

The most common question we get regarding wearable electronics is “how do you wash that?”

This guide covers the most common ways to launder your DIY wearable electronics projects.

First, and always: remove the batteries! The fiberglass, plastic, and metal comprising most circuits can handle getting wet and a bit of agitation, but your batteries should never be bent, shorted, or be subject to water or heat.

Second, read the label on your garment. Machine wash? Dry clean only? Consider what it’s made from primarily, then consider what components are in your circuit.

Components that can fill with water, like the microphone in the Ampli-Tie, should never be submerged in water. FLORA, conductive thread, and even EL wire can get wet, so long as it completely dries before you plug the battery back in.

If you hand or machine wash your wearables, we strongly recommend hanging them up or laying flat to dry. These methods are vastly preferred over using the dryer, which adds even more agitation to your delicate circuit.

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NeoPixel Ring Bangle Bracelet with GEMMA

Wear a bangle of light! Build a charming bracelet from four NeoPixel rings and GEMMA, Adafruit’s tiny wearable electronics platform. You will need:

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TRON Hoodie with EL Wire

Are you looking for a last-minute Halloween costume that looks like it took forever? Try building a TRON hoodie with EL wire! With just a bit of stitching (and no soldering!) you can make a lovely accented hoodie that will look cool, keep you warm and also make you more visible while trick-or-treating!

You will need:

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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EL Wire Animal Masks for Halloween

If you’re looking for an easy, fun, and glowing Halloween costume this year, read on to learn how to make an animal mask with EL wire on a bike helmet. I was inspired by Tom Newsom’s Glownimals project over in the UK, which he showed off at Elephant and Castle Mini Maker Faire last summer.

Plain wire supports the glowing design and because the helmet straps securely to your head, you have a lot of freedom to design whatever character you want.

You’ll need:

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