Beginner LED Bracelet

This is an excellent and fun beginner electronics project. It covers basic circuits with batteries, LEDs, wiring, and optional soldering, and it's cute to boot!

Parts List:

• LED
  
• felt
• coin cell battery and clip
• metal button
  
• wires
• glue
• decorating materials (glitter, paint, glitterglue, rhinestones, 14k gold, go all out)

Tools:

• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Wire cutter/strippers
• Soldering iron (optional, but encouraged)

Cut two strips of felt at least long enough to wrap loosely around your wrist. Keep in mind that there will be a battery pack in between them. Set aside one strip for later, this will be the backing for your bracelet. In the top bracelet, cut two slits longway. This will be the opening for your LED. Aside from that, this is your time to shine and make your bracelet gorgeous! Go for it!

Okay I'm going to break this down for you.

1. Turn over your bracelet so the decorations are facing down and the leads from the LED are facing up.
2. Put your cell battery into the battery case. Note which terminal is positive.
3. Make a wire connecting the positive side of the battery case to the longer leg of the LED. Solder it together* or twist the stripped end of the wire around the battery terminal so there is good contact and hot glue them together.
4. Twist the other end of the wire to the button clip and solder or glue it on.
5. From the negative terminal of the LED, attach a wire to the negative terminal of the battery and to the button clip.

O--------------l|-----------------(+ -)---------------O

button clip LED + battery button clip

*For both adults and children, make sure you know how to solder or are supervised by someone who does. Soldering irons are hot, and hot things can burn you. Be careful, have fun, and learn new skills!

First things first, touch the two parts of the button together and make sure the LED turns on. If it doesn't, go back and re-check your circuit. When it does, congratulations! Now, glue down the wires and battery so it doesn't move around. Then take the piece of felt we set aside way back in step two and glue it down to hold in all the electronics. Keep the buttons exposed so you can clasp them together. Put it around your wrist or give it to a friend and you're done! Good work!