Conductive Sewing LED Bracelet

A fun and easy project to get started with sewing and circuits is to make conductive sewing LED bracelets. These bracelets help beginners learn how circuits work and operate. This soft-circuit bracelet only is powered when you are wearing it due to the fastened snaps.

This guide will show you step by step instructions with pictures on how to make your own LED bracelets. These instructions are designed to help you understand how circuits work and how to sew.

This project is designed for beginner students. It requires basic knowledge about circuits and sewing.

Difficulty: Easy

Cost: Low

Time: 25 - 45 minutes

All parts for this project, as well as a Sewing Circuits Kit can be found at BrownDogGadgets.com.

Tools:

Needles

Scissors

Materials:

Thread

Felt

Snap

Parts:

Conductive Thread

Battery Holder

Battery

LEDs

In case you're not the "reading" type, watch this video instead.

1. Cut the felt the width you want your bracelet to be with a minimum of a 2 inch width.

2. Measure the length to fit your wrist with an inch overlapping when being worn.

Layout your parts as shown above.

1. Lay a snap on each end of the bracelet.

2. The LED negative end (-) should be closest to the snap.

3. The LED positive (+) should be closest to the positive (+) end of the battery holder.

4. The negative (-) battery holder should be closest to the other snap.

1. Cut the conductive thread a reasonable length in order to attach the snap, sew to the LED light, and secure the LED.

2. Thread the needle with conductive thread. Ask for help, if needed.

3. Tie a knot in the thread on the opposite end of the needle (knot three times). The purpose of tying a knot is to stop the thread from pulling all the way out of the material.

To secure the snap, use conductive thread.

The "outie" snap will be sewn on the top of the bracelet, where the LED light and battery holder is.

1. Pull the needle through the bottom of the bracelet and then push the needle through a hole on the snap. Loop three times.

2. Pull the needle through the bottom of the bracelet next to another hole and then push the needle through that hole. Loop three times.

REPEAT with the 2 holes.

1. Sew in and out of the felt using the same thread used to secure the "outie" snap towards the negative LED light end.

2. Sew through the LED negative hole and loop the thread three times. Knot on the bottom of the bracelet and cut the thread.

1. Thread the needle with conductive thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread.

2. Pull the thread from the bottom of the bracelet and sew down through the hole of the positive LED light. Loop three times.

3. Sew from the positive LED light to the battery holder positive end. Loop three times. Knot on the bottom side of the bracelet and cut the thread.

Thread the needle with conductive thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread.

1. Pull the thread from the bottom of the bracelet and sew down through the hole of the positive battery holder. Loop three times.

2. Sew from the negative battery holder end to the "innie" snap. The "innie" snap will be sewn on the bottom of the bracelet, opposite of the LED and battery holder.

3. Push the needle from the top of the bracelet and then pull the needle down through a hole on the snap. Loop three times.

4. Push the needle from the top of the bracelet next to another hole and then pull the needle up another hole. Loop three times.

5. Repeat for the last two holes.

6. Knot on the bottom side of the bracelet and cut the thread.

Test the bracelet by snapping the snaps together!

Your LEDs should all light up.

If not, figure out why.

Do you have a Short Circuit?

Do you have a backwards LED?

Decorate the bracelet however you want but use regular thread!