How to Make an 8x8x8 LED Cube With Arduino at Home | Easiest DIY Method & Full Tutorial🔥

Building an 8x8x8 LED Cube is one of the most exciting and visually stunning DIY electronics projects you can make at home. It’s not just about lighting up LEDs — it’s about creating 3D animations, patterns, and visual effects that look magical in real life.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how I built my own 8x8x8 single-color LED Cube using Arduino and 74HC595 shift registers. This project is fully explained step-by-step, from circuit design to coding and animation display. Even if you’re a beginner, you can follow along easily and bring your cube to life!

I used 8 shift registers to control the cube’s common anode layers, and 1 shift register for the cathode layers — giving me total control over all 512 LEDs using just a few Arduino pins. The cube is driven by an Arduino Nano and powered by a simple 5V supply.

Once complete, the cube can display amazing light patterns — like rain effects, spirals, waves, and 3D animations — all programmable through the Arduino IDE.

This project not only improves your soldering and circuit design skills but also teaches you how multiplexing and serial communication work in real-world electronics.

So, let’s get started building this mesmerizing cube and light up your room with 512 glowing LEDs!

Diffused Green LEDs - 512 x 5mm

Arduino Nano x 1

Copper Wire - 20 Guage

Resistors - 220 Ohm x 64

Male and Female Headers

74HC595 shift registers x 9

16pin IC base x 9

2222A Transistor x 16

1) Constructing the LED Cube, and 2) Building the Control Circuit Board.

In the first step, we’ll focus on building the cube frame with accurate size and alignment, ensuring all 512 LEDs are perfectly placed in an 8x8x8 grid. A well-structured cube is essential for achieving smooth and uniform lighting effects later on.

For this project, it’s best to use diffused LEDs instead of clear ones. Diffused LEDs help scatter light evenly in all directions, giving the cube a smooth and glowing 3D effect rather than sharp, focused beams.

I used 5mm diffused LEDs because they are easy to handle and provide excellent brightness for indoor visibility. You can choose any single color — like blue, red, or green — but make sure all 512 LEDs are from the same batch to maintain consistent brightness and color tone.

In above pictures you can see the lumens of different-different LEDs. Choose those which has higher lumens.

Before soldering, it’s a good idea to test all LEDs with a simple 3V Cell or battery with resistor setup to avoid faulty connections later.

Now, it’s time to bend the LED legs to form a perfect grid for each layer of the cube. For this, I used a homemade MDF board jig. Drilled 5mm drill bit and 2 nil hammered.

Place the LEDs on the MDF board according to the marked positions and bend anode and cathode (negative) legs as shown in the picture and cut extra wires. This step ensures that all LEDs are perfectly aligned for easy & strong soldering later. Then bend cathode leg to 90° angle. Use plier to bend all LED legs.

• Now use same process to bend all 512 LEDs.

To build each 8x8 LED layer (total 64 LEDs per layer), we’ll connect all the LEDs using 20-gauge copper wire to form a common cathode layer.

Since copper wires are usually coated with paint or enamel, first burn the wires slightly in fire to remove the insulation. After that, rub them gently with sandpaper until the surface becomes shiny and conductive.

Next, cut the wires into pieces — 80 pieces of 18 cm and 60 pieces of 21 cm in length. These will be used for horizontal and vertical connections between LEDs.

To make the wires perfectly straight, fix one end in a drill machine and hold the other end tightly with plier. Run the drill for a few seconds — this will straighten the wire neatly and make it easier to assemble the LED grid.

Now it’s time to build the first layer of our LED cube. To ensure perfect alignment, prepare a jig or frame using an MDF board. Drill 5mm holes in the board with a 22mm gap between each hole — both horizontally and vertically. This will create an 8x8 grid (64 holes). Make sure the diagonal distances are equal for accurate alignment.

Insert 8 LEDs in the first row of holes, making sure all cathode (negative) legs face the same direction. Then, take one 18 cm straightened copper wire and pass it through the cathode legs of all 8 LEDs. Solder each cathode leg carefully to the wire.

Repeat this process for each row and column until all 64 LEDs are placed and connected with copper wires. After completing the grid, add two additional 18 cm copper wires on the outer sides of the layer for structural support and solder them firmly.

Once soldering is complete, test the entire layer by powering each LED with a small battery or cell. If any LED doesn’t glow, replace it immediately.

Finally, use a screwdriver or flat tool to carefully lift the completed layer from the MDF board without bending the LED legs.

Congratulations — your first layer of the LED cube is ready!

Just like we made the first layer, now we’ll create the second layer in the same way — using the MDF board jig for perfect spacing and alignment. Follow the exact same process of inserting LEDs, aligning their cathode legs, connecting them with 18 cm copper wires, and soldering each joint neatly.

Repeat this process until you have a total of 8 identical LED layers, each containing 64 LEDs (8x8 grid). Take your time while soldering.

Now, all 8 layers are ready to be assembled into a 3D LED cube structure!

Now it’s time to complete the most important part — assembling all 8 LED layers into the 3D cube structure.

Take a box or frame (around 5x22x22 cm) made of MDF, acrylic, or any solid material. On the top cover of this frame, drill 1.5–2 mm holes at equal distances of 22 mm in both directions — forming 8 rows and 8 columns. These holes will help guide and hold the vertical copper wires in perfect alignment.

Next, insert 64 pieces of 21 cm straightened copper wire vertically through the holes and fix them firmly using hot glue or a glue gun, as shown in the picture. These vertical wires will connect the anode (positive) legs of LEDs from each layer.

Now, take your first LED layer and place it on the frame, maintaining a 22 mm gap from the base using spacers or another MDF board. Carefully insert each LED’s anode leg into its corresponding vertical copper wire and solder all 64 connections neatly.

Once the first layer is complete, move to the next layer, again maintaining the 22 mm gap between layers. Continue soldering each layer patiently — accuracy and alignment are key here.

It will take some time, but once all 8 layers are stacked and soldered, your 8x8x8 LED Cube structure will be fully complete!

Take a moment to admire your hard work — you’ve just built a stunning 3D LED Cube that’s ready for wiring, circuit connection, and programming!

Now our LED cube structure is ready, it’s time to build the main control circuit board that will drive all 512 LEDs using shift registers and Arduino.

You have two options to make the circuit board:

1. Order a PCB – This is the easiest and cleanest method. You can order your PCB from any PCB manufacturing company.
2. I ordered 5 pieces from the NEXT PCB website, which delivered excellent quality. You’ll find the Gerber file — simply upload it while placing your order.
3. Make it on a Zero PCB (Perf Board) – If you want to make it at home, follow the provided circuit diagram and connect all components carefully on a zero PCB. However, keep in mind that wiring on a perf board can get quite complicated because of the large number of connections.

Once you have your PCB or perf board ready, assemble all the components such as resistors, transistors, 74HC595 shift registers, connectors, and header pins exactly as shown in the circuit diagram. Then solder each component carefully to ensure strong and clean joints.

When everything is in place, your LED Cube control board will be ready to connect with the cube and Arduino for programming and animation!

In this step, we’ll complete the internal wiring of the LED cube before connecting it to the circuit board.

Start by connecting all 8 cathode layers together. Each layer should already have a common cathode made from copper wire — now, extend these connections using additional copper wires and bring them out through the side of the base box. These will later be connected to the control board.

Next, take a ribbon cable — usually it comes with 10 wires joined together. Carefully remove 2 wires, leaving 8 wires together. These 8 wires will be used for the 8 cathode layer outputs.

Now, connect this 8-wire ribbon cable to the 8 cathode layer terminals of the cube. Then, connect 64 separate wires from the anode (vertical) columns of the cube to another ribbon cable or wire bundle. Make sure each wire is properly soldered and insulated to avoid short circuits. Wires should be approximately 30CM long.

After completing the connections, fix all wires neatly using a hot glue gun to prevent movement and strain on the solder joints.

At the other end of the cable use male header pin to connect into the board and cover it with heatsink tubes to protect from short circuit.

Now that all the wires from the LED cube are prepared with male header pins, it’s time to connect them to the motherboard (control circuit board).

Start by connecting all 64 anode wires (male headers) to the female header pins on the circuit board exactly as per the labeling. Make sure each anode wire matches its correct position to avoid animation errors.

Next, connect the 8 cathode layer wires to their respective female header pins on the motherboard. Double-check each connection to ensure that none of the headers are loose or placed in the wrong position.

Once all the male headers from the cube are plugged into the motherboard. Now Plug in a USB Type-B cable to the Arduino Nano and connect the other end of the USB cable to your laptop or PC.

Your Arduino is now ready for uploading the LED cube code. Make sure the correct COM port and board type are selected in the Arduino IDE before uploading.

Now it’s time to upload the program that will bring your LED Cube to life. You can use Arduino Nano, Arduino Uno, or any other compatible Arduino board for this project.

1. Open the Arduino IDE on your laptop or PC.
2. Go to File → Open and select the provided LED Cube code file.
3. Next, open the Tools menu and choose your Arduino board type.
4. Here, I am using an Arduino Nano, so I select Nano from the list.
5. Now select the correct COM Port where your Arduino is connected.
6. Finally, click the Upload button.

Once the code uploads successfully, your LED Cube will start glowing with beautiful patterns.

If you notice that the patterns look inverted or reversed, simply flip the anode and cathode connector cables on the motherboard to correct the direction.

Now your 8x8x8 LED Cube is fully functional!

Feel free to experiment with your own animations and custom code to create unique lighting effects.

To make your LED Cube more interactive, let’s add a push button switch for changing animation effects manually from outside.

Mount the push button switch on the top cover of the box and connect it in parallel to the existing push button points already provided on the PCB. This allows you to trigger mode changes externally without opening the box.

Next, prepare the power input. I used a Type-C female connector for a clean, modern power connection.

Connect the Type-C GND pin to Arduino GND and Type-C VCC to Arduino Vin, as shown in the reference image. Make sure these connections are firmly soldered.

Once everything is in place, close the box, tighten all screws, and plug in the Type-C cable to power up the cube.

Press the push button to change animations instantly. If not pressed, the animations will automatically change based on the looped code.

Your 8x8x8 LED Cube is now fully assembled, powered, and interactive—ready to shine!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully built a fully functional 8x8x8 LED Cube from scratch—right from bending each LED, assembling 8 layers, soldering 512 connections, designing the cube frame, wiring 64 anode lines and 8 cathode layers, creating your PCB, and programming it with Arduino.

This project may look complex from the outside, but by breaking it into clear steps—building the cube, creating the circuit, wiring, and uploading animations—you’ve created a beautiful piece of interactive lighting art.

Your LED Cube is not just a DIY project; it’s a professional-looking display piece that can light up your desk, studio, or home. You can customize animations, add sound-reactive effects, or integrate sensors to make it even more impressive.

Enjoy your creation, share it proudly, and keep experimenting with new ideas.

You’ve turned simple LEDs into a stunning 3D light sculpture—great job!