Light Up Headband

This guide will show you step-by-step instructions with pictures on how to make your own LED headband. 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 Starter Sewing Supplies and E-Textile Starter Pack, can be found at Brown Dog Gadgets.

Tools:

Needles

Scissors

Materials:

Thread

Felt

Elastic

Parts:

Conductive Thread

Battery

Battery Holder

To cut the felt long enough, you have to cut it diagonal on the sheet.

1. Cut one diagonal line.

2. Line up the triangle piece (corner piece you cut off) with the other corner.

3. Cut along the outline of the triangle.

Your final piece of felt for the headband should look like a straight line with at least a 2 inch width (Shown in last picture).

You should have all the negative ends of the LED lights and the battery holder all facing one way (in these pictures, the negative ends are facing up).

This leads to all the positive ends facing the opposite direction of the negatives (facing down in the picture).

The battery holder will be hidden when you are wearing the headband so it will be on the bottom.

The LED lights will be on top of the headband for people to see the lights shining!

1. Cut conductive thread about 2 - 3 feet.

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.

You are going to connect all the positive ends together first.

Use Conductive Thread! The battery holders will go on the bottom of the headband so no one can see it. Opposite of the LEDs.

1. Pull the needle from the bottom of the headband through the positive battery holder hole. Loop three times.

2. Sew towards the LED light with the same thread.

All positive ends should be facing the same direction as the positive battery holder.

1. Thread the needle with thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread (knot three times).

2. Sew through the hole of the first LED light and loop three times.

3. Move on to the next LED light and loop three times

Depending on how many you use, you might have to keep going.

4. At the end of the positive LED lights tie a knot and cut the thread (knot three times).

REPEATING STEP 5 for Negative Ends

You now are going to connect all the negative ends together.

All instructions are repeated below.

1. Thread the needle with thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread (knot three times).

2. Pull the needle from the bottom of the headband through the positive battery holder hole. Loop three times.

3. Sew towards the LED light with the same thread.

REPEATING STEP 6 for Negative Ends

All instructions are repeated below.

All negative ends should be facing the same direction as the negative battery holder.

1. Thread the needle with thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread (knot three times).

2. Sew through the hole of the first LED light and loop three times.

3. Move on the next LED light and loop three times Depending on how many you use, you might have to keep going.

4. At the end of the negative LED lights tie a knot and cut the thread (knot three times).

Insert the battery in the battery holder and test out the lights!

Your LEDs should all light up.

If not, figure out why.

Do you have a Short Circuit?

Do you have a backwards LED?

No one wants a battery touching their hair! Since the battery will be on the unseeable side of the headband, where your hair is, the battery will be touching your hair. So, I advise you to cover the battery with felt to protect your hair. Take a scrap piece of felt.

1. Cut a piece of felt big enough to cover the battery holder and to sew the material around it.

2. Thread the needle with thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread (knot three times).

3. Sew it on, tie a knot, and cut the thread (knot three times)!

Before completing the headband with elastic, you should decorate the headband first. This will make it easier to sew.

Use Regular Thread!

In order for your headband to stay in your hair, you have to measure it around your head and cut the elastic accordingly. You do not want it too loose or too tight.

Now for adding the elastic to the headband.

Thread the needle with regular thread and make a knot on the opposite side of the needle in the thread (knot three times).

Start attaching the elastic by pulling the needle through the bottom of the headband.

Sew towards the other end of the elastic.

I suggest sewing back to where you started sewing the elastic to strengthen the seam.

Tie a knot and cut the thread (knot three times).

Do the same for the other side of headband.

Tie a knot and cut the thread (knot three times).