Sewing Circuits

Did you know that you can create circuits with thread and sewing? Yes, it's true. Circuits do not have to only be made form hard wires and batteries. This instructable is here to teach you the basics!

These are the materials you will need:

1. A needle
2. Conductive thread
3. Sewable Battery Holder
4. A battery (the one I used is CR2032)
5. Something you can sew on (t-shirt, clothe, scarf - anything )
6. Led lights

Before we can start, take the individual legs of the LED light and twist them into a circle. It's important so the light can be sewn through (as seen in the picture). Just twisting them will be enough.

NOTE: Please mark the legs so you know which leg is positive (the longer leg) and which is negative. I suggest marking with a sharpie.

1. Cut a decent amount of conductive thread and put it through the needle (any technique is ok) just like you would for sewing.

Note: Do not make thread too long as electricity would not be able to past through it.

1. Sew one leg of the LED light where desired.
2. Loop through the hole (either positive or negative- do not connect them) at least 3 times to make sure it holds.
   • Make sure that the thread only goes through the positive or negative part of the LED and does not connect.
   • Double check that it is only passing through either the positive or negative part.
   • Double Double Check.
3. Then connect/sew the thread to the battery holder to it's respective charge (positive to positive and negative to negative).
4. Loop it at least 3 times again.
5. Go back and repeat the same steps for the second leg.
6. Insert the battery and the LED should light up.

By now, your wiring should look something like the picture above (there are two distinct threads that do not connect AT ALL).

CONGRATULATIONS!

You made it.

Now just decorate the material used to your own taste. I am a pretty bad sewer so I only added the border on the edges. However, I still felt adventurous and changed colours halfway through, totally not because I ran out of thread =D.

Now that you know the basics, feel free to develop your skills and make something even MORE complicated. You can add fancy designs or just brighten your clothes with LEDs (pictures above). Another example is a project where the lights are sewn on the sleeves of a hoodie and work as a blinker for cyclists. The sky is the limit.

Go out there and explore!