How to Make an LED Bracelet in 10 Steps

The other day I was visiting my friend’s summer camp when I saw a young camper fiddling around at the electronics table. She showed me the bracelet she had made by twisting wires together in patterns, and said she liked to have “a different take” on electronics from the boys at the camp. After talking a little bit about conductive thread (her mind, it was blown) we set about making a bracelet that incorporated a basic circuit. From our experiences, this is how you do it:

1. Gather together an LED, a coin battery, two wires, and a pretty piece of cloth to attach your circuit to.

2. Strip the ends of the wires, and solder a wire to each end of the LED. Remember which end of the LED is which (short is negative, long is positive).

3. Attempt to attach the other sides of the wires to the battery with wire tape. When that doesn’t work:

4. Attempt to attach the other sides of the wires to the battery with hot glue. When that doesn’t work:

5. Attempt to attach the other sides of the wires to the battery with magnets. When that doesn’t work:

6. Attempt to attach the other sides of the wires to the battery by, against your better judgment, soldering them together. When that causes the battery to warp and smoke, cease immediately. Get a new battery and:

7. Attempt to attach the other sides of the wires to the battery by making loud prayers and small ritual sacrifices to an unsympathetic god. When that doesn’t work:

8. Discover that there was copper tape available all along. Attach the other sides of the wires to the battery using copper tape. (Make sure that the wire attached to the positive (long) LED end is attached to the positive side of the battery, and vice versa for the negative.)

9. Hide wire by gluing it to some of that pretty cloth.

10. Profit!

(Next time I go back, I’m going to show her this video. Although it’s pretty aspirational - according to its creator, it took over a hundred euro and a solid week’s worth of work.)