Search results (tags) for: "leds"

Burning Man Packing List

2009-08-21T14:20:00-05:00

Furry leg warmers in late summer? EL wire pasties? DIY dust masks? Oh yes, it's that time again. From August 31 to September 7, your neighbors are forgoing Labor Day in the Hamptons or cook-outs with the family, and instead, they are caravanning out to the Nevada desert with rebar, hula hoops, and tutus in tow.

My excursion to Burning Man last year opened my dust-covered eyes to an attitude about art and community that overcomes ego, commerce, and greed. This year's theme is Evolution, and if the 50,000+ Burners who congregate to erect monumental sculptures, light their musical instruments on fire, cook bacon for strangers, and paint their unicycles gold are any indication of the future for humankind — Darwin, be blessed!

Are you trekking out to Burning Man this year? Don't forget stamps to send letters from the Black Rock City post office, psychedelic spandex to make your own go-go outfits, and salty snacks for when you're feeling dehydrated. Here's a packing list to get you started on your journey "home."

Black Thai satin CABARET VEST

By TimjanDesign, $114.

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0g - Black and White Blended Cyclones

By SomaticGlass, $50.

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Red roses - LED light-up flower garland

By bluemoonkatherine, $45.

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Circus Dust Mask Set

By dirtybirdyvintage, $25.

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Metal Cage Visors

By brooksbot75, $10.

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Double Sahara Hip-Bag

By rubyzaar, $210.

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black leather Dr. martens combat boots

From womyn, $98.

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Transitional Curly dreads custom order

By Dollyxdecay, $150.

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Five Lens Steampunk Goggles

By steampunk22, $125.

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Hippy In Wonderland Postcard

By sasiko, $2.98.

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REVERSIBLE Leg Warmers and Apron Dress

By deconrestruct, $90.

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Atomic Pickles 1 Quart

By ThePantryGreenBay, $6.50.

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LEOPARD Spandex Lycra Fabric

From diysewrad, $3.50.

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Punk Rock Bikini Summer TOP Shirt

By CrudeThings, $25.

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Black and White Striped Skull Pasties

By gothfoxdesigns, $15.

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Black Vintage Malco Modes Petticoat, Small

From cheesecakevintage, $50.

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Cruiser Bike Seat Cover

By BeatriceHoliday, $34.99.

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Patches McFeather Duster

By BubblesAndFrown, $13.45.

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SALE 'Alice' Corset and Bat Choker S

By Forgefashion, $75.

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green led earrings

By Aula46, $40.

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Army Green Insulated Canteen and Bag

From TheLovelys, $9.50.

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POPPY LONGSTOCKINGS RAINBOW BRITE

By poppyswickedgarden, $14.

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Blonde Ears

By mspresto, $35.

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Condom Holder - Punch of Aqua

By BehaveLittles, $5.50.

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Flame Note Cards

By whisperhandmade, $12.

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Devil girl SPIKE SKIRT pvc gothic

By melissae, $100.

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Black lace gloves, armwarmers

By estylissimo, $15.

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MOD Fabric Stretch Knit

From SelvedgeShop, $12.

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Collapsible Travel Hula Hoop

By HappyLoveHoops, $25.

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Flaming Thor Helmet - Fire Hat II

By megaplow, $450.

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COUTURE POMPOM HAT AVANT GARDE

By couvert, $75.

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Playa dust mask in purple leather

By TomBanwell, $49.

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Unique Parasol -- Blacklight LEDs

By RuffDreams, $350.

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Party Survival Shoulder Holster

By lelulaserlight, $19.

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Itty Bitty Teeny Tiny Little Green TuTu

By mtcoffinz, $25.

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Spiked Elegance - Electric Red Feather Earrings

By intrinsicimagination, $16.

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What are you bringing to Burning Man this year? Leave it in the comments!

Items Tagged "Burning Man" | Steampunk and Noir Gift Guide | Past Burning Man Posts

How-Tuesday: Nightlife Necklace with Diana Eng

2009-06-30T14:30:00-05:00

Welcome to another How-Tuesday. This week's project, "NightLife Necklace," is a fun LED jewelry project from our friend Diana Eng's new book, Fashion Geek. Etsy members receive 10% off their purchase from North Light Books. (Use promotional code: ETSY10 at checkout.)

Diana has been on the cover of ID magazine (check out the inflatable dress!), a contestant on Project Runway, a winner of Yahoo! Hackday, and is a founding member of NYC Resistor.

How did you get your start as a designer?
My grandmother taught me to sew when I was eight. I started sewing little skirts and stuffed animals for myself, and one of my favorite make-believe games was dress shop.

What got you into working with technology as a medium?
I always liked math, science, and computer programming. In fact, in grade school I was a big science fair nerd. One day I just thought it would be neat to combine my two interests, technology and fashion.

Other than your book, can you name some references for getting started learning how to use and work with electronics?
For electronics I constantly reference Forrest Mims' Getting Started in Electronics book. It really taught me a lot about how electronics work.

There are some great tutorials on Instructables for using conductive thread.

Can you name any designers that you find really inspiring that work with both fashion/design and technology/geekery?
Issey Miyake was the designer I first learned of who experimented with new technology and fashion. Though he never dabbled in electronics, he did work with computer programmers for his APOC project. Hussein Chalayan currently does runway fashion with electronics and collaborates with geeky folk such as Moritz Waldemeyer.

What else inspires you to design the types of things that you typically design?
I am fascinated by science and always find myself looking into things out of curiosity (such as biomimetics or ferrofluid). These curiosities inspire my designs.

Outside of the latest "technology" in fabrics and materials that outdoor apparel companies boast about using, does experimental technology/electronics have a place in high fashion or the future of clothing design?
Yes, I think that experimental tech/electronics have a place in creating different aesthetic effects. There are certainly new looks that can only be created with electronics. A lot of designers are looking to bring new looks to customers through technology. For example, Prada created a special oil slick looking two toned leather through new technology a few seasons back. Versace reinvented Versus as an R&D department.

Do you think of fashion as an art form? Do you think of technology as an artform?
I think that couture fashion is an art form. The materials used to create couture are so precious and the techniques are so difficult that couture pieces are one of a kind works of art.

I think that technology is a new medium for creating art. Artists will still need to know how to draw or sculpt, but they will be using technology as the new medium to create their art. Maybe one day there will be fashion created with technology that is so expensive and so difficult to make that only a one of a kind peice can be created.

And now for Diana's How-Tuesday project! The Nightlife Necklace uses LEDs as luminescent gemstones to create a necklace that glimmers at night. Perhaps this is something that people will think about in future tech couture.

Download the PDF of this project from Diana's book. (This file may take a while to load.)

Materials Needed:

Tools for the Job:

1-6 small LED's (size 3mm or T1)
Photoresistor
6 pony beads to fit LED's
1 large bead to fit photoresistor
Chain, approximately 14" or 36cm in length
4 jump rings
4 ribbon crimp ends
Lobster claw clasp
Conductive thread
Coin cell battery (CR2032)
Battery holder (BS7)
Electrical solder
1/2 yard x 1" or 46cm x 3cm ribbon

1 set of alligator clip jumper wires
Fine-grit sandpaper
Needle-nose pliers
Wire cutter
Soldering iron
Craft and fabric glue
Rotary tool (optional)
Domed abrasive point or drill bit (optional)
Sewing needle
Scissors

Note: Use six or fewer LEDs in your design. The battery is strong enough to power six LEDs, but more than six lights will result in lights that won’t be very bright.

Step 1: Test Fit	Step 2: Sand Beads
Test to make sure each LED will fit snugly in a pony bead. I used white LEDs and white beads, but feel free to add color and mix it up.	Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand the outside edges of the pony beads and the large bead to create a matte finish.

Step 3: Insert Photoresistor

Insert the photoresistor into the large bead. If necessary, use the rotary tool and a drill bit or domed abrasive point to widen the opening so the photoresistor will fit. Use a wire cutter to trim ½" (1cm) off 1 of the leads on the photoresistor. Use needle-nose pliers to create a loop on the end of
this lead.

Step 4: Create, Design, and Add LED's

Create a design with the pony beads. Insert an LED into each pony bead. Use a wire cutter to cut ½" (1cm) off the short lead of 1 of the LEDs. (For this design, I chose the middle LED on the left, as shown in the photo at left.) Use needle-nose pliers to then create a loop in this shortened lead.

Step 5: Solder LED Leads and Photoresistor

Bend all of the LED leads so that each short lead is touching another short lead and each long lead is touching at least one other long lead. (Make sure no short lead is touching a long lead) Trim the leads with wire cutters if needed. Use a soldering iron to solder the leads where they touch. Test each connection after you solder it. Add the photoresistor bead and solder the long photoresistor lead to the long lead of the closest LED.

Step 6: Attatch Chain and Add Conductive Thread

Cut 2 lengths of chain to the desired length (I cut mine to 7" [18cm] each) using wire cutters. Cut 2 lengths of conductive thread, each of which is double the length from the LEDs to the chain’s clasp (in this case about 14" [36cm] each). Tie a knot with 1 length of conductive thread onto the LED lead loop you created in step 4. Secure the knot with a dab of fabric glue, and cut the excess short thread. Test the connection. Attach 1 jump ring to the chain and then to the loop. Thread a sewing needle with the long strand of tied conductive thread, and use the needle to feed the conductive thread through each of the chain’s links. Repeat with the second length of conductive thread (threading it through the second chain) and the photoresistor loop you created in step 3.

Step 7: Fold Ribbon

Use scissors to cut a length of ribbon that when attached to the ends of the necklace will be long enough for you to slide the necklace over your head (I cut mine to 18" [46cm]). Trim the ends at a 45-degree angle to prevent the ribbon from fraying. At 3" (8cm) from 1 end, fold in the sides of the ribbon toward the middle. Fold the ribbon on itself and attach a ribbon crimp end. Make sure a bit of the fold sticks out at the edges of the crimp; you will use this later. Repeat at the other end of the ribbon.

Step 8: Attatch Ribbon

Use needle-nose pliers to open 2 jump rings and insert 1 in the loop of each ribbon crimp end. Attach 1 end of each chain onto each jump ring. Insert the needle with the thread from the photoresistor through the fold of ribbon that sticks out of the edge of the ribbon crimp end on that side of the necklace.

Step 9: Attatch Battery Holder

Continuing with the thread from the photoresistor, sew the conductive thread around the positive contact of the battery holder (BS7), being careful to not sew on the extra portion of ribbon that folds over (this portion will cover the battery holder). Repeat the sewing instructions in step 8 with the conductive thread from the LED loop. Sew the conductive thread from the LED loop across the edge of the ribbon to the battery holder. Use this thread to sew around the negative contact of the battery holder. Knot the thread and cut the excess. Attach a lobster claw clasp to the jump ring on one of the crimps.

To wear the necklace, place the ribbon over your head, as shown on page 44, or for a more elegant look, clasp the chains together and let the ribbon loop in the back.

Note: Put the battery in the holder to turn the necklace on; take the battery out to turn the necklace off.

More crafty project downloads can be found in our How-Tuesday series on the Etsy blog! And did you know that you can buy Supplies on Etsy?

Handmade Kids How-To: Firefly LED Baby Booties

2008-07-25T15:32:00-05:00

Craft Zine and Michael Miller Fabrics recently sponsored CRAFT’s Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest, with the many entries posted in a Flickr group. We were so charmed by these Firefly LED baby booties that we asked the creators to give us a how-to for the project.

Special thanks go out to Craft's Natalie Zee Drieu who coordinated this post. She is expecting a baby girl and has shared her favorites in the related items below!

But first, a safety disclaimer:
Babies should wear LED booties with adult supervision only, as small electronic components can be a choking hazard if removed from the booties. You can also glue the LEDs to the fabric for extra hold or use surface mount LED beads and sandwich them between the surface and liner fabrics.

Materials:
denim
yellow cotton
felt
cotton thread
conductive thread
elastic
yellow ribbon
2 yellow LEDs
2 CR2016 (or CR2032) batteries
scissors
needles
paper
pen
contact glue

Pattern:
Click here to download the PDF Pattern for the LED Booties.

How-To:

1. Download the bootie pattern. Measure the baby’s foot size and reduce or enlarge pattern to fit accordingly. By sewing the two paper pattern pieces together you'll get a more or less fair view of the booties final dimension. This can take a few attempts, but it is actually a crucial step, so take your time with measurements.

2. Cut the denim pieces after tracing the pattern into the denim's wrong side. You can leave a mark that will help you distinguish the left from the right bootie once the pieces are all cut. Then, cover the entire outside edges with blanket stitches to prevent the denim from fraying.

3. Sew the two pieces of each bootie together with the wrong side of the denim. You can mark an even margin with a pen to help guide you.

4. Cut a small strip of yellow cotton and tack it to the bootie's denim edges. Cut it on diagonal direction, as the fabric will stretch in the bias direction.

5. Sew the yellow edge to the denim (try to make the stitches as invisible as possible) and then remove the temporary stitches. Fold the rest of the cotton in. You can also sew it to the denim from inside to make sure it will stay in place.

6. Cut a little piece of elastic and sew it very well to the inner part of the booty. The denim is great for this because the inner stitches won't be visible from the outside.

7. The firefly wings are basically a double bow (without the loose ends) made with ribbon. Just sew it together with a few stitches and it is now ready to be sewed to the bootie.

8. After sewing the wings to the bootie (on the right side of the bootie), use the same thread to make the embroidery. It's really simple, so you probably don't need to trace a drawing first. Just try to make them more or less symmetrical in the two booties.

9. Cut a large stripe of yellow cotton, enough to cover the inner side of the bootie. After tacking it to the denim, sew it with some invisible stitches leaving the front part still to be sewed.

10. The LED (short for light emitting diode) is a semiconductor that emits light when a current flows through. The plus of the battery must be connected to the anode (usually the long leg) and the minus to the cathode (usually the short leg). This makes it clear which way to wire the LED.

LEDs also have what is called a maximum voltage, and you should not apply more voltage to the LED than this value. We've used a 3V battery (CR2016 1,6 mm thick), and since most yellow LEDs have a forward voltage around 1.2V to 2.2V, we needed some resistance to reduce it, so we've used conductive thread.

11. Put the LED in place and stick the pins inside.

12. From the inner side of the bootie, curve the LED's edges with a pair of pliers.

13. Now sew the curved edges to the denim with the conductive thread. Make sure you use a different thread for each of the edges and that they don't touch each other (this would short-circuit the battery). One foot (20 cm) of conductive thread sewed along the base of the bootie is enough. You can pass them through the bootie's sides.

14. With one of the conductive threads, sew a few stitches (cross stitches, for example) on the back part of the bootie sole. This will work as a "pad."

15. Cut a little square of yellow cotton to prepare a little pocket for the battery. To make sure the battery stays in place, make the pocket as small as possible. Sew all of the edges to the denim, leaving a small entry for the battery, like a buttonhole. Make another "pad" with the other conductive thread on top of the pocket.

The battery should be placed between the "pad" on the battery pocket and the other "pad" on the base of the bootie, in order to make good contact. Just be careful and make sure both wires only meet at the LED when the battery is in place. If you mixed up the polarities, there's no harm to the LED; just flip the battery over and it should light up.

16. Cut an insole from the felt using a pattern like the one used to cut the denim, but a bit smaller. Then cover it with the yellow cotton and sew it together. This insole will cover the battery pocket. Glue the half front part of the insole to the bootie. You will need to leave the back half part unglued so you can easily remove or replace the battery.

17. The final result! These aren't everyday booties, of course, so you might save them to be used on a special occasion. With the battery on, the LED will be lit for around two hours. You can even replace the LED with a small bead.

About the creators: Ana Pires and João Silva were born in the seventies in Oporto, Portugal and they're currently living in The Hague, The Netherlands. They're very keen on arts and crafts, though professionally they've chosen other areas. Ana is an accountant and she enjoys painting, knitting, embroidering and sewing. João is an engineer and his hobbies include building computers and robots, gardening and biking to work every day.

The items below are curated by Craft's Natalie Zee Drieu who is expecting a baby girl!

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Etsy How-to: Screenprinting and You

2008-01-08T12:17:00-05:00

We made this video how-to for the pop-up community space we participated in with Good Magazine over the holidays. It's a fun how-to that introduces you to the art and science of screenprinting. Matt and Pete are completely charming in it, so check it out!

See another video how-to on screenprinting with Matt and Bre of MAKE. This one involves LEDs and scary sound effects. Or, learn how to make screenprinted wrapping paper on recycled grocery bags!

How-Tuesday | Printmaking Posts

Screenprint Art for sale on Etsy or All Other Screenprinted Items

Anita Roddick, Founder of The Body Shop, dies at 64

2007-09-10T17:27:00-05:00

We are saddened to hear that Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and pioneer of values led business, died suddenly today of a brain haemorrhage.

"John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said Dame Anita was an 'incredible woman' who was passionate about environmental and human rights issues.

'She was so ahead of her time when it came to issues of how business could be done...When you look at it today, and how every company claims to be green, she was living this decades ago.'"

See the BBC's coverage.

NOTE:

This place-holder image looks way too cute and The Body Shop doesn't have anything to do with Etsy directly. We just admired her way of doing business.

MAKE & Etsy How-To: Hungry like the Wolf for Handmade Projects

2007-05-14T20:00:00-05:00

People, you must check out this How-to video from MAKE. You may be frightened…But you will also be charmed.

Matt collaborated with Bre here at the Labs (MAKE shares space with us at our Brooklyn office). They did a special screen printing project wherein they embedded audio, light and, well, magic into a custom t-shirt design.