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Description

Make a light up card with a circuit!

Resources

Coin-cell battery (3V) CR2032
Copper tape with conductive adhesive
LED
Paper clip or Binder clip
Clear tape, glue
Foam tape
Blank Card
Printed circuit template
Small rectangle of card folded to house battery
Patterned card & shapes to decorate
Scissors
Eraser (optional)

Instructions

1. Locate printed circuit template.
2. Apply copper tape to all trace lines as marked in brown on the template. Smooth the copper down with your finger or an eraser. Try to maintain a continuous strip of copper tape versus cutting it at the corners. Fold copper tape at the corners by bending it at a 45′ angle in the opposite direction of where you are going. Then fold it back at a 180′ angle and continue applying to the trace line.
3. Make sure to leave a gap in the copper tape so the LED can be mounted properly.
4. Cut the remaining copper tape once you reach the designated battery area.
5. Score and then fold the corner line.
6. Mount the LED to the copper trace using clear tape. To do this, bend both legs of the LED at a 90′ angle and then tape legs securely to the copper. Make sure that the long leg of the LED goes to the positive (+) side of the copper trace.
7. Last step is to place the coin-cell battery on the copper trace. In this example, make sure the battery (-) is facing down on the copper. It’s helpful to use the foam tape to make a square housing for the battery to go into. The corner flap which is (+) should then be able to contact the battery (+) when folded.
8. At this point you can secure the corner using a paper clip or binder clip.
9. Line up this circuit sheet to the inside cover of the greeting card. Punch a hole through the front of the greeting card where the LED aligns with it.
10. Decorate the front of the greeting card to incorporate the light into your design.
11. Affix the circuit to the inside cover of the card using tape or glue.

WARNING – Copper tape can have very sharp edges and is able to cut skin like a paper cut so be careful. Also, this project is low voltage 3v DC and is NOT intended to be used with your wall socket.

Tags

• Card making
• circuits
• craft

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