DIY LED suit. LEDs for clothing - a new product in the fashion world Where is the LED strip located?
One of the most amazing qualities of LEDs is that they give you endless application options when it comes to creating different colored lighting effects. Adding glow to ordinary pieces of clothing gives them a striking, variable appearance, similar to the coloration of a chameleon. I believe that clothing lighting should be used not only in some special evening suits, but it can also become a beautiful design element in the clothes we wear every day.
When designing the Night-Light Skirt, I wanted to create something simple, using LED lighting, and so that an everyday piece of clothing would turn into a festive one with the press of just one button.
By using a pre-programmed LED controller that can be controlled with a remote control, I avoided the need to program the Arduino controller, making this project even easier. I also used a new type of LED strip, with side addressable RGB LEDs. It is the same as a regular addressable LED strip, but the light from the LEDs comes from the side. This makes lighting clothes much easier, since when using such an LED strip, individual pixels are not visible, which allowed me to highlight only the hem of the skirt.
For this project, I chose a two-layer skirt (lining + outer layer) that has a pattern embroidered on the outer layer. I think the floral design adds a little more elegance to the skirt and creates a nice silhouette no matter what girl is wearing the skirt. But in your projects you can use any skirt model you like.
Step 1: What you need for this project
For the skirt you need:
The fabric and materials you will choose to create the skirt. I took as a basis a skirt that is used by ballerinas as clothing during performances. For beauty, I chose a skirt with different colors of the belt and hem.
Threads, rivets, and other elements for sewing.
Necessary set of tools and sewing machine.
To create the backlight you will need:
Addressable RGB LED strip 60 pcs/m WS2811 IC 60L SMD335 5V, waterproof, with flat-directional emitters 1.5 meters long.
Controller "Cool Neon Total Control Lighting Pixel strand of 50 (TCLPXL50)" provides full control of LEDs with remote control. This tiny chip is a great way to control LEDs if you don't want to bother with programming your own microcontroller. It comes with 300 preloaded LED programs and works with any WS2811 or WS2812 based LED strip. You can control programs using the remote control, increase or decrease the display speed, dim or brighten the lights. The programs mostly contain linear effects, and for them to function properly you need a 5V power supply providing a load current of at least 2A. If you want to use more diverse programs, then instead of this controller you can use any other small microcontroller like Adafruit Gemma or DF Robot Beetle.
A rechargeable battery with a capacity of at least 5000 mAh and a load capacity of at least 2A. For example, you can use an external Power Bank for cell phones RAVPower 8400mAh Deluxe Portable Charger (External Power Bank, 3A Output, Dual USB)
USB cable
Wire for connecting LEDs
Small and large heat shrink tubes
Required tools for installation
Step 2: Creating the Lace Layer
To create the lace layer for the skirt, I used three sizes from my ballet skirt:
Belt diameter
Distance from waist to hem
Approximate bottom hem circumference
Then, based on these dimensions, I cut out a blank from lace fabric. Accordingly, I made cuts on each side at an angle. Also, the distance from the waist to the hem on the lace layer is slightly smaller than on the main skirt, I thought it would be more beautiful this way.
Then I used a sewing machine to sew the outer lace layer of the fabric.
Step 3: Installing the Lace Layer
Having stretched the waistband of the ballet skirt well, I evenly distributed the lace layer over the skirt, making small folds in some places. Then, securing the lace layer with pins, I sewed it to the waistband of the ballet skirt.
Step 4: Adding a Belt
To get the correct length for my elastic waistband (elastic based), I wrapped it around my girlfriend's waist and found a length that would hold well without being uncomfortable.
Then I folded the belt with a slight overlap at the ends and sewed it with zigzag stitches so that the fabric of the belt would not unravel in the future.
Then I placed the elastic waistband over the waistband of my already sewn two-layer skirt, adding the necessary slack to hide the waistband of the ballet skirt, and sewed all three parts of the skirt together using zigzag stitches.
Step 5: Making the Battery Case
Now I need to create a small case to hold my battery and hide it in the layers of the skirt. You can also use a ready-made case of a suitable size.
Using a pencil and ruler, I traced a template for my case on a piece of leather and cut it out with scissors. Then I attached the battery to it, folded it in half and marked the places to install the rivets. Then I made holes for the rivets and installed the rivets using a hammer. If you don't have rivets, you can simply sew the two layers together.
To complete this step, I trimmed off the excess leather and cut a window to connect to the USB connector of my battery on the bottom of the case.
Step 6: Installing the Cover
Once my cover was ready, I sewed it to the waistband between the fabric layers of the skirt so that it was practically invisible.
Step 7: Create a Light Diffuser
Even though these LEDs emit light in a parallel plane to the strip, you may still notice the glow of individual pixels in the hem of the skirt. To further diffuse the light, I added a white faux fur hem overlay and hid the LED strips underneath.
To create the overlay, the first thing I did was measure the circumference of the free portion of the bottom tulle layer of the skirt. This is best done with a skirt on the model or mannequin. In my case, the length turned out to be 1.14 meters; at this size, my legs are not limited in any way when walking freely.
Then I cut a strip of fur 2.5 cm thick and 1.14 meters long. It is best to cut off the fur using a sharp razor knife from the skin side. Be careful not to damage the downy coating of the fur.
Next, I cut off a white strap corresponding to the length of the fur lining, but adding a small margin along the edges of the strap for later stitching. Then, with a gap of 10 cm, I sewed the clothes snaps to the white strap, and sewed a strip of fur onto it.
Step 8: LED Connection
First of all, I cut my LED strip to a length slightly shorter than the length of the light diffuser (previous step).
Then I shortened the wires coming from my LED controller (driver) and soldered them to the LED strip input in the following order:
Driver pin G (ground) -> pin "GND" on strip
Driver pin D (data) -> pin "D" on strip
Driver contact “+” -> contact “5V” on the strip
I then insulated the bare wires using heat shrink tubing.
Since the controller (driver) comes complete with a mini-jack connector for connecting to a power source, I needed to convert this connector to USB. To do this, I measured the distance required to connect the driver with the LED strip from the USB connector of my battery installed in the case to the driver. Then I cut the USB wire to the length I needed. After cutting the USB cable, there will be several different wires in it, since it also transfers data. For our project we are interested in the red and black wire, the rest are simply cut off and not used. Having stripped the ends of the wires of the cut USB cable, I put heat-shrinkable tubes on them and soldered them to the driver power wires. Then I insulated the exposed wires using heat shrink tubing. Then, after connecting the battery, I tested the operation of the controller and LEDs using the remote control.
Step 9: Install the Backlight
Then, I laid the LED strips inside the project (in the channels that I had provided in advance). It wasn't that easy, but I still managed to do it!
Step 10: Installing LEDs
Sew the other sides of the fabric channel of the tape to bring all your skirt pieces together and create a complete design.
Step 11: Create Your Light Show!
Now, with the project circuit connected to the battery and remote control, I can select different modes to display on the LED strips. Using the chosen controller, I have about 300 modes that are programmed into the controller, which I can create inimitable effects. Using the controller functions, I can set them to display faster or slower, while changing their brightness. Of course, maximizing the brightness of the skirt will have maximum effect in a dark room.
That's all! Good luck with your projects!
Glowing LED skirt with Adafruit Flora microcontroller
Make clothes that glow when you move! This is a FLORA sewing (no soldering) project, which uses 12 NeoPixel LEDs, with the ability to change the color of the glow, and a FLORA accelerometer module.
Pulses in the sensor readings cause LEDs that are sewn to the lining of the skirt to flash and blink, the light of which can be seen through the outer layer of lace fabric. If the skirt itself isn't something you're interested in, this tutorial and code can be used to create something else, like a belt buckle or even a flashing dog collar!
What you will need for the project:
- Adafruit Flora microcontroller
- FLORA accelerometer module
- NeoPixel LEDs
- Accumulator battery
- Conductive thread
- Lace fabric and sewing materials
Layout and electrical diagram
First you need to choose a skirt and plan the installation of LEDs. In the diagram provided you can see how to connect all the parts of this circuit.
Each component is connected to the FLORA microcontroller as follows:
Accelerometer module –> microcontroller:
- GND → GND
- SCL → SCL
- SDA → SDA
- 3.3V → 3.3V
NeoPixels LED array -> microcontroller:
- Vcc (Power) → FLORA contact “VBATT”
- IN (Data Input) → FLORA pin “D6”
- Gnd (Ground) → GND
Since the connecting conductive thread has a non-trivial resistance, close attention must be paid to laying additional connection lines for the power and ground lines on both sides of the skirt. This will allow the colored LEDs to shine at full power.
Lift the outer layer of the skirt so that the lining is accessible for further work. If the outer layer is stitched with the lining in some places, these seams or fixing points must be removed.
Place your components on the front facing side of the skirt lining according to the layout diagram. The LEDs on the reverse (back) side will be installed later, after checking the operation of the first six LEDs on the front side.
Pick up each component and make a mark with a water-soluble ink pen (or just use a very fine tip of a regular marker to make a small dot) as shown in the picture below.
Flashing an electrical circuit
The flashing of electrical communication lines with a conductive thread must begin with the binding of the FLORA controller to the skirt lining, without breaking the thread at the end of the binding; the 3.3V and GND contacts are initially sewn.
Then you need to flash the communication lines between the FLORA controller and the accelerometer module.
After that, secure knots are tied at the ends of the conductive thread and the excess ends are cut off.
Then the LED boards and communication lines to them are sewn together, according to the markings on the LEDs and the FLORA controller, which were described earlier.
Knots and loose ends of the thread are sealed with clear nail polish. This will avoid accidental contact of threads, which can lead to short circuits and failure of various components.
To connect power, one long conductive thread is used, allowing you to connect six LEDs on the front side and six LEDs on the back side. Before flashing communication lines from the rear side, it is recommended to check the operation of the circuit on the LEDs on the front side.
WARNING: Do not connect your skirt to power until you have verified that there are no short circuits! Double check that your thread ends are trimmed and your skirt is laying on a non-conductive surface.
In the next video, you can see very useful tips for successfully flashing NeoPixel LED circuits.
Controller code and battery
After triple checking that all your conductive ends are cut and insulated, and that your skirt is not lying on a conductive surface, connect the FLORA microcontroller to your computer using a USB cable, as shown in the figure below.
Open the Adafruit Arduino IDE program (can be downloaded from the official website). To make this project work, you will need the NeoPixel library, which comes along with a set of other standard libraries along with the Arduino IDE and Codebender.
Then, first of all, check the operation of all six LEDs on the front side by loading a sketch (program code) into the microcontroller, following the steps of selecting certain menu items in the Arduino IDE program:
File → Examples → Adafruit_NeoPixel → strandtest
If all your LEDs change color and brightness, then you can continue connecting the six LEDs located on the back of the skirt. Before proceeding, unplug the USB cable from the controller before stitching the LEDs on the back of the skirt.
To test the accelerometer, you need to install the Adafruit Sensor library, which is contained in the single library for the LSM303DLHC accelerometer module. To do this, you need to load the sketch into the microcontroller by performing the following steps in the Arduino IDE program:
File → Examples → Adafruit_LSM303 → Test
Once loaded, you can open the serial monitor routine and watch the accelerometer sensor values change.
If you have made a skirt with a double-sided arrangement of LEDs, then during testing it is recommended to place a piece of fabric in the internal volume to prevent short circuits. When the skirt is worn, such situations will not occur.
Also, if your skirt has a lot of pleats, you may have problems with insulating the LED connections, which could cause a short circuit. In this case, they can be insulated by gluing additional pieces of fabric, which will prevent them from short-circuiting, and also add ease of sliding of the fabric inside the skirt space. Additionally, these pieces of fabric can add additional eccentric weights that will increase the vibration of the fabric, resulting in a more varied lighting effect.
To add the sparkle effect, copy the code below into your Adafruit Arduino IDE and upload it to the microcontroller by clicking the Upload button.
The colors of the LEDs can be changed in a line of code:
myFavoriteColors
If you have connected the LED array correctly and there is no motion response, then you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor in the below line from the program code. The lower the value, the greater the sensitivity:
MOVE_THRESHOLD
To install the battery in a certain place (the most convenient for you), use a small bag made from the same fabric for lining a skirt.
It is recommended to sew the battery pouch next to the Adafruit FLORA microcontroller, so that the standard wires from the battery reach the contacts of the microcontroller.
That's it, put on your skirt and enjoy!
Make your own skirt using this tutorial and share your progress!!! Changing the color of the LED light allows you to match your skirt with the rest of your overall wardrobe and the appropriate occasion!
Luminous LED Star-lit Skirt
Portable LED lights combined with a long skirt can transform a simple skirt into a heavenly ballgown that will make you irresistible and attract the attention of others.
Astronomy is always in fashion, but it can be quite challenging to find stylish clothes that can convey your love for space objects. At first glance it's just a blue skirt with lots of twinkling lights, but if you look closely you can see some of the details. The skirt consists of three layers: a lining, a base layer and a transparent top layer, which contains 250 LEDs. Flickering LEDs are located in exact accordance with the star map. The battery is located in a secret pocket.
The cost to make the skirt is $59.99.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/jhsu/
Glowing dress “Ester” - LED technologies integrated into clothing
The Ester dress represents a piece of transformative fashion, combining delicate handcraft with cutting-edge LED technology integrated into the garment.
The skirt was made of cane, which made it possible to create a light but very durable corset. The skirt and bodice (the upper part of a woman's dress) are covered with more than 10,000 hand-cut paper petals. Hundreds of individually addressable LEDs are integrated into the edges of the dress. To control the LEDs, an Arduino LilyPad microcontroller is used, which allows you to program each individual LED to any behavior or RGB color. The light from the LEDs is well dispersed under the paper petals, allowing the clothes to literally shine in public, turning into a real wearable light show.
The Ester Luminous Dress was designed to create an explosion of light in the darkness, shocking the audience. It was a finalist in the 2016 World of Wearable Arts Show open competition, winning the People's Choice Award.
LED lighting for cars, motorcycles and other types of transport will no longer surprise anyone, especially in Asia. However, the potential of this area of customization has not yet been completely exhausted, confirmation of which was provided by one of the users of the imgur.com service. So, she created a miniskirt with LED lighting with her own hands.
The girl not only published a photo of the final result, but also made a short photo report about how she made the unusual skirt. According to her, the greatest problems were caused by the control panel of the LED strip, which it was decided to make in the form of a strap clasp. The body of the “fastener” had to be made on a 3D printer using special software. The girl also advises buying LED strips with special protection from water and heat, so as not to get unwanted burns.
As for the length of the skirt, it can be absolutely any and completely depends on the taste of the fashionista. The author of the fashionable wardrobe element herself writes that in her case the length was enough to make men turn around. She should be believed in this.
And here are a few pictures from the story about how the miniskirt with LED lighting was created:
So today sew a luminous suit with your own hands.
- What does our costume consist of?
What does our costume consist of?
Where is the LED strip located?
- on clothes
- under clothes
What materials will we need?
We need to buy:
How to take measurements for a glowing suit?
- Two arms
- two legs
- and chest-back
Let's move on to sewing...
Important!
D Let's figure out the allowances. Using the example of the upper horizontal chest. Its length is 80 cm. But we need to subtract the length of the rubber band connection from this length. The finished connecting part has a length of 8 cm (since 2 cm was subtracted from 10 cm for allowances), you still need to leave 2 cm as an allowance on the grosgrain tape. Thus, you need to subtract 6 cm from the main length of the ribbon. Therefore, we cut off 6 cm from 80 cm = 74 cm. This is the length of the upper horizontal line of the rep ribbon. This process applies to absolutely all horizontal lines of such a suit, since they are all connected with this type of elastic band with a fastener.
That is, from each measured horizontal value we will subtract 6 cm.
How to sew a glowing suit with your own handsHello everyone))) Today there will be an unusual topic. I have a friend who is a drummer and presenter, an MC and an incredibly creative person. And my friend came up with the idea to create something similar: I helped him a little with this, and today I will share the details of this process with you, since the idea is unusual, it may seem impossible to some, but it is quite realistic if you analyze this process step by step. So today we are sewing a glowing costume with our own hands. This costume looks unrealistic at night, at parties and discos; it can give your image originality and uniqueness. And in complete darkness, a suit with LED strips is most effective! So….. What does our costume consist of? I will now consider all these questions in detail. DIY autumn costume for adults. Master Class What does our costume consist of? An LED strip is glued or sewn onto some kind of base. The programmer is ordered to write a program for this strip, based on the main idea of the costume - whether it is necessary for the strip to flash in different colors, or to shine in one color without ceasing, or a host of other options... After writing the program, a special block is attached to the LED strip (like a small box ), it is attached to the suit, and can be controlled using a remote control. I can’t tell you more, since I’m not a programmer)))). But the idea is clear. on clothes Well, there’s nothing to explain here for a long time. The choice of option depends on the final purpose of such a suit. I will sew a suit that will be worn under a thin shirt and white trousers, in the dark it will shine through the white fabric, there will be a color blurring effect, which will add even more fabulousness to the image. grosgrain ribbon of any width (from 2 to 5 cm) How to take measurements for a glowing suit? And she came up with an idea: the costume would look like a frame made of thick rep tape, with an LED strip glued on top of it. This means that first of all you need to take correct measurements of your figure. My model is my friend drummer David. 44 clothing size. The costume diagram is shown below in the figure. Visually, the costume should be divided into separate parts: Two arms Each of the five conventional parts of the costume consists of five horizontal lines connected by verticals. And above the upper horizontal chest-back straps are sewn, like on women's T-shirts. The arm part is also attached to the strap. The leg part is fastened with two straps to the lower horizontal part of the chest-back part. It was not for nothing that I indicated drummer David’s clothing size - 44. This is important. The photo below shows calculations, these are measurements of the distances between horizontal lines, they can only be relevant for size 44. But you need to measure the circumference of the horizontal lines yourself, since all figures are different. For convenience, the model should be undressed down to her underwear, and the location of the horizontal lines should be marked directly on the body with a pencil, then all the girths of the figure should be measured, and the calculations should be clearly written down. As you can see, for example, the chest-back detail consists of five horizontal lines, which means we measure starting from the top, write down the value, retreat relative to the top horizontal 6 cm (if we take my approximate values), measure the chest circumference in this place, etc. . So we measure the chest, back, arms and legs. And also the distance between the upper horizontal arm and the strap, and the distance between the leg part and the main body part. Let's move on to sewing... How to sew a snowflake costume for a girl with your own hands Here is our rep ribbon. I needed 22 meters with a width of 2.5 cm. I'll start with the chest-back detail. We measure the length of the upper horizontal line (for example, 80 cm). Cut out a piece of 80 cm from the grosgrain ribbon. These parts will be connected using an elastic band and a hook like the one in the photo below: We take two pieces of elastic 10 cm long and one hook. We thread one of the elastic bands into the hook. Place the hook in the center of the elastic: Now we simply fold the second elastic band in half: We fasten the elastic bands onto the hook like this: Each horizontal line will be fastened to such a connection in the center of the back, that is, we will have to make a lot of such connections. Cut out five horizontal lines of the required length. Let's look at the allowances. Using the example of the upper horizontal chest. Its length is 80 cm. But we need to subtract the length of the rubber band connection from this length. The finished connecting part has a length of 8 cm (since 2 cm was subtracted from 10 cm for allowances), you still need to leave 2 cm as an allowance on the grosgrain tape. Thus, you need to subtract 6 cm from the main length of the ribbon. Therefore, we cut off 6 cm from 80 cm = 74 cm. This is the length of the upper horizontal line of the rep ribbon. This process applies to absolutely all horizontal lines of such a suit, since they are all connected with this type of elastic band with a fastener. That is, from each measured horizontal value we will subtract 6 cm. Now we need to cut out two side verticals of the chest-back part, on which our horizontals will be “planted”. We fix the horizontal lines with pins at the required distance from each other, according to the preliminary taking of measurements. We sew on a machine the places where the horizontals and verticals join; to ensure a strong connection, it is better to sew with a zig-zag in several layers. We sew the straps to the top horizontal, retreating approximately 10 cm on the sides. Now let's make the leg detail. We cut out the length of the verticals and horizontals according to the measurements. Don’t forget to subtract 6 cm for the area of the elastic with the hook. We immediately make rubber bands for the leg part. Sew the fasteners to the horizontal lines. And then we join the horizontal lines at the required distance on the vertical, then we stitch the fastening points using a zig-zag machine. We make blanks for the hand parts. We cut out parts of the grosgrain ribbon according to measurements. We sew the horizontal lines into a ring and sew on the fasteners. We mark on the vertical with pins the location of the joining points with the horizontals. Sew on a zig-zag machine. The details generally look like this. All that remains is to connect the leg parts with the chest-back part. This is what the suit looks like on the model. It had to be adjusted at three fittings to get it to fit perfectly. And now we will glue the LED strip with glue and the suit can be worn under light-colored clothes. A little later I will post a video of this suit in action. I think it will be very impressive!
How to sew a glowing suit?
First of all, you need to determine the following:
Where is the LED strip located?
what materials will we need?
You may also like:
What does such a suit consist of or what is the operating principle of such a suit?
Where is the LED strip located?
There are two options for applying the LED strip:
under clothes
What materials will we need?
We need to buy:
dense elastic band for sewing bras (it is stronger and more elastic than just elastic)
hooks or special blanks for fastening bras
I thought for a long time about how best to come up with such a costume.
two legs
and chest-back
You might be interested in:
Important!
Now we sew connecting elastic bands with fasteners to all horizontals.
One of the most amazing things about LEDs is that they give you endless options when it comes to color shaping and lighting effects. Adding such lights to regular clothing creates a chameleon-like transformation of the clothing. I believe that light-up clothing does not have to be relegated to carnival costumes, when used wisely, lights can be a beautiful design element in everyday clothing. When designing this LED carnival skirt, I wanted to find a simple way to use LEDs to create something that could give an ordinary outfit a holiday show with the simple press of a button. Wear this stylish New Year's Eve skirt at the beginning of an evening event with the lights off, and no one will be waiting for you to turn on the lights at the most important moment of the dance party later... or maybe start your own party by transforming your clothes into fairy lights right before the astonished eyes of your unwitting comrades.
By using pre-programmed LED chips that can be controlled by a remote control, I avoided the need for Arduino coding, which makes this project quite simple. I also used a new type of LED strip that became available: a fully addressable RGB emitting LED strip. This is the same as regular addressable LED strips, but the light is oriented parallel to the strip rather than perpendicular. This makes it much easier to light up items of clothing without the LED pixels showing themselves, and it allowed me to use only one stripe around the hem of the carnival skirt itself. This is the first time I have used this LED strip and I am quite satisfied with its capabilities.
The structure of the New Year's skirt is very simple, it is sewn from two types of fabric superimposed on each other, with an outer layer of embroidered lace. I think floral lace adds a level of elegance to a carnival skirt and creates a nice silhouette when the lights come on, but you could make the skirt without it, choose your own patterned outer layer, or even use this technique on any skirt you have.
Step 1: What you need
For the skirt:
Two pieces of fabric - I used white on the bottom and a light lavender shade on top because I liked the effect of the two colors together. You can also just create your own by following this Instructable, or some other one,
1&1/2 yards of sheer fabric with an embroidered pattern, as this floral background creates a beautiful silhouette,
1 yard of wide, decorative, elastic fabric for the belt,
About half a yard of white faux fur to diffuse the light,
2 yards 1" wide tape, white or off-white,
12 small clasps,
Some thick white fabric or thin leather to create the battery case,
Rivets to build your battery pocket (optional),
Sewing machine,
White thread and hand sewing needles,
Pins,
craft knife,
Sewing scissors,
Ruler or tape measure and,
Pencil and paper
For lamps:
1&1/2 yard RGB emitting LED strip,
Advanced Controller for Remote Controlled LED String Lights - This tiny chip is a great way to control LEDs if you don't want to mess around and try to program your own microcontroller. It comes pre-loaded with 300 LED programs and works with any LED strip - WS2811 WS2812. You can control programs with the remote control, increase or decrease the speed of changing the pattern on the carnival skirt, dim or bright light when they are set in the same color. The programs have linear effects scrolling methods, and in order for the remote to function properly, you need a 5V power source, which can consist of at least 2 AA batteries. there are some limitations to this, but it's still a great way to light up your LEDs. If you want more control over your programs, you can use any small microcontroller like the Adafruit Gemma or DF Robot Beetle.
5V batteries with a current output of 2 amps or higher, and at least 5000 milliamp-hours of power, about the same as a cell phone power bank,
Cable USB,
Wire for connecting LEDs,
Heat-shrink tubing. Small and big
Wire stripper,
Soldering iron,
Solder,
Heat gun.
What was made by your own hands.
Step 7: Prepare the fiber bundles
For crafts Let's purchase a strand of 200 threads, 2 m long and 0.05 cm in diameter (the thicker the fiber, the brighter the tubes will glow and the less likely they will break).
I wanted the skirt to be about 50 cm long. Therefore, we cut the strand three times and get 800 fibers, each strand 50 cm long.
After this, it is necessary to attach the fiber optic bundles to the LEDs. To do this, we will use vinyl tubes with a diameter of 6 mm (42 pieces - according to the number of LEDs) and a length of 3 cm each. Each vinyl tube will have 17 fibers installed. Let's push them so that they protrude 3-4 cm from the tubes.
On the ends of the fibers that we pushed further (3-4 cm) apply a little glue (I used E6000 plastic glue) into the middle of the bundle. Make sure the glue gets between the fibers and pull them back into the tube. Initially, epoxy glue was used, but it was not the best choice (it was very heavy and the fibers sometimes broke).
Step 8: Make the fiber glow brighter
When the glue dries, cut about 5 mm from the tip of the tube. Make sure that all the fibers in the cut are at the same level and do not fall inward. The cleaner the cut, the better they will transmit light.
In order for them to glow even brighter, you need to melt the cut. Hold the tip of the vinyl tube close to a flame (gas stove or lighter, not a candle) until the fibers melt slightly. Be careful not to hold them too close to the flame - you don't want to burn the pipe. After this, the fibers will shine twice as bright.
Step 9: Separate the Strands
For a more elegant look on the skirt, we need to separate the fibers. At the end of the tube (where the fibers come from), distribute them evenly from each other and carefully drop a drop of hot glue. Don't use too much glue or hold the gun too close to the fibers (they will melt and curl).
Step 10: Making a Vinyl Tube Stand
The LED strip has a removable waterproof silicone case. Many different adhesives were tried, but nothing stuck to the silicone. However, I wanted to use silicone to protect the electronics from moisture.
To attach a bundle of fibers to the top of each LED, you need to do small holder made of hot melt adhesive. Place the fiber optic strands on top of the LEDs and apply some glue around the tubes. Let's wait until everything is dry. Let's repeat the process for all other beams separately. Then carefully melt the glue on the sides and glue 4-5 tubes together. Pay close attention to the distances between vinyl tubes. Ultimately, each beam should be located at the very top of the LED.
Step 11: Reinforcement Tape on Tape and Belt
The next step is to cut the tape into thin strips 5 cm long and use them to secure the LED strips to the belt. Let's start from the end of the tape, to which 3 wires are soldered (leave 10 cm of the belt uncovered). Make sure each strand is in place, exactly on top of the LED. Do not glue the three pipes on the last holder (on the strip and belt).
At the end (where there are 3 wires), cut a small hole in the tape and pull the wires through it. Let's route the wires through the center of the tape and connect them with several turns of adhesive tape. The end result is that the wires will fit where the battery pocket will be.
Step 12: Making a Pocket for the Battery
A small pocket was sewn for the battery and microcontroller. If you don't know how to sew, just cut two square pieces of fabric and glue them together. To attach it to the belt, cut a square with a handle out of plastic mesh fabric (regular fabric can work well too). The square should be about the same size as the battery pocket.
Now let's choose the location where you want to attach the battery pocket (mine is located in the back a little to the right). Remove one loop of tape between the two vinyl tubes and insert a handle between the LED strip and the strap. Then we sew or glue it onto the fabric. We attach the Velcro to the battery pocket and holder. Also, don't forget to attach the LED strip back to the belt.
Velcro was chosen for its functionality (the ability to change the battery pouch depending on the outfit being worn).
Step 13: Making the Belt Buckle
Cut a piece of Velcro 10 cm long and glue it on top of the belt where we left 10 cm uncovered (put the rest of the piece aside for later).
Due to the fact that the belt was heavy, there were concerns that the Velcro might open while wearing the outfit. For more reliable support, cut out three small Velcro strips. At the end of the strip (where we left 3 tubes free), we secure them between the strap and the LED strip. The “free part” should hold the LED strip, while the “rough” part should be attached to the belt. The free part will stick out on one side, and the rough part on the other.
The rest of the tape can be used to make vinyl tube holders on the belt.
Now take a free 10 cm piece (which was set aside). We slide it under the belt on the same side where we attached the small strips of Velcro.
Step 14: Download the program to control the LEDs
Since there are many well-written and detailed tutorials out there, I'll just share the links with you.
If you need more help with Arduino (connecting the microcontroller to your computer and loading programs onto the Arduino), you may find useful information on the Arduino website or the Adafruit Flora Tutorial
Great Strandtest program. Just follow the instructions, download the NeoPixel file and add it to your Arduino library. Visit the community Fast LED community to see good examples of work.
Step 15: Connecting the Tape to the Microcontroller
Solder a +5V wire from the belt to the VBAT pin on the microcontroller, a ground cable to GND and a data wire to the LED code pin that we loaded onto the microcontroller (pin 6 was selected). To be sure that the wires will not come off, we attach the board to a piece of plastic and protect the contacts with hot glue. You can also see a push button switch in the left corner (added this to switch between different LED patterns).
Now connect the power supply to the microcontroller and the LED strips should light up.
Step 16: Almost done
Now you can cut the fibers to the desired length. If you want to diversify the threads with different visual effects, you can rub them lengthwise with sandpaper or bend them slightly. I sanded the ends and the LEDs began to glow a little diffusely.
https://vimeo.com/135517550
Thank you for your attention. Creative to you homemade!