When I was little, I used to decorate all of my clothing by sewing by hand, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve worked with fabric. I’m excited to pair fabric and LEDs together – it seems like a super fun assignment, and hopefully I’ll be making something that can add some more fun to my home.
Here are my ideas below:
1/ Monstera Plant Nightlight
I love plants! Which is why this is my favorite idea for this nightlight. Yes, it does follow the hipster jungalow trend.
LED Placement: I am planning on including LED strips in the three stems of the plant. Also, behind each leaf, there will be one bright LED (each one different colored) so that if this “plant” was against a wall, it would create the shadows of the leaves.
Who it’s for: Perfect for the millennial urban dweller who is terrible at taking care of plants.
2/ Lucky Cat
I love lucky cat; he’s a little ubiquitous symbol in many Asian restaurants. The origins of lucky cat are actually from Japan in the 1850s; he’s called maneki-neko and is a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
In the image above, you can see several sketches, including some other ideas on the same page – like a Dan Flavin inspired nightlight and little light-up cubes too.
LED Placement: I picture the LEDs either surrounding lucky cat, or if I added cubes to the side of it, inside those cubes.
Who it’s for: Anyone who loves the normal lucky cat – this is a souped up, light up version. Great for placing in restaurant counters or in your own home.
3/ Solar System Friends
And finally, for my last idea, I bring the solar system to your home. I’m either picturing this as a standalone bunch with a different LED inside each planet or as a hanging mobile.
LED Placement: Inside each planet / celestial body
Who it’s for: Children learning the solar system or adults who love space
That’s all – thanks!
so cute 🙂 I like your ideas
Great brainstorm, Evie! I think you are on to something with your plant idea, but I recommend you focus your light diffusion to one method, and the wall reflection method seems to offer the most opportunities for exploration (in my opinion). Remember that you should stick to 10 or fewer LEDs to keep the power requirements simple. Have you sourced any LED strips yet? I think you’d probably like a warm white variety. Be aware of the difference between analog vs. digital LED strip– you probably want some analog white-only strip.
Here’s some more info about LED strips: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/LED-Strips/
If your lamp were small enough, you could use these little LED sequins: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1758
Or a few of these: https://www.adafruit.com/product/893
This strip needs 9-12V but since you’re making a lamp, you can go with plug-in power instead of batteries:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/357