The thought behind the project
In a world full of Jellycats, ‘Heart in the right place’ is a night light for developing children who love a pop of color and personality to their spaces. The fun and whimsy night light aims to appeal to the children through not just the playful form, but also promote an appreciation for their natural surroundings. Made from waste fabric leftover at home, the night light uses contrasting fabrics to help portray a world with and without nature in an abstract way. The heart in the centre of the plush night light is the heart of the bunny, accentuated with a soft illuminating glow. Lastly, another area that helped forward this idea is the thought of utilizing fabric scraps and promoting sustainability in a small but meaningful way.
Materials used
– Battery pack from kit provided
– 3 AAA batteries
– 3 yellow LEDs
– 2 ping pong balls
– Poly fill
– Fabric scraps
– Soldering flux
– Electrical wires
– Heat shrink tubing
– 4 resistors (Brown Black Brown)
– Cardboard
LED Circuit
Process
individual LEDs and testing using
a coin cell battery
after creating a temporary connection with the battery pack
cell to test the circuit
the battery pack
from a Youtube instructable
on how to sew a bunny
night light with a cardboard base
of the LEDs and creating an
encasing using cardboard
light diffusion and covering the
top with scrap fabric chosen
the pattern, leaving a 5mm seam
allowance
the tail
contrasting foot pad
arms and legs together
cutout in the front, secured using
hot glue
starting to fill the bunny with
poly fill
the end to close it up
The completed ‘Heart in the right place’ night light
My journey and experience
This was truly one of the projects that I actually enjoyed doing, despite the emotional rollercoaster it was. From stressing about the LED circuit burning the building down, to actually being in absolute awe of the bunny, this was truly a project I will cherish forever. I did push myself with the complicated pattern and 3D form, but it was honestly because I’ve always wanted a bunny like this that is actually made out of a bunch of contrasting fabrics, I also left my stuff toys back home so this was a plus for me! I did find the soldering and stitching process more daunting than I thought it would be, but in turn this has actually helped nurture my skills.
A special mention and big thank you to everyone who helped me see this project through till the end, believing that I could execute it! Thank you for your support!