Tech DIY.org

Tech D.I.Y. workshop at Seoul International New Media Festival 2011

2011-08-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.nemaf.net/xe/workshop_en01

5. Handmade Technology DIY – Tech DIY
A workshop to approach electric circuit used in media art through needle, thread and fabric.
First half lecture on hand made technology, explaining DIY concept, and second half on making LED based accessories using fabric DIY kit.

Handmade Technology DIY – Tech DIY August 11th(Thursday) 19:00~21:30 (won) 20.000

(Korean) http://www.nemaf.net/xe/index.php?mid=workshop&document_srl=4250

upgraded Tech D.I.Y. kit

workshop slide

Tech diy intro_jisunlee

View more presentations from Ji Lee

Tech diy basic_sehunoh

View more presentations from Ji Lee

Tech diy casestudy_inhowon

View more presentations from Ji Lee

Tech D.I.Y. tutorial on facing tech blog

2011-05-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

Tech D.I.Y. tutorial on facing tech blog
http://www.fashioningtech.com/page/soft-circuit-tutorials

Tech DIY : Project List

2010-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

1st lesson : A Electronic Basic Circuit
	Moonlit Flower About the Project Materials Step-by-Step Instruction Video Instruction Basic Knowledge Project Pictures
2nd lesson : Series vs. Parallel circuit
	Secret Tree About the Project Materials Step-by-Step Instruction Video Instruction Basic Knowledge Project Pictures
	Christmas Tree Materials Step-by-Step Instruction Basic Knowledge Project Pictures
3rd lesson : Conductor vs. Insulator
	Super IPod About the Project Materials Step-by-Step Instruction How to make fabric wires How to hack MP3 player How to make detachable MP3 player kit Basic Knowledge Project Pictures

Tech DIY at CHI 2008 conference in Florence!

2010-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I did poster presentation about the project in Working-In-Progress section at CHI 2008 conference.
Download : extented abstract version of Tech DIY paper

And Leah Buechley who made Lily Pad - wearable computing kit and I had a lunch after her great presentation at CHI on Tuesday.

Cat & Mouse - Pico Cricket

2010-04-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Cat & Mouse - Pico Cricket

2010-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

cloud -Piro Cricket

2010-04-23T09:51:00.001-07:00

Hannah with Cloud - Pico Cricket

2010-04-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hannah with Cloud - Pico Cricket

2010-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sewing and embroidery for kids with dollar store shelf liner

2010-02-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

Sewing and embroidery for kids with dollar store shelf liner

http://filthwizardry.blogspot.com/2010/02/sewing-and-embroidery-for-kids-with.html

Tech DIY will be at SIGGRAPH 2008 conference!

2008-05-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

“D. I. Y. Technology for Mothers and Kids” has been accepted to be part of the SIGGRAPH 2008 Conference in Los Angeles, California.
The project will be shown at poster and demo section.

This year's Annual Conference will be held in Los Angeles, California, USA from 11-15 August, 2008.
http://www.siggraph.org/s2008/

Meet Tech D.I.Y. project at the Maker Faire 2008!

2008-05-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

I will participate the Maker Faire 2008 with Tech D.I.Y. project in May 3th & 4th.
I will bring over 50 kits and 100 instruction booklets for the Faire.
Wish me good luck!

Tech DIY in ITP Winter Show 2007

2008-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Tech DIY : Mouna Andores Interview!

2007-12-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

Interview with Mouna Andores at Eyebeam

Click To Play

Tech DIY : Comments from Moms and kids

2007-12-10T08:04:00.001-08:00

Click To Play

Christmas Tree and Super IPod at Instructables.com

2007-11-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree and Super IPod were selected featured items at Instructables.com (November 24, 2007)

Start to conduct user testing

2007-11-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

I conducted the first user testing with one mother and her lovely daughter on 21 November 2007 in her apartment where is located in upper west side of Manhattan.
They made the Moonlit Flower and it took almost 3 hours to make it. That's 3 times longer than I expected. However, it was very enjoy to make together.

On Sunday, November 25th, 2007, I will conduct the second user testing with 5 moms and their children at New York University. If you want to join the user testing or workshop, please give me a email sun.techdiy@gmail.com with your name and children's age.

TechTrack Interview!

2007-11-23T00:27:00.000-08:00

E14: TechDIY for Mother and Daughter

TechDIY helps mothers teach their daughthers about electronics. Ji Sun Lee made Tech DIY as her theis project at ITP. Her young daughter is back in Korea with her husband while she is finishing up her studies in NYC. Her daughter and her experience in New York at ITP inspired her to make a set of Do It Yourself (DIY) projects that mothers can do with their daugthers to teach them about electronics in fun and positive ways.

As Ji Sun told TechTrek "like many other women, I was not initially interested in learning about electronics. However, I knew the enjoyment of making things. So I developed the Tech DIY to encourage women to learn about technology with their daughters in ways that are simple and fun, but have solid engineering lessons behind them."

Super IPod : About Project

2007-11-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

We know everyone likes Apple IPod. One day, I imagined if I have a big IPod Pillow and listen to music and fall into a sweet dream it would be fantastic! Why don’t we make it?
“Super IPod” pillowcase that plays music and looks like an Apple IPod but is 50 times bigger than Apple IPod. With your completed “Super IPod” you’ll be able to change songs and adjust the volume because the “Super IPod” uses an already hacked mp3 player.

My project, the Interactive Birthday Cake, was invited for the Maker Faire San Mateo 2007. When a kid assembles a piece of cake in right place, it lights up and when the kids put a candle on the top, the birthday song is played. When kids blow out lights and listen applause sound and special messages from mom and daddy. At that time I hacked a cheap mp3 player to play the music and sound. That’s the very simple and cheapest way to add music to your project.

Super IPod : Materials

2007-11-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

Buy the Super iPod kit at Etsy!

The kit materials

- one large white fabric sheet 31" x 40"
- one gray fabric sheet 21" x 12"
- one white felt sheet 5” x 1 1/2”
- one gray felt sheet 1 1/2” x 1 1/2”
- ten black felt sheets 2" x 2"
- five purple felt sheets 2" x 2"
- ten conductive fabric sheets 3" x 1/2"($16.25 line/ft)
http://www.lessemf.com/fabric.html
(You can buy the small size of “Zelf” conductive fabric from Less EMS)
- handmade felt wires
(They are attached to two thin and long conductive pieces of fabric on the felt. You can make the handmade wires by yourself, check "How to make fabric wires".)
- an already hacked mp3 player ($15 COBY mp3 player at J&R)
(This hacked mp3 player consists of a base and the electronics of the mp3 player and it can be detached from the pillowcase because the snaps on the base and the mp3 player allow the mp3 player to separate. You can hack the mp3 player yourself by following instructions "How to hack mp3 player" "How to make detachable mp3 player kit". )
- one super bright LED
(To indicate the mp3 player is on and working, you need one super bright LED. We put this in the mp3 player in the kit.)
- conductive thread($15 per spool)
http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/order.html
(Conductive thread can convey current and regular thread won’t.)
- regular thread
- a sewing needle
- fabric glue

You need to prepare by yourself.
- a piece of chalk or a pencil
- a pair of scissors
- a multi-meter or “Moonlit flower” (to check the continuity of current, optional)

Super IPod : Step-by-Step Instruction

2007-11-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

The first thing we need to do is to cut a pillow cover, a window, a dial, and button signs of the Ipod using templates. You can download the template pdf file in below URL or if you buy the kit it will be included inside.
Super IPod Template download
You can ask your children to cut the signs.

Next, we’ll use white fabric to make a pillow cover. Fold one long side of the fabric in at half an inch then fold in 3 inches more of the side and sew using a blind stitch. Fold in half and sew the top and left inside of the half inch margin except the folded side. Then turn over the case through the folded side.

We will fold the margin of the fabric pieces for a window and a dial to prevent them from becoming fraying on the edges. Cut a little bit around the edge of the window and dial to smoothly fold the edge. Fold the margin and glue the margin using fabric glue. This is a very fun job. So, you can ask your children to glue them.

Mark the place where you attach the window and the dial using the template of the Super IPod that we used to cut the fabric in the first step. Attach the gray fabric pieces on the pillow cover using fabric glue. Then attach the signs you already cut on the dial fabric. You can ask your children to help.

Now we will make five soft fabric switches to control an mp3 player. I got the information to make this switch from Leah Buechley’s electronic sewing kit instructions.
1. Cut the felt and attach the conducting fabric on it
The first of all, you need to cut ten square pieces of black felt and 5 square pieces of purple felt which are 3”x3”. Attached a piece of conductive fabric in the middle of the black fabric using fabric glue. Leave little bit margin when you attach the fabric.
2. Make a hole on the pieces of purple felt
Fold a piece of purple felt diagonally. Cut the middle part of the piece to make a hole which is ¼ inch * ¼ inch
3. Glue them together
Glue a piece of black felt and attach with conductive fabric to a piece of purple felt. Then, attach another piece of black felt (which has an opposite side of the conductive fabric wing) to the other side of the purple felt.

How the fabric switch works
When you press the switch through the hole of the middle part of the felt or fabric, the conductive fabric on the outside is connected and makes a path for flowing electricity. So, the electricity can flow from a side of conductive fabric to the other side of conductive fabric. This is the same way a regular switch works.

Tip: Testing the switch
If you have the first project “Moonlit Flower”, you can check to see if the switch is working by attaching the snaps of the flower on the two wings of the switch. When you press the switch, the light should turn on.

Now you have five soft fabric switches. Mark the position of the switch using the IPod template. Set the position of the switch on the dial inside the pillow and glue the switch using the fabric glue. Now take the mp3 player base, which has 12 snaps on it, and attach it to the bottom using the fabric glue.

To indicate the mp3 player is working, we will attach the LED on the window of the IPod. Make a little hole down the left side of the window and attach the LED using fabric glue. Mark (+) and (-) on the fabric to indicate which is the long leg for the positive connection and which is the short leg for the negative connection. Bend the legs of LED and sew the legs using conductive thread.

You have a few handmade felt wires. If you buy the kit, you can find them inside the kit. If you want to make them by yourself, check the "How to make fabric wires". It is very easy to make them with conductive fabric and felt. With these felt wires, connect the snaps to the switches. Cut a little bit in the middle of one side of the felt wires. Sew the divided edge to each conductive fabric wing of the switch. Sew the other side of the wires to snaps on the mp3 player base.

Fellow the illustrated instruction to attach switches and snaps.

Tip: Check the continuity
When you done to connect switch and snaps on the base, you can check the it works or not using multi-meter or our first project “Moonlit Flower”. Attach the snaps of the flower to the set of the snaps on the base. When you press the switch connected to the snaps, the flower lights up.

Close the snaps of the MP3 player to the base of the MP3 player. The snaps will allow you to detach the mp3 player whenever you want. When you wash the pillowcase you should detach the mp3 player from it.

Turn over the pillowcase. Hook a headphone or speaker to an mp3 player. When you press the button, you can see the indicator on the window changes. Follow instructions below to control the hacked mp3 player.

How to use
Put a standard size of pillow into the Super IPod pillowcase and push the sign to control the player and enjoy music!. When you push the button on the pillow, you can listen to music through the headphone or a speaker connected to the mp3 player inside of the pillowcase. You can also select a song or change the volume. You can also upload a new song using the USB port of the mp3 player.

Tip: how to control the hacked mp3 player
- Turn on and play
Press the “Play” button in the middle of the dial for more than 3 sec. and you can see the indicator is on. To play music, press the button less than 1 sec. and you’ll see the indicator is blink. The soft fabric switch is sensitive, so even if you press the button lightly it will work very well.
- Change music
Press the “Next” and “Forward” button less than 1 sec. and wait 1 sec to listen to the music.
- Turn off
Press the “Play” button for more than 3 sec. You can see the indicator is turned off.
* Sign of mp3 indicator
When the mp3 player is turned off, the indicator light should turn off as well.
When the mp3 player plays music, the indicator should be blinking.
When the mp3 player pauses music, the indicator light will still be on but it will not be blinking.

When you are done with this “Super IPod”, please share your craft picture with us.
Share your craft photography!
If you have any problem making it, please email us.
sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Super IPod : How to make fabric wires

2007-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Materials:
Conductive fabric ($16.25 line/ft)
http://www.lessemf.com/fabric.html
(You can buy the small size of “Zelf” conductive fabric from Less EMS)
Several pieces of felt (1inch x over 10 inch)
Fabric glue
a pair of scissors

How to:
1. Cut the conductive thread 1/8 inch width.
2. Attach two pieces of conductive thread on the felt separately using fabric glue to make two lines.

* When you connect two separate pieces of conductive fabric to make one line on the felt, you need to tie the edge of the pieces together to prevent to loose continuity.

Super IPod : How to hack MP3 player

2007-11-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

Materials:
COBY Mp3 player ($12.99 at J&R)
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4157153
Thin wire ($3.99 at RadioShack)
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062641&cp=2032058.2032227.2032239&allCount=19&fbn=Cable+type%2F30+gauge&f=PAD%2FCable+Type%2F30+gauge&fbc=1&parentPage=family
Wire stripper
A small size of screwdriver
Soldering Iron
Solder
Multi-meter

How to: 1. Prepare 12 thin wires, each 7 inches long, by pulling off the plastic covering from the end of the wires.

2. Unscrew all screws of the mp3 player and open the exterior plastic casing without breaking anything inside. Save the screws to use later.

3. This mp3 player has 5 buttons and one LED indicator. These 5 buttons have 6 functions (Play/Stop, Forward, Backward, Volume up, and Volume down). Look over where you will attach the wires to the five switches and indicator LED on the board. For the switch, you will attach two wires. The wires should be attached diagonally. For the indicator, you need to attach the wires on back of the board, because it is easier to find the lead of the LED.

4. Attach wires using a soldering iron. You need to be careful not to touch any other part of the board. Using a multi-meter, check to see if the switch works or not.

5. Make an index for the wire to prevent confusion later. Don’t forget to make a positive and negative connection of the LED. Twist the wires of each of switches and the indicator. Place the wires to one side of the board.

6. Attach the top case to the board using screws. Break the white plastic parts of the middle case in half. Attach the other side of the plastic part. You will place the wires on the opposite side. Cover the bottom part of the case.

7. Now you’re done hacking the mp3 player. For the test, you can touch the wires of each switch instead of pushing the button on the mp3 player.

Super IPod : How to make detachable MP3 player kit

2007-11-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Materials:
Already hacked COBY mp3 player
Two pieces of black felt (5 inch x 3 inch)
24 set of snaps
Conductive thread ($15 per spool)
http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/order.html
(Conductive thread can convey current and regular thread won’t. )
a sewing needle
Fabric glue
Small piece of conductive fabric or tape

How to :
1. Prepare two pieces of black felt (5 inch x 3 inch). On one black felt, attach 12 small squares of conductive fabric tape and sew the 12 one-sided snaps on the tape using conductive thread.

2. On the other black piece of felt, attach the 12 small squares of conductive fabric tape in the same place to close the snaps later.

3. On the other side of the black felt, Glue the hacked mp3 player. Twist the ends of the wires and sew them to connect them to the other side of the snaps using conductive thread.

4. Check to see if the snap works or not. Close the two sides of the snaps. If you connect the two snaps of the switch using wire or any conductor, the switch should run the function of the MP3 player.

Secret Tree : Video Instuction

2007-11-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

Click To Play

interview with Todd

Click To Play

Tech DIY : Todd Holoubek Interview!

2007-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Click To Play

Interview with Todd Holoubek

Tech DIY : Tom Igoe Interview!

2007-11-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

Click To Play

Interview with Tom Igoe

Christmas Tree : Materials

2007-10-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Buy the Christmas Tree kit at Etsy!

The kit materials
- four sheets of colored paper which are 10” x 8”
- thirty two sheets of tissue paper which are 10” x 8” (optional)
* I cut a shopping bag and tissue paper to make these paper materials. You can reuse your shopping bags and the gift tissue paper as well. Anyway, the kit includes 4 sheets of colored paper and 32 sheets of tissue paper.
- eight ultra bright LED(white, 3mm)
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=531 (5mm$1.95)
You can use any regular 5mm LED as well.
- one 3v coin battery(CR2032, $0.75)
http://www.cheapbatteries.com/coin.htm
- eight thin white wires 10” long
- eight thin yellow wires 10” long
- two sets of white Velcro which is 1/2” x 1/2”

items not included
- some tape
- a pair of scissors
- a needle nose pliers(optional)
- a pencil
- a hot glue gun and glue sticks

Christmas Tree : Step-by-Step Instruction

2007-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

The first thing we need to do is to cut trees and a pocket using templates. You can download the template pdf file in below URL or if you buy the kit it is included inside the kit.
Christmas Tree Template download
Fold a piece of paper in half and place the templates. Cut outside using scissors and cut inside using a blade.

We have the four papers and thirty two tissue papers(optional) that we cut. Connect the trees using tape. So, when you complete to connect, it will actually stand-alone. You can ask your children to tape them.

We will attach the LEDs on the tree. Here are 8 LEDs and we will wind wires on the LEDs’ legs. Band the legs of the LED to the outside.

Lean! If you want to know about the LED more, check up LED information of the first lesson

When you finished banding the legs of the LEDs, band the wires on the legs. The white wires will be attached to the positive leg and the yellows wires will be attached to the negative leg. There are two ends of wires which are stripped (one long and one short). Band the one stripped wire around the LED legs. The wire is very thin, so be careful not to cut a wire.

We will insert the LEDs in in middle of the tree. Make a little hole using a blade in middle of tree and push the wires through the hole and pull out the wires. Insert the wires in each section of tree and pull out the wire to one section of the tree.

In this side you can see all the wires come out. We need to divide wires positive and negative. You can divide white wires for positive group and yellow wires for negative group.

Learn! We are making “Parallel circuit” to connect many LEDs. For more information, check up Basic Knowledge.

Tie wires in the positive group and attach them to the right side using a glue gun and then, tie rest of the wires in the negative group and attach to the left side using the glue gun.

Now, We will make a pocket for inserting a coin battery. Place the coin battery over the negative wires and attach the pocket using a hot glue gun over battery. Make sure the pocket holds the battery tightly. When you close the tree, you must see the LEDs light up.

Attach a set of Velcro on the top and bottom of the pocket and on the other side of tree as well. We are almost done!

Insert the 3v coin battery into the pocket so that the plus-positive side of battery will touch the other side of wires though a hole of the pocket.

When you close the Velcro, see the lightings are now on!
* Attach the star on the top for decoration.

How to use
You can wire some messages inside of the tree and use this tree as a card. Put it in envelope and send it! It will be a beautiful present for your family and friends.

Check up Christmas Tree pictures.
Christmas Tree : Project Pictures
Enjoy!

When you are done with this “Christmas Tree”, please share your craft picture with us.
Share your craft photography!
If you have any problem making it, please email us.
sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Christmas Tree : project pictures

2007-10-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

News: Survey at Maker Faire 2007 in Austin, TX

2007-10-21T00:25:00.001-07:00

Thank you for participating survey at Maker Faire 2007!!!
I will keep in tough with you guys.
Enjoy to making Moonlit Flower with your child and don't forget to give feedback for me.
If you give me feedback, I will send the Secret Tree kit or version up Moonlit Flower kit by mail. :-O

If you want to involve TechDIY project as a member to test the project, please give me a email. sun.techdiy@gmail.com I will send you updated information and the kit continuously.

Super IPod : Basic Knowledge

2007-10-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Electrons always have a negative ("-") electric charge, and it is this electric charge that is responsible for what we call electricity. When electrons move from one place to another they take that negative charge with them. It is this movement of charge that we refer to as electricity!
This movement or flow of electrons is called an electric current. We often find electrical currents inside wires that conduct electricity. Conductors are materials that contain many freely moving electrical charges (like copper, silver, aluminum, and gold). Insulators are materials that contain few moveable electric charges (like plastic, glass, rubber, and air).

An electrical current traveling through a wire. Electrons don't really race from one end of the wire to the other like sprinters at a track meet. In an electric current the electrons jump from one atom to another, pushing other electrons in front of them as they go. They really behave more like runners in a relay race, passing along the baton (electrical energy) from one atom to the next. The electrons don't actually travel very fast, but the electrical energy that they create travels at the speed of light!

Electrons move along a path called a circuit if a "pushing" force (a source of electricity) is part of the circuit. Sources include things like batteries, wall outlets, and solar panels.
While the electrons are moving through the conductors, the circuit is complete, or "closed." If any part of the circuit is removed, the electrons stop and the circuit is "open." You've probably opened and closed circuits before without ever realizing it: When you turn the lights on or off, you are closing or opening a circuit!

reference : The NASA Sci Files, Dr. D's Lab

Super IPod : project pictures

2007-10-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

Super IPod

Hack MP3 Player (Coby MP3 Player)

Hack old headphone

Secret Tree : Basic Knowledge

2007-10-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

A basic electrical circuit consisting of just one battery and one load resistance(ex. LED) are very simple to analyze, but the basic circuit is not often found in practical applications. Usually, we find circuits where more than two components are connected together.

Series Circuits
The basic idea of a "series" connection is that components are connected end-to-end in a line to form a single path for electrons to flow. A series circuit allows electrons to follow only one path. The loads(LEDs, resisters) in a series circuit must share the available voltage. In other words, each load in a series circuit will use up some portion of the voltage, leaving less for the next load in the circuit. This means that the light, heat, or sound given off by the device will be reduced.

Parallel Circuits
The basic idea of a "parallel" connection, on the other hand, is that all components are connected across each other's leads. In parallel circuits, the electric current can follow more than one path to return to the source, so it splits up among all the available paths. Across all the paths in a parallel circuit the voltage is the same, so each device will produce its full output.

In a series circuit, when one of the bulbs or one of the wires is left open or is broken, the entire circuit ceases. The break opens the circuit. Less expensive Christmas lights are usually of this type, and you have to search for the defective bulb. A parallel circuit is designed so that if one branch is defective, the flow of electricity will not be broken to the other branches.

The 8 LEDs will be turned on with a 3V coin battery, but the battery will be run out soon than when you connect just one battery because each LED consume the voltage individually.

Secret Tree : About Project

2007-10-20T23:18:00.001-07:00

If we want to attach many lights in our crafts, do we have to do? We will learn the basic knowledge of series and parallel circuits to connect many lights.

The initial idea of the Secret Tree that I built in last spring was done with Aichen Lin and Michael Chladil. The tree listens, interprets and stores people’s secrets and then other people will be able to listen to these Secrets. We built an actual size tree using cardboard. You can confess your secret into the tree.

Tech D.I.Y. Secret Tree has a similar concept from the original one. You can build your own tree by yourself and write a message on the tree. So, you can use this tree as a greeting card for your family and friends to confess your thoughts.

Secret Tree : Materials

2007-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Buy the Secret Tree kit at Etsy!

The kit materials
- four sheets of colored paper which are 10” x 8”
- thirty two sheets of tissue paper which are 10” x 8” (optional)
* I cut a shopping bag and tissue paper to make these paper materials. You can reuse your shopping bags and the gift tissue paper as well. Anyway, the kit includes 4 sheets of colored paper and 32 sheets of tissue papers.
- eight ultra bright LED(white, 3mm)
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=531 (5mm$1.95)
You can use any regular 5mm LED as well.
- one 3v coin battery(CR2032, $0.75)
http://www.cheapbatteries.com/coin.htm
- eight thin white wires 10” long
- eight thin yellow wires 10” long
- two sets of white Velcro which is 1/2” x 1/2”

items not included
- some tape
- a pair of scissors
- a blade or craft knife
- a needle nose plier(optional)
- a color pen
- a hot glue gun and glue sticks

Secret Tree : Step-by-Step Instruction

2007-10-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

The first thing we need to do is to cut trees and a pocket using templates. You can download the template pdf file in below URL or i you buy the kit it will be included inside the kit.
Secret Tree Template download
Fold a piece of paper in half and place the templates. Cut outside using scissors and cut inside using a blade.

We have the four papers and thirty tissue papers(optional) that we cut. Connect the trees using tape. So, when you complete to connect, it will actually stand-alone. You can ask your children to tape them.

We will attach the LEDs on the tree. Here are 8 LEDs and we will wind wires on the LEDs’ legs. Band the legs of the LED to the outside.

Lean! If you want to know about the LED more, check up LED information of the first lesson

When you finished banding the legs of the LEDs, band the wires on the legs. The white wires will be attached to the positive leg and the yellows wires will be attached to the negative leg. There are two ends of wires which are stripped (one long and one short). Band the one stripped wire around the LED legs. The wire is very thin, so be careful not to cut a wire.

We will insert the LEDs in in middle of the tree. Make a little hole using a blade in middle of tree and push the wires through the hole and pull out the wires. Insert the wires in each section of tree and pull out the wire to one section of the tree.

In this side you can see all the wires come out. We need to divide wires positive and negative. You can divide white wires for positive group and yellow wires for negative group.

Learn! We are making “Parallel circuit” to connect many LEDs. For more information, check up Basic Knowledge.

Tie wires in the positive group and attach them to the right side using a glue gun and then, tie rest of the wires in the negative group and attach to the left side using the glue gun.

Now, We will make a pocket for inserting a coin battery. Place the coin battery over the negative wires and attach the pocket using a hot glue gun over battery. Make sure the pocket holds the battery tightly. When you close the tree, you must see the LEDs light up.

Attach a set of Velcro on the top and bottom of the pocket and on the other side of tree as well. We are almost done!

Insert the 3v coin battery into the pocket so that the plus-positive side of battery will touch the other side of wires though a hole of the pocket.

When you close the Velcro, see the lightings are now on!

How to use
You can wire some messages inside of the tree and use this tree as a card. Put it in envelope and send it! It will be a beautiful present for your family and friends.

Check up Secret Tree pictures.
Secret Tree : Project Pictures
Enjoy!

When you are done with this “Secret Tree”, please share your craft picture with us.
Share your craft photography!
If you have any problem making it, please email us.
sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Secret Tree : project pictures

2007-10-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Secret Tree : Video Instuction

2007-10-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Click To Play

Tech DIY : Study List

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Chapter 1:
A Basic Circuit
Chapter 2:
Series vs. Parallel
Chapter 3:
An Open or Close Circuit & Conductor �

Moonlit Flower : About Project

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Make a simple light, “Moonlit Flower”, by using your sewing skills. When you close the snaps, you will see the flower lights up!

One of my favorite themes in my artwork are flowers. This spring, I made a few hundred flowers using LEDs and wax paper. With the white LEDs, the flowers created beautiful moon-like light.

So, I wanted to share the feeling of that. That’s why I designed the Moonlit Flower. The Flower will be a great accessory for your clothes or bags at night. You will learn basic knowledge of electricity and circuits and how to make a shiny and twinkle]y-twinkly “Moonlit Flower".

Moonlit Flower : Basic Knowledge

2007-10-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Electricity
Electricity is a type of energy that can build up in one place or flow from one place to another. Electricity makes all kinds of machines work. It can have not only great power to move trains but also low power to run mp3 players and calculators.
Most machines you use at home, such as televisions and vacuum cleaners, use “current electricity.” This is the kind of electricity that comes from batteries and power points in your home. There is another kind of electricity, called “static electricity.” You have experienced this when someone “shocks” you after walking across a carpet floor.

A basic electrical circuit
When you flip a light switch on and off, you are closing and opening a circuit. A circuit is the path that electricity follows. For electrons to travel (creating an electric current), the circuit must be closed. When you flip the light switch off, you are opening the circuit and the lights turn off. When you flip the switch on, the circuit it closed and the lights come on. Closing the switch completes a circuit. Electricity flows from one battery terminal, through the wires to the switch and the LED(or load), and back to the other terminal.
So, it is same way to work “Moonlit Flower.” Here are common circuit parts along with how the part is drawn in a circuit diagram and you can match the parts from “Moonlit Flower” what you make.

The LED cannot connect to the battery directly without resistors, however a 3V coin battery in the Moonlit Flower circuit has low voltage and the conductive thread creates resistance naturally.

LED
What is LED(light emitting diode)?
An electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. When you connect power to LED, you have make sure positive lead(long leg) should connect to positive(+) and negative lead(short leg) should connect to negative(-).

Moonlit Flower : Materials

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Buy the Moonlit Flower kit at Etsy!

The kit materials
- two white felt sheets 3"x3"
- one gray felt sheet 3"x2"
- one sewing needle
- a pair of snaps
- regular thread
- conductive thread ($15 per spool)
http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/order.html
(Conductive thread can convey current and regular thread won’t. )
- one ultra bright LED(white, 3mm)
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=531 (5mm$1.95)
You can use any regular 5mm LED as well.
- one 3v coin battery(CR2032, $0.75)
http://www.cheapbatteries.com/coin.htm
- one coin battery holder(Lithium 2032 Battery Holder: 20mm Thru Hole Mount, $1.95)
http://shopping.microbattery.com/s.nl;jsessionid=ac112b321f43b9bcf1b3a39b4aae977ae28941dc19a4.e3eSc38TaNqNe34Pa38Ta38Pa3r0?it=A&id=6124
*For connecting conductive thread to pins on the pattery holder, you might need to bend positive and negative pin or attach crimping bids on the pins using soldering iron.

You need to prepare by your self.
- a pair of scissors
- a piece of chalk or a pencil
- a hot glue gun and glue sticks

Moonlit Flower : Step-by-Step Instruction

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The first thing we need to do is to cut the flowers and a wrapper for a battery holder using templates. You can download the template pdf file in below URL or if you buy the kit it will be included inside the kit.
Moonlit Flower Template download
You can ask your children to cut them.

Fold the petal section of the sheet and sew to make the shape of the flower. You need to sew all sections of each petal. Attach the two flower pieces and sew them together in the middle. Make sure that you stagger the flowers so the creases are offset and they look more like real flowers. Please, look at for additional help the Moonlit Flower pictures.

You’ll see the LED has a short and long leg. Make sure the long leg touches the plus side of the battery and the short leg touches the minus side. The long leg should not touch the short leg.(See instruction #5) Make two little holes and insert the LED in the middle of the flower.
Learn! More information about LED, see Basic Knowledge.

Here is a wrapper of grey felt for a battery holder. We need to attach the battery holder to the felt. Using the template of the wrapper, find the place you will attach the battery holder. Using a hot glue gun, attach the battery holder on the felt.

Push the long leg of the LED into the hole of the positive lead of the battery holder. Next, bend the negative leg of the LED perpendicular (90 degrees) to the positive leg. We will connect a snap later to the short leg and the negative lead of the battery holder also will be connected with the other snap to touch the negative side of the battery.

Twist the long leg, which is connected to the positive lead of the battery holder, and attach firmly. Then sew it using conductive thread. In the same way, twist the short leg, and sew it using conductive thread as well. Don’t cut the thread, we will attach a snap in the next step.

Sew continuously toward the folded side of the felt and then attach a snap with the conductive thread. So, the negative leg of the LED is connected to the snap.

Right now, we will connect the negative lead to the other snap. Tie the conductive thread through the hole of the negative lead of the battery holder and then, using the thread, sew toward the round side of the felt. You need to be careful so that the thread does not touch both the positive and negative legs of the LED.

At the end of the round side of the felt, attach the other side of the snaps using the thread, so that the snap is connected to the negative lead of the battery holder. Then, fold the square side of the felt and glue it. The (-) snap can’t touch the (+) side of the battery. Also, you might need to glue of the petals and the wrapper to attach strongly.

Insert the 3v coin battery into the battery holder toward the positive side which is facing up.
* Tip for changing a battery:
You can use the new battery, CR2032. If you push the steal panel of the battery, the battery will spring out and you can then insert a new battery into the holder.

When you close the snaps, see the lights turn on!
Learn: You need to use resistors if you want to use AA or AAA battery to turn on the LED. See the Basic Knowledge.

You can add a pin to the flower to attach on clothes or bags. Or, you can attach a thick thread to use it in necklaces or rings.
Check up Moonlit Flower pictures.
Moonlit Flower : Project Pictures
Enjoy!

When you are done with this “Moonlit Flower”, please share your craft picture with us.
Share your craft photography!
If you have any problem making it, please email us.
sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Moonlit Flower : Video Instuction

2007-10-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Click To Play

Moonlit Flower : project pictures

2007-10-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

a basic electrical circuit

2007-10-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Electricity
Electricity is a type of energy that can build up in one place or flow from one place to another. Electricity makes all kinds of machines work. It can have not only great power to move trains but also low power to run mp3 players and calculators.
Most machines you use at home, such as televisions and vacuum cleaners, use “current electricity.” This is the kind of electricity that comes from batteries and power points in your home. There is another kind of electricity, called “static electricity.” You have experienced this when someone “shocks” you after walking across a carpet floor.

A basic electrical circuit
When you flip a light switch on and off, you are closing and opening a circuit. A circuit is the path that electricity follows. For electrons to travel (creating an electric current), the circuit must be closed. When you flip the light switch off, you are opening the circuit and the lights turn off. When you flip the switch on, the circuit it closed and the lights come on. Closing the switch completes a circuit. Electricity flows from one battery terminal, through the wires to the switch and the LED(or load), and back to the other terminal.

LED
What is LED(light emitting diode)?
An electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. When you connect power to LED, you have make sure positive lead(long leg) should connect to positive(+) and negative lead(short leg) should connect to negative(-).

series vs. parallel

2007-10-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

open&close circuit and conductor

2007-10-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Buy TechDIY Artwork!

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Do you want to buy our TechDIY Artwork? Our DIY technology crafts are handmade artwork. It will be a great present for your family and friends!

Handmade Artworks at Etsy

Moonlit Flower
Buy Moonlit Flower Artwork at Etsy!(Sorry, Sold Out)

Secret Tree
Buy Secret Tree Artwork at Etsy!

Christmas Tree
Buy Christmas Tree Artwork at Etsy!

Super IPod
Buy Super IPod Artwork at Etsy!

If you want to bulk order for birthday party gifts or wedding gifts, please give us email. sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Buy TechDIY kit!

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We provide a TechDIY kit at Etsy to conduct our TechDIY project. All necessary construction materials are in the DIY kit , so you won't need to spend time and money to find or prepare them. :-)

Beginner Level
Moonlit Flower : Lean a basic electrical circuit!
Buy the Moonlit Flower DIY kit at Etsy!

Secret Tree : Lean series and parallel circuit!
Buy the Secret Tree DIY kit at Etsy!

Christmas Tree : Lean series and parallel circuit!
Buy the Christmas Tree DIY kit at Etsy!

Intermediate Level
Super IPod : Lean open and close circuit, and conductor!
Buy the Super IPod DIY kit at Etsy!

You can prepare crafts materials by yourself, please check up material list on each project page.

Share your DIY project photo!

2007-10-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Did you done any TechDIY craft project? Please, share your pictures in here.
If you leave you photo URL in comment, we will post your photo in this page.

Heyki's Moonlit Flower

Share your idea!

2007-10-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Do you have a good idea to make new TechDIY project?
Do you want to improve the instruction of the TechDIY project?
Please, leave your ideas in here as a comment or send us email sun.techdiy@gmail.com

Get involve!

2007-10-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Make a donation
Do you want to encourage us and share our passion? Help us with your extra change. We will use your donation to develop new D.I.Y. project and hold free workshops for low income families. With your donation of $20 or more you get a free our first project kit "Moonlit Flower".

Become a sponsor
Do you want to support our project? We need sponsors not only to support workshop and programs, but also to continue operations of our project. Please sun.techdiy@gmail.com for more information.

About TechDIY Project

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How TechDIY project start
As a mother who has a daughter, Ji Sun Lee is interested in how she can share her enjoyment of making interesting technology projects, that she has worked on the graduate program of Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University, with others. The reason is that she, like many other women, also was not initially interested in learning about electronics. However, She knew the enjoyment of making something by herself and felt joy through these achievements. She was able to create projects that were unique. Using technology for her projects increased confidence in learning. As a result, she has developed the Tech DIY idea as a part of her thesis project to encourage women to learn about technology just as she has been.

The D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) technologies project for women, Tech DIY, involves a holistic process of mothers and daughters learning electronics together and sharing this with others. With the Tech DIY kit, mothers will have a good time with their children. It will offer alternative views of how mothers and their children relate to technology. Children will see that women can understand and be creative with technology.

Who's making TechDIY
Ji Sun Lee
Geeky computer mom travels from Korea to New York City to pursue her passion in new media artwork and unique interactive experiences for diverse users. Before coming to New York City, she worked for Samsung Electronics, Yahoo! and Open Tide Consulting Co. as a user interface and interaction designer in Korea. Her recent projects range from physical computing to screen-based installations. Most recently, she presented her works at the Maker Faire 2007 in California and Texas, Sony Wonder Technology Lab in New York, and Seoul Art Center in Korea. Her TechDIY project was inspired by the perky curiosities of her adorable babygirl and everyday happenings. For more information, please visit: http://www.jisunlee.net

Robert Moon
Video Producer

We are currently looking for other crews who work with us. TechDIY is open project for everybody. Don't hesitate to contact us and bring your passion and idea!
Please, send email us what you want to do in TechDIY. sun.techdiy@gmail.com

My Handmade Toys for Hannh!

2007-09-25T08:37:00.001-07:00