Cheap and Easy Light Up Skull Hallowe'en Hack

This is an Instructable to show you how to make illuminated skulls for less than £1 each. In fact I'm going to show you two methods, one using a led throwie, the other using a led tealight. Its buy one get one free time!

These particular plastic skulls are 2 for £1, the tealights were 4 for£1, the rest of the parts I already had from previous projects.

Step 1: Parts Needed

1. Plastic skulls, these are 2 for £1

2. Led, this particular one is a uv emitter

3. Coin cells

4. Duct tape

5. Led tealight, these are 4 for £1

6. Double sided tape

7. Drill, scissors, and sandpaper (not shown)

Step 2: Prepare Your Skulls

Drill a hole in the base of your skull, large enough to pass the led, or tealight flame through. There now you've performed a surgical operation called trepanning!

Step 3: Throwie Method.

First to improve the spread of light, frost the clear led lens with sandpaper.

Create a throwie by taping the led to the coin cells, using duct tape.

Insert into the hole in the base of the skull

Fold the throwie and tape to the skull.

The disadvantage of this method is its permanently on. To switch off you have to dismantle the throwie.

Step 4: Led Tealight Method.

This way is even simpler, and has the advantage of being able to be switched off.

Cut two small pieces of double sided tape ( or sticky pads) and fix either side of the tealight flame.

Peel off the tape backing and push the tealight flame through the hole in the base of the skull, switch on and enjoy.

Step 5: All Ready to Glow

So there you go, a quick improvement for your Hallowe'en displays. As the skulls were supposedly "glow in the dark" I used a uv led in the hope it would fluoresce, no such luck, this is why it doesn't show too well on the video.