Introduction: Pop Up Circuit Card

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We found a project like this on make.com and added a switch to the circuit to make it our own. We have had so much fun making this with all ages at our community center here in Boston and would highly recommend making them. It is so much fun and you also learn about circuits and get a chance to be creative, inventive and practice troubleshooting. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Have fun "making"!

Donna
BCYF Menino Community Center
Boston, MA

INTRODUCTION
Creating a pop-up circuit card is a fun way to learn about circuits and practice design and troubleshooting skills.

Also visit http://makezine.com/projects/led-pop-up-cards/ where we found this fun idea

Materials List:
(Most of these supplies can be purchased on amazon.com)
  1. Card stock paper, variety of colors
  2. Paper scraps and arts and crafts bits for decorating
  3. Scissors
  4. Tape
  5. Glue sticks
  6. Pencils
  7. Markers, colored pencils etc.
  8. 5mm LEDS
  9. Cr2032 lithium 3 volt batteries
  10. ¼ inch copper tape

Please also feel free to use, share and modify the PDF attached below  with all the instructions.

Attachments

Step 1: Folding the Paper

Take the piece of card stock that you want on the inside of your card and fold it in half. After you are done you can always add another piece of paper to serve as the outside of the card.

Step 2: Making the Pop Ups

Cut 2 two-inch parallel lines through the fold for each pop up. Doing this creates the ‘pop-up’ effect.You can have more than one if you want.

Step 3: Making Your Designs

Draw the designs that you wish to pop up, cut them out and place them on the pop-up pieces using either tape or glue.

Step 4: Adding the LED

Put the LED where you want it to light up your design and separate the LED legs so that so they don’t touch and short circuit.

Step 5: The Battery and the Copper Tape

Decide where you want your battery and switch and run the copper tape from the negative leg of the LED (the shorter one) to the battery location.

Leave the copper tape a little longer if you are not sure where you want your battery. The circuit works better if the tape is all one piece.

Step 6: Attaching the Copper to the LED

Tape the copper tape on the negative end of the LED, making sure it does not touch the positive end.

Use the non-sticky side of the tape touching the LED’s leg. The sticky side is not as conductive.

Step 7: Adding Copper Tape to the Other Side

Now run the copper tape from the positive leg of the LED (the longer one) to the battery’s location.

Step 8: Attaching the Tape to the Remaining LED Leg

Put the copper tape around the positive end of the LED making sure that it doesn't touch the negative end.

Step 9: The Battery and Switch Cover

Use your tape to attach the negative run of the copper tape to the negative side of the battery. Remember to have the non-sticky side of the copper touching the battery.

Now design a switch cover, out of paper scraps.

Use the sticky side of the tape to attach it to your switch cover that way the non-sticky side will be touching to the battery.

Step 10: Try It Out

Make sure the copper on the switch lines up to touch the battery when you push on it.

And now you have created a circuit in your pop up card…..congratulations!


Please feel free to use, modify, and share the below PDF with all the instructions.

Attachments