21st Century Fashion Kit: Electrochromatic Circuits

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Contributors: Dia, Member #313449
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Making a Soft Circuit Button

In this section, you will use conductive thread and felt to make your own button. When you push the felt, two pieces of conductive thread inside of the button will touch turning the circuit on.

To begin, Cut a piece of felt for the top of the button and a piece for the inside. Cut a small hole in the inside piece of felt (the conductive thread will touch through this hole when the button is pushed).

Using the conductive thread, sew from In+ on the MOSFET power Controller to the side of your button location. With a second piece of conductive thread, sew from In- to the bottom of your button location. For a strong secure connection, stitch through the through-holes in the board a few times, and make sure your stitches are tight. The two threads should not touch. Tip: Don’t use your fancy sewing scissor to cut the conductive thread; it is steel and will dull them.

steps one through three

With one thread, create a long stitch in the fabric that will go under the button. Sew back over the stitch three times, then tie off the thread on the back. Cut off any loose ends.

step 4

Place the felt button inside piece over the long stitch. With the remaining conductive thread, sew across the felt button inside piece so that the two threads are perpendicular to each other. Stitch so that the thread spans across the top of the hole and is separated from the bottom thread by the felt. Once you’ve sewn to the opposite side of the button, tie off the thread on the back, and cut the loose end. Make sure the two threads do not touch.