Light-up Felt Lightbulb

Creating your own felt lightbulb is a great way to explain how circuits and how switches work.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

You will need:

Materials

• 1 Handful of yellow wool roving
• 2 Pinches of grey wool roving
• 1 Coin cell battery
• 1 LED
• Vinyl Tape

Tools

• Felting needles
• Styrofoam block
• Scissors

Step 2: Felting the Lightbulb

1. Gently pinch off a piece of the wool roving and place it on your styrofoam block. Do not cut the wool with scissors. Cut wool roving won't felt very well.
2. Stab the wool with the needle. Keep stabbing it until it becomes a piece of fabric.
3. Repeat this process until you have two small squares of grey fabric, and one large oval of yellow fabric.

Step 3: Complete Your Circuit

1. Tape down the long lead of an LED to a coin cell battery's positive side.
2. Leave the other lead untaped.

Step 4: Create a Pocket for the Battery.

1. Cut out a hole in one of the pieces of fabric.
2. Sandwich your battery between the two pieces of felt, with the taped-up side facing the fabric without the hole.
3. Keep the LED's short lead outside of the pocket and hanging loosely outside the fabric side with the hole.

Step 5: Felting It Together

1. Felt the two pieces of fabric together to form a tight pocket.
2. Place a section of the yellow fabric between the sandwiched pieces as well. Felt them all together.

Step 6: Shape the Lightbulb

1. After some time, your lightbulb should be felted together.
2. Take your scissors and cut out your fabric to shape it into a light bulb.
3. Test the circuit occasionally by squeezing the battery. It should light up!