Led Fader Christmas Cards

I originally saw the posting over at EvilMadScientist.com about creating Edge-lit LED Holiday Cards here:  www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/edgelit2  and wanted to try to simplify and or improve the design.  Much credit goes out to those guys for their original idea. By employing an over-sized paper punch and some hot melt glue I came up with some very nice cards to send in time for Christmas that fade and change color.  

Step 1 Things I Used

Materials:
1. 8.5"x11" Card Stock
2. 4 3/8" x 5 3/4" Invitation Envelopes  
3. Clear Plastic Poster Board (between 1/32" and 1/16" Thick) ($1.00 at craft stores)
4. Dark Poster Board Blue or Black ($1.00 at craft stores)
5. 3mm Color Slow Fading or Rainbow LED Wide Viewing Angle (16¢ to 30¢ each on Ebay )
6. CR2016 Lithium Coin Cell Battery  (Less Than $1.00 each on Ebay)
7. Scotch Tape
8. Electrical Tape

Tools:
1. Scissors
2. Needle-nose Pliers
3. Exacto or Small Utility Knife
4. Clever Lever Extra-Giga Scalopped Square Paper Punch ($12.00 at craft stores)
5. Hot Melt Glue Gun
6. Push Pin
7. Standard 1/4" Handheld Hole Punch

Comments

[whisperonthewind]

Would an awl work (instead of a push pin) or would that make holes too large?

[Improviser]

Sorry, I haven't checked this in a while.

An awl sounds like a good idea but the holes would be large and may distort the plastic too much. I have since made handles out of wooden dowels and glued sewing needles into them (drilled a small hole in one end). It helps since your fingers tend get tired pushing a push pin several times.

[Patented]

There is something I don't get,  in what do you poke holes? in the sheet of paper or on the thin plastic transparent sheet?

[Improviser]

The plastic acts as a "lightpipe" to transfer light from the LED. By poking holes into the clear plastic the light from the LED will escape. Any hole or scratch in the clear plastic will emit light.   Some people have reported that putting a little aluminum foil or aluminum tape around the perimeter of the plastic helps distribute the light. I tried and it did not seem to help much.

[Patented]

Ok so if I understood good; Take a sheet of paper , fold it in half, cut a patterned hole in the front. Then inside the card glue the transparent holes poked on the card hole. place a LED at the bottom then cover everything with blue paper ?

[Improviser]

Yes, just remember to place a small piece of black tape between the front of the card and the led to keep the light from shining through the card.  

[Patented]

sorry I got a last question :P

Do you think this kind of plastic could do the job?. Its one of those impossible to open sealed plastic pack.  Thanks !

i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww334/rikiki17/DSCN3156.jpg

[Improviser]

Yes, that should work. 

[Patented]

Thx a lot for everything! 

This afternoon, i did a prototype of how I could do it , and it work well, the only thing is that the light that the led emit is not perfect, and the result could be better , but I will try to do something!!

[crazyrog17]

 It. Doesn't. Fade? Maybe it will as the battery dies, but the title is misleading. Great idea though! 

[Improviser]

The LEDs I purchased fade slowly from color to color.  They fade into each other.   There are also some that blink or flash the colors much faster.  

[Arrow008]

That's a great step-by-step tutorial and especially for those slow ones like me (you know I can only make ecard by PowerPoint and PPT2ecard or what else like that before). Many thanks improviser.

[Patented]

Nice! I was looking for an original card for christmas ! this will be perfect!!

[Improviser]

Glad I was able to help.  Friends and relatives are already calling to say how much they like them.

[Techno Dancer]

Its a very good change to the original edge lit cards. I made a couple of the original kind (only 2) and couldn't be bothered making the rest because they were too much the same. But now it is going to be really cool, with this simple remake of it. Congrats.

[Improviser]

Thanks.  I've made a few things in the past with the Fader type LEDs and they add some pizzaz to Christmas ornaments as well.  I just may have to create another instructable for those.