Light-Up LED Lollipops

Great fun and yum for every age! Adding a spicy red LED to your lolly is hardly more work than just making regular lollipops. That huge sucker will liven up your halloween party - and keep your guests "licking and sticking" all night long! (because big lollies are super sticky, don't let them drop on the couch)

If you like my projects, I hope you'll check out my new project on Kickstarter

have funs - and yums!

I created this project originally for The Hungry Scientist Handbook

Step 1 What you Need

What You Need

A standard recipe for lollipops:
* sugar
* corn syrup
* cream of tartar
* Plastic mold such as a yogurt container
* Sauce pan
* Candy thermometer (can measure up to 300 F)
* Oil or cooking spray
* Measuring cups

Stuff to make an LED go:
* Bic pen
* 2 wires
* 5mm-size LED, any color. make sure it is a "LEAD FREE" or "ROHS" LED.
* 3V coin cell battery

WARNING: if you are in USA it is still legal to sell electronics with lead. you should check that your LED is "LEAD FREE" or "ROHS" before using it in this project. if you are in EU then do not worry, you guys are smart and made it illegal to put lead in the electronics 10 years ago.

Comments

[wirestyle]

where exactly does the 3v battery go? the bottom of the pen shaft? is there any way to get everything to fit inside of it? someone mentioned using 3 smaller batteries, would that work?

[dan]

i just taped it to the bottom of the pen shaft.

[wirestyle]

you can buy lead free solder. it uses tin instead of lead

[ra.rokks]

doesn't solder have lead in it? if so, why have you soldered the LED to the wires?

[hugoop]

Nice instructable, nice nose.

[DarkRubyMoon]

I could be wrong, but don't the LED wires contain lead? I just ask because I'm currently working on a little electronics kit and it has a warning to wash hands due to lead contents of the wires.

[RobertRobbie]

Yeah, I work with Electronics for a living, and I would never suggest putting an electrical component into something you eat... and also I would not suggest getting Solder anywhere near food.

This Instructable is cool... but doesn't look too healthy

[dan]

a lot of electronic parts are lead free because the sane parts of the world made lead electronics illegal 10 years ago. but its true that in the US, you may not know what you got. so don't lick all the way down to the LED!

[Skymeat]

The amount of lead in here is minuscule. I wouldn't sweat it. I handle mercury arsenic and lead in my everyday life and regularly take heavy metal tests to confirm my exposure. Needless to say with a bit of precaution you aren't in danger. And with this there are only a couple possible leads you could potentially suck and get any exposure. I'd worry much more about berries picked anywhere near a road that existed when leaded gas was still around.

[RobertRobbie]

It is true that most electronic parts should be lead free... but in most cases they aren't completely, anyway the main thing I'm thinking about it chemicals they use to make the leds and also the fact that you are soldering lead directly onto the led anyway.

[MikrySoft]

parts are almost always lead-free. Solder on the other hand... But in this project it's not a problem - you don't lick anything other than plastic bulb of the led.

[dan]

I added a warning about this to the project

[kerikins]

Oh my goodness!!! I crack up at how many people try to 'sabotage' the submitting author of the great ideas on this site. It reminds me of the people whose 'JOB' on Craigslist is to scan ads and 'FLAG' every ad that doesn't cross it's t's and dot it's i's......people...these ideas may have been found elsewhere and the submitter is thankfully for us putting it somewhere for- WE/US the people who have NOT seen it before. This is not SCIENCE class or some members only/ squaddies club This is not about inventing the 'first' this that or the other thing or a Tesla/ Edison competition ...This is for the creative and curious minds who may never have been privy to all of these delicious and exciting projects made user friendly ideas!!!! Loosen up and enjoy the ride......Sukipookers P.S This is a brilliant idea, Thanks so much for putting it up on iinstructables......

[tbibb]

WORD!!

[drusilla]

This project is really cool, and using the right materials, I imagine it is probably harmless given one doesn't put the electronic parts in ones' mouth.

However, it seems like a bad idea to give these to children, especially really young children, given they tend to have a low body mass, are still developing, can be more susceptible to certain chemicals that may be present, and are more likely to do something like chew on the led if not carefully supervised. The stuff in the LED is definitely not healthy. And even lead-free solder isn't safe to eat--certainly the stuff I've bought in the past is covered in numerous warning stickers.

[Lonetengu]

I would have used a more cloudy lollipop recipe for more light diffusion but other then that awesome job.

[csprinkle]

This really is clever, but lead, or no lead, I'd be concerned that it's a choking hazard...

[madwheels37]

Everyone on here is degrading it. What the heck, nice way to be encouraging. Nay-sayers. Who cares where he got it from, and if you're worried about getting lead poisoning from it I'll tell you a secret how not to get it. Don't effing make it or eat it ddeerrrrrr. Awesome project. I'm sure the amount of lead in here won't make me expire.

[gotsparkles]

GREAT comment! I most enjoy the comments that keep negativity to a minimum. At least let's ask questions (ie: this seems to be a repeat of one I saw on another site / book / etc.), rather than assuming the worst.
Also, there is lead free solder, for those who are concerned about the lead in solder. I use it to make jewelry, and it is approved in US for children's jewelry (as they have a tendency to chew on stuff even when older than toddlers.).
Just found this site, and am loving the creativity!!

[rcisneros]

Couldn't you use (3) 1.5v button cells? They make them much smaller then you could put them in the handle with a push button switch at the bottom. You could then use a multicolored LED.

Cool project. I so want to make them, but my kid isn't even 2 yet. Maybe I'll make them for myself.

[iScience]

This is from 'The Hungry Science Handbook'!!! You stole pictures from it? Because it looks exactlly like it

[dan]

I created this project originally for the Hungry Science Handbook. If you read the chapter on this project I think you will find my name there.

[rcisneros]

LOL! That is awesome. Best slam ever.
Love the project.

[iScience]

Oh Really? Im so sorry for mis-understanding! Cool project though

[batonas]

looks great

[ChrysN]

Clever!

[Kiteman]

How about a version with a switch?

[dan]

to turn it off just remove the coin cell. you want it very simple since you are just going to eat it! i guess you could re-use the handle and LED in a new lollipop later.

[mischka]

Looks cool. I guess my 3yo nephew would love it.