Introduction: Light Up Leggings

About: Former Instructables employee CHECK OUT MY WORK www.carleyjacobson.com

Create a light show with these light up LEDs.  Wear them dancing and all eyes in the room will be on you.  Wear them running and drivers will know to get out of the way!

This is super easy to do even if its your first time building a circuit.

I submitted these leggings to the Soft Circuit Contest!  Check out all the awesome projects submitted and submit a project yourself!

Step 1: Materials

1. Leggings
2. Conductive Thread
3. 2 Coin Cell Battery Holders
4. 2 Coin Cell Batteries (3V)
5. 2 220 ohm resistors
6. 12 LEDs
7. Metal Clasp or Snap (not in picture)
8. Needle
9. Cardboard - 5" wide and 9-12" long, cut the edges so they are rounded, this cardboard insert will be used to help you sew

Step 2: The Circuit

Plan out your circuit on paper first.

Each leg is a separate circuit with 6 LEDs.  The LEDs are wired in parallel.  The rest of the circuit is in the back of the leggings.

This circuit can be transfered onto a t-shirt, bracelet, you name it!

Step 3: Prepare LEDs and Resistors

I usually use LED beads but I had some small blue LEDs that I decided to use for this one.

Using a pair of pliers or tweezers curl the ends of the LEDs and resistors so they are easy to sew.

Step 4: Prepare Leggings

Using a pen, mark where you want the LEDs to go while the leggings are on you.

Put the cardboard insert in the leggings where you are sewing so you have a surface to sew on.  If you don't use this you will need to have one arm in the leggings as you are sewing and this will be hard.

Step 5: Sewing the Circuit

Start with the LED closest to the foot of the leggings. Sew the positive end to the leggings. Sew up the leggings attaching only the positive ends of the LEDs.

Use the cardboard insert to help while sewing. When you run the needle in the leggings let it hit the cardboard and bring it back up through the leggings.

Continue sewing around to the back of the leggings.  Connect the thread to the resistor.  Sew the rest of the pieces in place as illustrated in the diagrams.  Leave some thread slack when connecting one of the clasp ends so you can screw them together.

The other end of the clasp will be connect to the (-) end of the LEDs.  Sew back around to the side of the leggings and end at the first LED you sewed on.

Step 6: Light 'em Up

Put in the battery and twist the clasp together!

Its that easy : )

Halloween Contest

Participated in the
Halloween Contest

Soft Circuit Contest

Participated in the
Soft Circuit Contest