Starry Night Ceiling Tiles

Hello! Are you ready to witness my biggest project yet?? Well lets get started!

It all started up in Utah, (I was visiting some friends) and the sky looked so beautiful compared to the star-less sky down south. So instead of creating my own stars I created my own stars! Confused? lets take a closer look...

Step 1: Measure Your Room and Foamboard

First things first, you have to measure and draw an outline of your room from a birds-eye point of view. I used inches. This is important because you dint want to over-spend on unused supplies.

Step 2: Draw Your Room and Select Stars

This is what I came out with, and I estimated the amount of needed tiles and than labeled each tile with a star name. (Thanks Google!!)

Step 3: Creating Your Stars

I used a silver colored pencil to mark where the stars were going to go and than I used an x-acto knife to make some holes, DONT forget to label your stars and number them!

Step 4: Let the Soldering Begin!

Next solder your leds together, I did all of the negative leads first than the positive leads afterward so I don't mix-up the connections. Tinning the wires will help you and is recommended in this but it is not required. And your helping hands are your best friends!!!

Step 5: Glue Down Leds

Next I glued my leds onto the board so they wont come loose while I put them off.

Step 6: Resistors!

Use anything between 150 and 220 ohm resistors to protect your circuit. Solder them onto the positive lead of the led, you wont want them to blow out while they are on your ceiling!

Step 7: Testing Your Boards

Load the arduino file BLINK onto your arduino. Than connect the positive lead to outlet 9 and your negative to ground. This will blink your star circuit on and off. Test all of your stars to make sure they work!

Step 8: Testing Your Actual Circuit

When you have done this get your breadboard out and connect your arduino to it like in the pictures.(Pins 2-11 and ground) Next load the actual circuit onto your board for the real testing! I tested using only single leds.

Step 9: Optional: 3d Print the Files to Hang Your Stars

This step is totally optional! I designed my own retro holders, (which I call hangers) to hold up my stars. I also made two wire organizers which I say would be recommended. You don't have to do this if you don't have a 3d printer! You could get creative and use Velcro or hooks to hang them up! Hang them up in a way that expresses you!

Step 10: Collect Your "Hangers"

This is what I printed, I used a lot of spool (about 500 grams), but I love the design!

Step 11: Hang Em Up!

Now is the time to throw your stars into orbit! Start to hang your stars up onto the ceiling. I used double sided scotch tape (the fluffy type) to hang up my "Hangers." And the fan will be your worst enemy!

Step 12: The Fan.....

Remember the fan? Because I do too!! Never hang anything above your fan and than turn it on! This stunt set me back about an hour or two and I had to redesign two of my stars! Please for your sake don't use the fan until the ending of this project!!

Step 13: Keep on Putting Up Those Stars!!

Keep on working and putting up all of those stars because the light at the end of the tunnel is near!! I used the wire organizer to separate the positive and negative wires. I used a coin battery to make sure they all worked too!

Step 14: Arduino Mounting

Next find a way to mount your arduino too the wall. I 3d printed a box for this, but I left space so I could drill/ cut my own holes so I could use the box for other things. The box I made was a tight fit but it still made it on!

Step 15: Connection!!

Now we are literally about to exit the tunnel! all you have to do is splice or solder all of your negative wires together and connect them to the ground pin on the arduino. After that individually connect the wires to pins 2-11 on the arduino.

Step 16: Starry Night!!

You are done!!! Plug in the arduino and bask in your beautiful galaxy!! And now remember, when you are making this don't be afraid to change things up, draw in the Milky Way change up the programming!

I hope you have enjoyed this instructable and please fell free comment if you have any questions!