Easy DIY Robot Valentines

by tinker_this

3.7K332

Intro: Easy DIY Robot Valentines

This year do something different for your valentine. Light up the day with an easy DIY LED Robot Valentine's card.

STEP 1: Gather Your Materials

You will need:

  • Free Robot Valentine Printable
  • Greeting card paper or cardstock
  • Copper tape
  • 1 red LED
  • 1 3V watch battery (like CR2302)
  • Electrical tape (or other non-conductive tape)
  • X-acto knife
  • Ruler
  • Glue

STEP 2: Print

Print out the card on your cardstock or greeting card paper. You’ll be using 2 sheets of paper. Don’t worry too much if your printer doesn’t print to the edge. You can trim that bit off later.

STEP 3: Cut

  1. On the front sheet, use an X-acto knive to cut out the heart on the robot

  2. On the inside sheet, cut along the gray lines. You will have 1 inside sheet, 1 battery cover, 1 switch guide, 1 switch and 1 switch support

STEP 4: Place the LED

  1. Hold the inside sheet up to the light and mark on the back a point in the middle of the head, and a point on the side of the robot away from the heart. We will use these late as guides.
  2. Punch the legs of the LED through the card so that it is centered on the heart. You may need to use the X-acto knife to help punch it through.

STEP 5: Apply the Copper Tape

  1. Place the copper tape on the orange line of the switch and on the orange line of the battery cover.
  2. Place a strip of copper tape under one of the legs and fold it to create the bottom circuit. Aim at ending right before the X you made near the side of the robot. Place another strip of copper starting at the X you made in the center of the robot's head angling toward the X you made near the side of the robot, leaving a small gap.

STEP 6: Connect the Battery and Try Out the Circuit

  1. Place the battery on top of the x on the head. Put the battery cover on top of the battery and LED leg, make sure the leg is on top of the battery if it reaches. Now start taping things down. Leave some space around the battery so you can test the circuit.
  2. Place the copper part of the switch in between the gap and try out your circuit. If the LED doesn’t turn on, try flipping the battery around. If you feel the battery get warm, but the LED isn’t on, you have a short circuit. Make sure the LED leg near the battery is on the top and is not touching the bottom on the battery.
  3. Once you have it working, place the switch guide over the switch and tape everything down.
  4. Try it out! Pull and push the switch and make sure that the LED turns on and off.

STEP 7: Create the Switch

  1. Line up the inside sheet to the inside of the card, measure the space between the fold of your card and the inside sheet. On your switch support measure from the edge of the long side that amount and make a slit large enough for the switch to slide through.
  2. Pull the switch through the hole you made on the switch support. Push the switch in until you see the LED light up and then go dark. Pull the switch out so that the LED lights up again. Lightly score and fold the switch close to the switch support.
  3. Glue the inside sheet and the switch support down.
  4. The first time you close the card, keep an eye on the switch to make sure it doesn’t bend the wrong way. A bamboo skewer, pencil or toothpick is helpful to guide it along.

STEP 8: Give Your Valentine to Someone You Love


If your cart didn't print all the way to the edge, cut off the offending bits now. Use a ruler and an x-acto knife to get a nice straight edge. Admire your work, test it a few times, and give it to someone you love!

2 Comments

amberrayh 9 years ago

This is really cool. Thanks for sharing! Do you have any more projects in the works?

tinker_this 9 years ago

Yes! I'm planning on doing ~1/month plus some smaller things on my blog tinkerthis.com