Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and ran into a dresser or stepped on your shoes before you could reach the light switch? Us too. That's why we created these super comfortable slippers to light up whenever they are put on. We wanted to give people a fighting chance to make it to the bathroom, go get that midnight snack, or make sure the kids are still in bed without bumping into every piece of furniture and wall along the way.

This works by using conductive thread, conductive velcro, and a LilyMini ProtoSnap. Whenever the velcro is connected, the LEDs will turn on and wallah! No more darkness.

In this instructable, we are going to show how to sew these electronic slippers and get them functioning.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials needed:

LilyMini Protosnap
Fabric Glue
Conductive Velcro
Conductive Thread
A slipper (store-bought or homemade)

There are plenty of great tutorials out there if you feel like making your own slipper.

Tools needed:

Scissors
A sewing needle
Sharpie

Step 2: Putting on the Velcro

The first step is to cut the slipper on either the outside or the inside. This is up to your preference on how you want to put on the slipper, it makes no difference in the end.

Then staple or sew the velcro to the side where you cut. Where the hook (scratchy) is on one end and the loop (soft) is on the other.

Step 3: Laying Out the LilyMini Protosnap

This is probably the most important step so pay close attention! This step is setting up the necessary connections to get the LilyMini Protosnap to work. The attached photo will give the basic connections that are needed. I would recommend gluing the pieces on with fabric glue and then tracing out the connections with a Sharpie.

Important- The conductive thread cannot cross over itself when going from connection to connection as this will short the circuit.

Here are some helpful websites:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/lilymini-prot...

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/lilypad-basic...

Step 4: Start to Sew

Now that you have the connections organized. Start sewing!! In the previous step, I attached a website that will show you how to start the sewing and also tie it off at the end.

What I found easiest to start is to loop the thread through each connection 3-4 times, then have the thread go underneath the loops and tie a square knot on top.

When sewing, make sure the thread is kept tight so the thread keeps in contact with the connection.

The biggest thing to look out for is to not cross the thread over each other.

Step 5: Insulate the Wire

Once you have turned on the Lilymini and everything is working. Do a double-check to make sure there is no loose thread or broken connections.

An ideal way to do this is to glue over the thread so that it stays tight against the slipper. Also, glue over each connection to the Lilymini so that the thread stays in contact with the piece.

Step 6: Decorate

Now time to decorate!!!! Take the fabric paint kit and decorate the slippers in any way you want. Be creative and try not to get the paint all over the Lilymini components. Let dry and enjoy these comfy and innovative slippers.