Glow in Dark Decor

Decorating my room is something that I really enjoy. So, I decided to make something that is beautiful to look at and at the same time something more useful. This is a hanging decor that glows itself when it's dark. It is really simple to make and surely adds aesthetic look to your wall. Let's learn to make it.

Step 1: Collect Materials

To make this Decor, you'll need :

1. Drawing sheet ( I used A4 sized ivory sheets for a better look .)
2. Water colors and paint brushes
3. Cardboard
4. Breadboard
5. Arduino UNO board
6. Different color Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
7. 10 k ohm carbon resistor
8. Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)
9. Connecting wires
10. Adhesive

Step 2: Making the Base

Take a sheet of any size you want. While choosing the sheet,keep in mind that you have to paint this sheet with colors. I've used a white ivory sheet.

• Using paint brush,apply a layer of water on the sheet.
• Once the upper surface of the sheet is wet, start applying color from the top of the sheet.
• Successively, use another color. This gives a gradient effect.
• Using a black marker, write what you want. You can also draw something you like.

Step 3:

Take a cardboard of the same size as your sheet and paste the sheet on the cardboard.

Step 4: Connecting LEDs

• Start placing your LEDs by piercing through the cardboard.
• Connect the positive terminal (longer leg) of one LED with the positive terminal of the next with the help of connecting wire. Connect all the positive terminals.
• Similarly, connect all the negative terminals. Make sure that the wire connecting positive terminals does not touch the wire connecting negative terminals. Use insulation tape to separate the two wires.
• Leave some extra wire at the last LED. This extra wire will go to breadboard.

Step 5: Circuit

• Connect positive terminal of LED connection to pin 7 of Arduino.
• Connect the negative terminal of the LED connection to GND pin of Arduino.

• Place the two legs of LDR on breadboard. Connect one leg of LDR to pin A0 of Arduino.
• Connect one leg of 10k ohm resistor to the the same leg of LDR .
• Connect the other leg of 10k ohm resistor to GND terminal of Arduino.
• Now, connect the other leg of LDR to 5V pin of Arduino.

Connections are done!

Fix the breadboard and Arduino on the back of cardboard.

Step 6: Code

This is the code.

//************************************************************************//

//Code for making LEDs glow in the dark

int ledPin =7;

int ldrPin= A0;

void setup()

{

Serial.begin(9600);

pinMode(ledPin,OUTPUT); //Using digital pin 7 for generating output

pinMode(ldrPin,INPUT); //Using Analog pin A0 for getting input

}

//The circuit will now take the values from LDR to detect darkness and LED will act depending on LDR value

void loop()

{

int ldrValue=analogRead(ldrPin);

if (ldrValue<=100)

{digitalWrite(ledPin,HIGH);

}

else {

digitalWrite(ledPin,LOW);

Serial.println(ldrValue);

}

}

//**********************************************************************//

Upload the code to Arduino using USB cable.

Step 7: Making Frame

• Take a black sheet of length same as that of the sheet and divide it into four parts of width 1 cm, 2 cm, 1 cm and 2 cm respectively.
• Fold the sheet along the lines drawn to form a cuboid.
• Make four such cuboids.

Paste two of the cuboids vertically on the base along the edges.

Paste the other two cuboids horizontally.

Add a hook at the back to make it hanging .

Step 8: Connecting to Power

You can supply power to your Arduino by a DC battery.

Connect your Arduino to a DC battery using Power jack.

Before connecting to a battery you should test the circuit right after uploading the code to Arduino i.e., using the laptop/computer itself via USB cable.

And you are ready to rock!