How to Illuminate a Crystal Cube

Intro: How to Illuminate a Crystal Cube

Well I have this crystal cube with dolphins carved on the inside and I wanted to make something that would illuminate it and make it look cool.

STEP 1: What You Need

You will need:
The crystal cube or something similar
Tape (electrical tape works best)
LEDs, at least three
Button cell batteries
Bottom of an Altoids tin
Little rubber thingies that are on some boats to keep the window from scratching and/or denting part of the boat.
The lid to an iPod package or something like it. However, it must be clear.
Marker
Screwdriver or other large diameter pointy object
Paint (optional)

STEP 2: To Begin

Sand the Altoids bottom so the paint will stick to it. Also make it so that the hinge part isn't so noticeable. Then wrap your tape around it if you want to paint the top. If not, don't wrap it in tape.

STEP 3: Paint!!!

If you are going to paint it paint it now. At first I tried painting it pink but the black showed through to much so I went with a dark blue. After it dried I took the tape off and replaced it with fresh tape because it looked better with the tape on it.

STEP 4: Marker Time!

Draw where you want your LEDs to go and poke holes in it. I used a screwedriver. Be very careful that you don't stab yourself.

STEP 5: Time for the LEDs and Little Thing-a-majigs

Put the rubber thingies on the corners of the Altoids tin and put the LEDs in the holes. You may need to tape them in. Now you can see how the iPod package lids fit.

STEP 6: Almost Done...

Now you can put the batteries in so the LEDs light up. Or, if you know mare about LEDs you can wire them up so they connect to one battery. I can't do this with these LEDs because parts of the wires are broken :\

STEP 7: :D

Now you can put the iPod lid on the little rubber things and put the crystal cube on top of it! Turn off the lights and it looks very nice.

Comments

[plzspoilme25]

i got a few neat already made cube lights from the dollar store that took 2 batteries.....and roatated the colors then i got bored of that and took it apart to fix a light for my car....that didnt work out so well......now i'm stuck with two broken lights, and dumbfounded on a way to fix them.....i have one led light, with four wires coming out of it......i figured i'd do something like this....but not sure how to wire it up so the colors roatate any ideas?

[Sunbanks]

I don't really know much about how to use ones with four wires. Maybe two wires go to one battery and the other two go to another battery? I have no idea. I wish I could help. :( There are some users on here that know a lot about things like that though.

[metrogdor22]

I think I may be one of those users that can help :) For the explanation, we'll start small. Every color you can think of can be created by varying values of Red, Green, and Blue. The LED in question changes colors from Red, to Green, to Blue(Or in some other order), right? Three of the wires control the color(i.e. one wire controls Red, another Blue, and the third Green) and the 4th wire is a common ground. In a nutshell, 3 of the wires control the color, and the fourth controls the LED being off or on.

[plzspoilme25]

okay thanks, the light came out of a really cool light that hooked up to the lighter in my car....it flashed to the music and changed colors.....somewhere along the line (assuming a kid did it durning a move) the part that plugs in (and the part with the circuit bored) disappeared, just trying to reuse it to make something cool.....thanks

[themasterpyro]

is it one light that has 4 wires comeing from it? or both?

[jimmyb0nz]

I did it! I didn't build a base for it yet, but I used a Joule Thief and backlit the cube.
Thanks for the idea!!

[Sunbanks]

Cool! :D

[jimmyb0nz]

you read my mind. I was gonna try drilling my Bruce Lee 3-D holocube to house an led on the bottom. The drilling would leave the hole rough enough to diffuse the led. This stuff is insane to drill! So this will be so much better. I will mod it to suit my cube and post pics with reference to this. Thanks for the great idea.

[Sunbanks]

I'm glad to have helped you. It will be neat to see the pictures :D

[GorillazMiko]

Really cool idea Sunbanks! The pictures are quite blurry, but I understood it all. I like those cubes things, so I'm going to try this out hopefully. +1 rating.

[Sunbanks]

Yeah I had my camera on night portrait because otherwise the pictures turned out really dark. The first one on step six is especially blurry.

[Williz]

Id have used blue for dolphins :P

[Sunbanks]

I would have liked to do that but all I have are red and yellow. That's a really good idea, I want to try it if I get any blue ones.