Introduction: Kari & the Gingerbread Man
You can make this kind of toy if you can:
- Draw
- Sew
- Write stories
- Make or play a video
You need these materials:
- LEDs Colored fabric; conductive and regular
- Thread; thick and thin; conductive and regular
- Needles; thick and thin a pair of scissor a computer or a laptop
- Better but not required--a partner whom you can discuss with and make together
Step 1: Create a Story Line
First, you need to prepare a story and draw out a storyline as your sewing reference.
Step 2: Draw the Storyboard
It is recommended that you draw the storyboard before start sewing so you can
easily modify it on paper.
Step 3: Color and Print the Storyboard and Cut Each Scene on Fabrics
The coloring process is important because this preparation will guide your later
material selection.
Step 4: Design the Circuit
If drawing the storyboard on paper is the first major step, designing the circuit is
the second. This step improves the success rate of sewing a working circuit on fabric, especially for first-time sewers.
Step 5: Sew the Fabric
Tip of hiding your stitches: if your fabric is thick enough, you can actually sew the
stitches in between the fabric layers. In this way, your stitches will not interrupt the story scenes. However, to achieve this, you need to spent more time, be patient and sew carefully.
Step 6: Sew the Circuit
Please note that the conductive thread is quite fragile so you might want to
double stitches.
Step 7: Write and Record the Voiceover
This is not necessarily the 7th step; you can record the voiceover--story
narrative--before and after your making process. The order does not matter as long as you plan ahead. But we do suggest that instead of just creating a story for fun, integrate some meaningful objectives into the story.
Step 8: Mak the Corresponding Video:
*you can make whatever kind of videos you desire to, such as having people acting it out or animations, due to time and technical issues, we did a stop-motion animation. If you want to do the same kind, you can:
- Take pictures of the finished storyboards, according the story line
- Insert each picture chronologically into an editing software such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, iMovie, etc.
- Adding titles or subtitles Insert voiceover Export the video to file and upload it online Play the toy with the video