LED Zipper Pulls - Cheap and Handy

Here's a quick way to have a little white light always available. For cheap!

It's getting dark early and I've been having a lot of fun getting home and fumbling around for a minute while I try to get the house key in the lock. It's good stuff, but a little extra lighting would make it easier. So I figured that I could just put LED flashlights on everything and keep my bases covered, just like buying a box of pens and scattering them around the house which is an annual ritual of mine.

Step 1: Buy a Pack of Keychain Lights

With LEDs dropping in price all the time and easier connections to Chinese manufacturers we now see websites that are eager to sell you goods cheap and in quantity. I was able to pick up 10 LED keychains for less than $5, shipped. At 50 cents each I don't worry about which precious item gets to have a light stuck to it. Everything is illuminated!

Step 2: Take Off That Stupid Big Keychain Ring

I already have way too many keys eating up space on my keychain. There's one for my car, one for work, two for my house, two for my main bike (u-lock + hub lock), and one for my other bike. Putting the LED keychain on there is only the image of usefulness and not the reality. You try using the flashlight while trying to put the key on the same keychain into the lock. It's possible, but it sucks.

So, yeah, ditch that big ring.

Step 3: Attach the Tiny Ring to Your Zipper

Using the remaining tiny ring, attach the light to your zipper. You now have a light-up zipper pull that blends in because it's tiny and black.

Bam! Easy lighting.

Sure, this may be one of those uses that has been promoted with these kinds of lights since the beginning, but I was always more careful with these lights and would carefully put them on my keychain where they would just take up space. So if you didn't know, they're available for a lot less now. I used the site that I linked to earlier, but there are multiple sources.

Comments

[porcupinemamma]

I didn't find the link "spamy". I really appreciate knowing where to find them. You have such good ideas fungy mungie :0) thanks

[joejoerowley]

I just bought the same product three weeks ago. Very bright!! Love it! Great instructable!

[joejoerowley]

BTW if you signed up for an deal extreme account you could link the link in your instructable to your account so you get points when other people buy things after clicking on your link. Just an idea though.

[fungus amungus]

Yeah, but I don't need any points. Providing a reference implies that I'm promoting them for my own good. It's a fine line between recommendation and spam, eh? And yes, the lights have been working out great for me.

[joejoerowley]

I was just thinking of the something similar to a paypal tip jar on a website. You get rewarded for your work. But it is better that you are safe than spam. :) Thanks Joe

[hernanai]

PayPal Tip Jar?! Where did you see this?

[joejoerowley]

All types of websites have them.

[hernanai]

hmm... I must pay more attention to when I'm on the web.... Good to know...

[alvincredible]

LOL this is awesome! ahah i thought that you would actually be making a LED zipper that had a battery on the inside of the zipper. i just wonder how that would be waterproof..maybe smother it in hot glue!

[bedbugg2]

whatabout when you put them in the wash?

[fungus amungus]

Just be sure to take them off before that.

[bedbugg2]

or get waterproof ones

[hammerhead]

Ordered a bunch of them just now. Talk about dirt cheap! Here in Sweden just one of those exact same lights cost 10 Swedish Crowns, now I'll get 10 of them for around 30 Crowns. Good deal. Nice instructable by the way. Simple, easy and functional. Keep it up! Oh yeah, and thanks for the tip on where to get these.

[LUCCHINA]

Great Idea ! Rated !

[Patrik]

Wow - great prices!

Heck, for another few bucks you could have red laser zipper pulls everywhere ($12 for 10), but that might be overkill! :D

[GorillazMiko]

cool :-)

[CameronSS]

I like...