LED Light-up Drink Coaster

With this instructable, I sought to remedy one of the great problems that a party-goer faces.  So, your having an awesome wild party with Disco lights and music pounding.  An attractive (male or female) passes by.  You sit your beer down to go and strike up a conversation.  In the dark room you have now misplaced your beer!  Oh No!  What is one to do?

Never face this horrible problem again with one of these snazzy LED light-up drink coasters.  Simply sit your favorite beverage on the cork coaster and a bright LED lights like a beacon so you can find your way back to your drink.

Materials:
* 1 cork circle
* 1 clear plastic ring
* 2 watch batteries
* 1 LED light
* 1 sheet of cardboard
* 1 thin sheet of foam rubber
* Sticky-back velcro
* Duct or electrical tape
* Sticky-back felt tabs

Make sure your cork coaster circle fits snug in the diameter of the clear plastic ring which can be purchased at your local craft store.

Step 1: Cut Coaster Bottom

1)  Trace your cork circle onto a sheet of cardboard with pencil or marker.  Carefully cut out your cardboard circle.  This will be the bottom of your coaster.

Step 2: Cut Foam Rubber

2) Trace your cork circle onto the sheet of thin foam rubber.  I used a scrap piece of rubber mat from dollar store.  This will form the middle of your coaster.  The rubber foam must be soft and squish-able.  Cut out the circle in the rubber foam.

Step 3: Tape Down LED Light

3) Tape your LED light to your cardboard circle near the head of the light.  The best LED light to use is one with a long wire.  If yours has a short wire, you may need to solder on a piece of wire or copper.  Tape it such that the light is near the circle's edge, and the wire points toward the center of the cardboard circle.

Step 4: Bend LED Wires

4)  Bend your LED wires such that battery can be placed between the two contact wires.  Bend just the one wire that is on top.  The battery rest upon the bottom wire, and pressure pushes the top wire onto the battery.  We are in effect making a simple pressure switch.

Step 5: Trim Foam Rubber

5)  Trim your rubber foam such that the rubber surrounds the battery to hold the batteries in place.  Trim it into a "U" shape such that the batteries are held at the bottom of the "U" with the LED light poking out from the middle.

Step 6: Glue Foam Rubber

6)  Glue the rubber to the cardboard with tacky glue or hot glue.  Put batteries in the circular cut-out with a LED contact on top and bottom.  Test to make sure light lights with batteries in place.  Make sure both wires of LED make contact.  If light does not light, you may have to flip negative and positive of batteries.

Step 7: Attach Velcro

7)  Attach velcro to both the bottom of the cork coaster and to the cardboard circle.

Step 8: Assemble

8) Sandwich the cork circle, plastic ring, and cardboard circle together.  The velcro holds the pieces together allowing the parts to be removed so batteries can be replaced.  Glue the cork top to the plastic ring as is necessary.

Step 9: Felt Tabs

9) Stick felt tabs or glue felt on bottom of cardboard.

Step 10: Finish

10) Sit drink on cork part of coaster, and it lights up!

 Sit at your computer with a beer, a cool lighting coaster and surf my awesome store for cool gifts at...
http://www.cafepress.com/darkrubymoon
and
http://www.zazzle.com/darkrubymoon
or check out my art at...
http://darkrubymoon.deviantart.com/

Enjoy your drink on one very expensive but cool drink coaster!