Introduction: Simple LED Desk Light

By myminifactory
About: You'll see ;D

I was tired of having to get new light bulbs and having to readjust my desk light, so I built my own easily movable LED desk light.

Step 1: First Receive the Materials

First you must get the materials shown here, solder, a soldering pencil, solid and stranded wire, LED lights, a bread board to test the circuit, though not required, 2 AA batteries, a 2 slot AA battery holder, wire cutters/ wire strippers, electrical tape, a switch, scissors, Velcro, sandpaper, hot glue, and some plastic sheets, I got mine from hobby lobby. 



    I had most of the materials at my house and though it may seem like a lot it really is not all that much.

Step 2: Test the Circuit on the Breadboard

This step is not required to do, so if you don,t have a breadboard you could skip this step, this is just to make sure the circuit works, you could follow the picture.

Step 3: Start Soldering the LED's

This is done in a parallel circuit so it is in my opinion more beneficial because, in a parallel circuit if one led goes out the rest of the circuit still works and you don't need as much voltage.



    First I lined up the LED's in a row with the negative leads on one side and all the positive leads (should be the longer sides) on the other.

Step 4: Connect the Wires to the LED Strip

First I plugged the strip back into my bread board to make sure all the LED's in the strip where working ans it was all functional. 

    Next I just soldered some wire on to each side of the strip, the length will determine about how far the light box will be from the control box, aka the switch.

Step 5: Create the LED Box

I laid the length of LED's next to the sheet of plastic and cut 4 rectangles big enough to hold the strip of LED's.

After that I sanded one side with extra fine sandpaper, please sand the inside so that the outside will be smooth.

OK, now i glued 3 of the walls togeather so we have room to put the LED's down.

Step 6: Glue the LED's Into the Box

Glue the LED strip into the box, I used the all reliable hot glue, than glue the lid on.

Next cut out a square for a side of the box, sand it, than glue it on.

Step 7: The Other Side of the Box

To make the other side cut out a piece for it punch a small hole through it and than sand it.

the side that the LED strip is on is going to be the top, the hole is going to be near the top, like in the picture.

Step 8: Connect the Battery and the Switch

Connect the Negative lead of the battery to the negative side of the strip, than connect the positive side of the battery to the middle lead of the switch. Now connect the positive side of the LED strip to either side of the switch.

Step 9: The "Control Box"

I really just taped the switch and the wire from the battery on the back of the battery with the switch facing out, than put a used the some of the extra plastic to make a box to protect it, and for the looks.

Step 10: Putting the Light on the Desk

Using Velcro I attached the LED box to the top of a shelf that overhangs my desk and found another spot to Velcro the battery/ control box. In the picture you can see how I set mine up.

Step 11: The Finished Product

A light that is great looking and gives off enough light to read or write!!!

I think it goes great in my room too.

Make It Glow Contest

Participated in the
Make It Glow Contest

Improve Your Room Youth Design Challenge

Participated in the
Improve Your Room Youth Design Challenge