StitchLits are hand little sewing kits that contain everything you need to stitch tiny, sewable LEDs that into pretty much anything! Mod your favorite jacket, sneakers, purse, or toy! These little lights can live just about anywhere.

Step 1: Materials

Open up your kit and familiarize yourself with each item.
The kit (available on Etsy) contains:
(3) white sewable LEDs
(1) needle
(1) needle threader
(3) yards of conductive thread
(1) coin cell battery
(1) sewable battery holder
(1) snap to use as an on/off switch

You can also find these items through online electronic vendors (like Digikey and Sparkfun) and your local sewing store!

Step 2: Plan Your Circuit

Before you start sewing, it's important to know where the components of your circuit are going to live. In this example, we're just making a simple test patch, but if you're sewing your StitchLits into a piece of clothing, you might need to think more carefully about where you will place your LEDs and your battery.

Step 3: Get to Know the Polarity of Your Components.

Both the battery holder and the LEDs have positive and negative sides. It is very important that you connect the negative side of your LEDs to the negative terminal of the battery holder. The same goes for the positive. LEDs are polarized, which means they only work in one direction, so if you make the wrong connections your LEDs will not light!

Step 4: Thread the Needle.

Unspool a piece of thread that is a bit longer than twice the length that you want to sew. Thread the needle, using the needle threader if need be.

Step 5: Knot the Thread.

Pull the thread through the needle so that the end of the threads meet. You will be sewing with a double thread. Loop the ends tightly around your index finger, roll them between your thumb and index finger, and pull into a knot.

Step 6: Sew the Negative Terminal of the Battery Holder.

Be sure to loop through the hole several times, making sure your connection is tight and secure.

Step 7: Sew the Negative Terminals of Your LEDs.

Using the same piece of thread, sew the negative terminals of your LEDs. Remember - the negative side is marked by a blue stripe on the back of the LED. Be sure to pass the thread through the crimp beads several times to make sure that you have a secure connection.

Step 8: Knot and Cut Thread.

Remember - you must use a new piece of thread for the positive side of your circuit! If the negative and positive threads touch, your circuit will not work!