How to Use a Soft Circuit to Protect Your Beer

Want to know whos been taking your beer? (Or really any food out of your fridge) With this simple circuit/switch you can have a light go off in another room and run and catch your beer theif!

What you’ll need:

a piece of printer paper
packaging tape
conductive thread
conductive fabric
3v battery
led light
a battery holder (if you feel like gettin fancy)

View the original post here:

http://www.theliztaylor.com/blog/2010/11/how-to-use-a-soft-circuit-to-protect-your-beer/

Step 1: Piece of Paper

Cut a thin strip of paper (approximately the length of the long side of a piece of printer paper).

Step 2: Conductive Fabric Squares

Cut 2 small pieces of conductive fabric (about 2 x 2 cm). Cut 2 long pieces of conductive thread (exactly how long depends on how far away your room is) and 1 short piece (about 4-5 inches long).

Step 3: Putting the Circuit Together

You will be creating a circuit that looks like the below image.  Attach one of the long pieces to one square with packaging tape. Attach the shorter piece to the other square with packaging tape.

Step 4: Hingeing the Squares

Add a hinge piece of tape, so that the two pieces can touch when the hinge is folded over.

Step 5: Connecting to the Battery

Tie the other side of the short piece of conductive thread to the negative side of the battery holder (the other side of the piece of thread should be taped to one of the pieces of conductive fabric). Tie the other side of the long piece of thread to the short leg (negative side) of the led (the other side of the thread should be taped to the other piece of conductive fabric).

Step 6: Attaching the LED

Take your last piece of long thread and tie one end to the positive side of the led (the longer leg) and the other side to the positive side of the battery.

Step 7: Working Circuit

Now you should have something that looks like and does this.

Step 8: Placing Your Light

 I then stuck my light in a nearby chair, but really, you would want to run the light/threads to your room, or wherever you’re going to be.

Step 9: Adding Your Paper

Take your piece fo paper, and tape it to the can like so. Make sure you tape it securely at the top and bottom. Then turn the can around so the paper is less noticeable.

Step 10: Finishing Up

Now take the piece of paper and stick it between the two pieces of conductive fabric. Then take that and stick it under something heavy. I used hummus. You’ll probably want to do a better job of hiding everything than I did in the picture, but there you go now if someone tries to take one of your beers you can jump up and catch them in the act!