Interactive Greeting Card With Cross-stitch

About me)

I am from South Korea. Currently, I am living in Finland to study Education. These days, I am so much into their craft culture and always thinking about how I can make it more beautiful, cool, and fun by adding simple digital or tech stuff.

About this project)

Last week, I participated in a workshop and it was about cross-stitch. Even though it was my very first time to learn cross-stitch, it was not hard at all. I could learn how to do it in few minutes. Most of all, it was fun indeed. So I am sure everyone can make this cross-stitch card easily.

Because I felt it was bit "plain", I add a simple circuit to express the beauty of arctic berries in Finland. If you know what arctic berries are, you will understand its special value :)

Even though it needs a bit soldering, it is not trick as much as hardcore stuff.

Step 1: Prepare Materials and Your Design

[Materials]

1. Heavyweight paper (over 200gsm)
   http://amzn.to/2FnwJZ9
2. Embroidery threads
   http://amzn.to/2DSokjj
3. LED (4)
   http://amzn.to/2GnspdI
4. Coin cell battery (CR 2032)
   http://amzn.to/2Gl20x7
5. Copper tape
   http://amzn.to/2DQU0pn
6. electrical wires (3cm * 2)
   http://amzn.to/2EdvHiZ
7. form rubber sheet (thickness 2mm)
   http://amzn.to/2Grkaxh

[Tools]

1. needles (one for punching holes and another for cross stitching)
   http://amzn.to/2DHU9rF
2. soldering iron and stand
   http://amzn.to/2FnYalG
3. scissors
   http://amzn.to/2GpTQ6z

[Steps]

1. Prepare a paper to make your card and draw dots on it. Those dots will become holes to do cross-stitch on the card.
2. Plan design to decorate the card. My instructor recommended me to design on a grid paper. In this case, you can easily imagine how your design will look like after finishing the cross-stitch work.

Step 2: Cross Stitching

First image from : http://made-inhome.blogspot.fi/2013/12/cross-stitc...

1. Punch holes with needles like the first picture on your card in accordance with your design. When you make holes, make sure to use a bigger needle than normal size. Because three to five strings of threads will go through this hole.
2. Start cross-stitching in accordance with the design you created in the previous step. I put three strings of threads together to make the stitches more easily noticeable.
3. If you are the very beginner regarding cross stitching, please refer to this video tutorial. Someone explained how to do cross stitch really well.

How to do cross stitch

Step 3: Put LED on Your Cross Stitch Work

1. Put LED on your cross stitch work and flip over the card. Make sure all LED should be inserted in the identical direction. All longer leads of my LED are facing down and the shorter leads up.
2. Push the leads of LED to the direction of the paper card.
3. Bend the leads like (ㄴ) shape. Except the leads of the first led, each lead should be overlapped with the one right in front of it. ** To help your understanding, you can refer to the third picture. The areas with red and blue colors are the places where leads meet together.
4. Then connect the red and blue area through soldering.

Step 4: Let's Make a Circuit

1. Draw a circle on the back side of the card by tracing the battery.
2. Prepare two pieces of copper tape. I used one with 65 mm and the another with 40 mm.
3. Take the longer piece and fold the end of it in 10 mm in order to make the tip as switch.
4. Put this tape horizontally the another one vertically from the center of the circle you drew.

Step 5: Connecting Wires by Soldering

1. Prepare two pieces of wires. I prepared the wires with 40 mm.

2. Strip off the both ends of the wires. If you haven't try this step, please refer to this video tutorial.

3. We are going to connect LED and copper tapes using the wires. Put the one wire between the longer lead and the horizontally attached copper tape. Another one should be put between the shorter lead and the vertically situated copper tape.

4. Using soldering machine, we are going to connect wires. If you are a novice in terms of soldering, please watch this video.

Step 6: Battery Holder

1. I made battery holder with a form rubber sheet.
2. Draw a circle by tracing the battery on the form rubber.
3. Make a crescent shape with the circle on the step 2. (You can check the first picture)
4. Cut a piece of form rubber to cover the battery not to move apart from the card.

Step 7: Testing and Writing a Card for Your Beloved Person

Now it is done. Test out if all LED are turned on or not. It is time to send this card to your beloved person.