Introduction: Light Up Super Hero Masks

About: I am an artist and arts educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

What special skills do you have as a Maker or collaborator? Design a mask that reflects these talents by decorating a mask with fun craft materials. Light it up using copper tape, pipe cleaners, a LED light, and a 3V ion lithium battery.

Step 1: Materials List

First you will need the following materials:

Consumables:

  • Regular clear tape
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Feathers and other decorative materials such as small foam balls for light diffusion
  • White glue
  • glue gun sticks

Reusable materials:

  • Scissors
  • Small hole puncher
  • Hot glue gun

Step 2: Laying Down the Negative Side of Your Circuity Path

Peel your copper tape slowly as you place it down onto the bottom half of your mask spanning from the left to the right side of the mask. (Do not peel off the protective layer of the sticky side of tape all at once as it can easily get twisted and tangled up). This copper strip will be the negative side of your circuit touching both the negative side of your battery and the negative side of your LED light or circuit sticker.

Step 3: Tape Down the Battery

With clear tape, tape on battery with the negative side facing downward onto the copper tape. Leave a small area of the top positive side of the battery exposed with no tape on it.

Step 4: Laying Down the Postive Side of Your Circuit

Using the remaining copper tape, peel off the protective layer enough to fold over 1/2” of end so that shiny side of tape will tap the top section of the battery.

As you lay down this positive line of the circuity, leave a small gap at the left side so that the two copper tape lines do not touch. Leave a smaller gap if you are using a Circuity Sticker and you can use a wider gap if you are using an LED light.

Step 5: Adding the LED Light

Attach your circuit sticker or standard LED light on top of copper tape.

If you are using a Circuity Sticker, the pointy side of the sticker is the negative so this end should face downward touching the lower copper tape.

If you are using a standard LED light, the shorter leg should be touching the lower copper tape. Use regular clear tape to tape down the LED legs. Press the tape down firmly.

Test the circuit by pressing down on the copper
tape tab over the battery. This is your momentary switch. This can become an on/off switch by adding a vertical strip of folded clear tape that presses against the switch tab when mask is worn and the strap stretches and presses against switch.

Step 6: Adding Decorations

Decorate your mask to reflect your super hero power. As you add more decorations, you can think about what materials might create light diffusion over or around your light. Small foam balls and feather work well for this purpose.