Light-up Music Box for My Valentine (You Are My Sunshine)

A Music Box for my Valentine complete with a light-up, tie-dye stained glass sunshine.

Step 1:

Parts List:
Wooden Box (holds the parts and presents as the final project)
Micro switch (allows everything to cut on when the box lid is opened)
Music box (electric motorized) [Mine plays "You are my Sunshine"]
Dual AA battery holder (Power)
6x LED's (I chose Yellow)
Plexiglass (box lid measures 7.5" x 7.25")
Variable Resistor (to tune the speed of the music box)
Scrap pieces of wood (to cover the music box and make a lip for the glass to mount in.)
Felt (To cover the inside storage area of the box)

Decoration:
Wood Stain
Gallery Glass Window Color - Stained Glass Paint
Black acrylic paint

Step 2:

Before I started working on the box I went ahead and attached lead wires on the components I would be using. Just be sure to make the switch wired to come on as the box is opened. I will go over the actual wiring on the music box in a later step.

First:
Start by drilling a hole through the back bottom portion of the wooden box. You will need to be able to turn the variable resistor to "tune" the speed of the music box with a screw driver. This is also particularly handy if the music box roller gets stuck as turning up the resistor will unstick it. (Picture 1)

Second:
Measure and cut a hole in the bottom of the box for the AA battery holder, you will want to make the hole a little larger than the holder so that it can be opened after being mounted into the box. (Picture 2)

Third:
Mount the AA battery holder into the box with wooden strips using a hot glue gun. Be careful not to glue the part of the battery holder that needs to open in order to change the batteries. (Picture 3)

Step 3:

Fourth:
- Drill a series of holes that will allow the micro-switch's body to mount flush. (Picture 1)
- Drill a smaller hole through the center of this hole most of the way to the bottom of the box.
- Drill a third hole through the inside of the box to connect with the deeper hole. (Picture 2)

Fifth:
Flush mount the micro-switch in the top hole with the wires protruding through the hole in the inside of the box. (Picture 3)

Step 4:

Sixth:
Mount the variable resistor centered in it's hole and glue into place with hot glue as shown.

Seventh:
Mount the music box mechanics with a spare wooden strip and hot glue into place. The music box relies on resonance so a wooden strip was used to apply pressure to the mechanics against the bottom of the wooden box.

Eighth: WIRING:(Picture 2)
The resistor is wired between the positive side of the music box and battery holder.
The switch is wired between the battery holders ground and the music boxes ground.
The LED's are wired to the music boxes ground and the positive is wired to the battery box, skipping the resistor.

Step 5:

Ninth:
Stain the outside of the box with the finish of your choice, I chose a mahogany and stained over the brass hardware for an antique effect. (Picture 1)

Tenth:
Stain the inside sides of the box, you will see some wood that will not be covered in felt. (Picture 2)

Step 6:

Eleventh:
Make a frame out of wooden strips to cover the electronics and mechanics. (Picture 1)

Twelfth:
Cover the top of the frame with a flat piece of wood and fill in the front of the frame with a another strip. (Picture 2)

Step 7:

Thirteenth:
Cut and place a single piece of felt for the bottom of the wooden box and extend it all the way up to cover the wires from the LED's.
Cut additional strips of felt to go around the inside.
Attach the felt with fabric glue.

Step 8:

Fourteenth:
Using wood strips build a frame around the inside of the wooden box's lid, this will provide a lip for the acrylic insert for the stained glass. (Picture 1)

Fifteenth:
Cutout a piece of plexiglass to fit the inside dimension of the wooden box's lid.

Sixteenth:
Cover the plexiglass with a border of felt in the shape of your choice, in my example I wanted a circle. Attach the felt with fabric glue. (Picture 2)

Step 9:

Seventeenth:
Arrange and hot glue the LED's facing towards the center of your plexiglass. Additionally I placed 2 in the center to give my sun some emphasis.

Step 10:

Eighteenth:
Paint the back of the plexiglass under felt with the Black acrylic paint, this will keep the light from showing through the felt.

Nineteenth:
Decorate the plexiglass with the stained glass paint and allow to dry thoroughly.

Twentieth:
Glue the plexiglass insert into the top of the wooden boxes lid using hot glue.

Twenty-first:
Attach a chain from a 1/4 of the way up the inside of the boxes lid to the inside of the side of the box, this will hold the box lid upright when fully opened.