Introduction: Iphone / Touchscreen Compatible Gloves
i recently moved to the washington dc area from florida and have been forced to face . . . winter. i know there are those of you that would say that the winters in DC arent THAT bad (im looking at YOU fargo, nd) but coming from the sunny beaches of fort lauderdale to here was a big adjustment to me. long johns, gloves, scarves and jackets are things you cant even BUY down there.
as the days got colder in the fall i quickly learned that gloves and the touch screen on my iphone did not mix. for a while i got around it by answering the phone with my nose or giving in and ungloving one hand. i even tried fingerless mittens for awhile but found them obnoxious.
so, when i heard that there were gloves out there that were compatible with touch screens i researched them all and decided to purchase some dots gloves . i ordered them back in early december expecting them to be here by the first week of january but they never showed. a little internet research revealed that the company has a bad reputation for not fulfilling orders or communicating with their customers, so i cancelled the order with paypal and got my money back.
i briefly considered buying the north face versions but they want $40 for 'em. worse than that, it seems like they're always sold out. i also considered a sausage stylus like the koreans do but there's lots of PETA people around DC, so that could be dangerous.
so, inspired by another instructable , i decided to make my own. but rather than a lump of thread, i wanted to come up with a more elegant solution.
as the days got colder in the fall i quickly learned that gloves and the touch screen on my iphone did not mix. for a while i got around it by answering the phone with my nose or giving in and ungloving one hand. i even tried fingerless mittens for awhile but found them obnoxious.
so, when i heard that there were gloves out there that were compatible with touch screens i researched them all and decided to purchase some dots gloves . i ordered them back in early december expecting them to be here by the first week of january but they never showed. a little internet research revealed that the company has a bad reputation for not fulfilling orders or communicating with their customers, so i cancelled the order with paypal and got my money back.
i briefly considered buying the north face versions but they want $40 for 'em. worse than that, it seems like they're always sold out. i also considered a sausage stylus like the koreans do but there's lots of PETA people around DC, so that could be dangerous.
so, inspired by another instructable , i decided to make my own. but rather than a lump of thread, i wanted to come up with a more elegant solution.
Step 1: What You'll Need
1. some gloves you wont miss if you screw this up
2. some conductive fabric ($10-20 from sparkfun depending on how fancy you wanna get)
3. scissors
4. a sewing needle and thread that matches your gloves (free in hotel rooms!)
optional
1. conductive thread (also available from sparkfun) for making your stitches.
2. some conductive fabric ($10-20 from sparkfun depending on how fancy you wanna get)
3. scissors
4. a sewing needle and thread that matches your gloves (free in hotel rooms!)
optional
1. conductive thread (also available from sparkfun) for making your stitches.
Step 2: Turn Gloves Inside Out
Step 3: Cut Out Fingertips
cut out a fingertip sized patch of fabric from the pointer finger and thumb of your gloves. remember, you turned them inside out so the bottom of the glove is now the top. to make sure you get it right, put them on the opposite hands.
if you have non-knit gloves use seams holding the gloves together as your guide--just take the fingertip apart at the seams.
save that piece of fabric that you cutout as your template for the next step
if you have non-knit gloves use seams holding the gloves together as your guide--just take the fingertip apart at the seams.
save that piece of fabric that you cutout as your template for the next step
Step 4: Make a Conductive Fabric Fingertip
cut out a piece of conductive fabric the same size as the piece you just cut out of your gloves. if they were fabric gloves, make the bottom side a little longer to accommodate the new seam. if they were knit gloves make it bigger all the way around.
Step 5: Patch the Hole With the Fancy Fabric!
while still inside out, plug that hole you made with your new patch of conductive fabric. when its good and done turn the glove back to right side out and you'll be texting in no time!