Create Projects That React to Light! Did you know that a light sensor can add interactivity to your artwork by making it react to the presence or absence of light? Did you know that the Chibitronics Light Sensor Sticker can be used with or without a microcontroller? While both the Chibitronics Light Sensor Bundle and […]
Diamond Painting—with White Blink Animating LEDs: By Emily Brooks
Rhinestone Earth, Twinkling Stars: Bright Fun With Faux Gems! (by Emily Brooks) “Be humble for you are made of earth, be noble for you are made of stars.” Have you tried diamond painting? It is such a soothing, relaxing craft where rhinestones are kind of like pixels making up the dots of the image. I […]
Students at NEU Combine Story, STEAM Learning, & LED Stickers
Hello World! In January of 2025, students attending a Physical Computing course at Northeastern University worked with Chibitronics Circuit Sticker LEDs and copper tape to create personal works of glowing art. As part of the university’s coursework in its College of Art, Media, and Design (CAMD), this was a novel experience — the first time […]
Light-Up Dragon Bookmark by Emily Brooks
Here Be Dragons! For all my fellow dragon-loving readers, this light-up bookmark is for you! Did you know that cartographers inscribed “Hic Sunt Dracones (Here Be Dragons)” in a copper globe over 500 years ago? On the back of this bookmark is a map near the edge of the Northern Hemisphere, and on the front […]
Flattening Octagon Tunnel Book Featuring Chibitronics
Make a Glowing Book That Fits in an Envelope In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create an octagon-shaped illuminated tunnel book that collapses flat. Tunnel books are three-dimensional works of art that feature cut paper images. When viewed through the front cover, the layers appear to unite as part of a cohesive […]
12 Bright Project Ideas to Try in 2025
Happy New Year! The promise of a new year is ripe for reflection, imagination, and curiosity. It’s also an ideal time to explore hobbies, build skills, and experiment with fresh ideas! In addition to creating a dazzling collection of light-up greeting cards, the 2024 Chibitronics Design Team produced a diverse collection of projects that integrated […]
Light Up a Faux Gingerbread House with Chibitronics LEDs (by Emily Brooks)
Candy for the Eyes! Did you know that November 4th is National Candy Day? What better way to celebrate this sweet part of the season than with a light-up gingerbread house using some recycled materials, some hot glue, some circuit stickers, and some imagination. Materials Required: Directions: Step 1: Print and Cut Out Template Step […]
Spooky, Tilt-Sensing Tunnel Book with Chibitronics LEDs
View Video In this video tutorial, I’ll show you a way to create a Halloween-themed, octagon-shaped, illuminated tunnel book that turns on and off with help from a tilt sensor. You will find the complete supply list, downloadable cut files, and printable circuit diagrams below. A traditional tilt-sensor is a small cylinder wrapped around two […]
Guest Post: How to Make a Light-Up Pop-Up Birthday Card
Guest Post: Krafti Karma Today’s video tutorial was created by an enterprising young crafter, Taryn, who creates under the moniker Krafti Karma. Based in Northern California, Taryn is a high school sophomore who enjoys traveling, volunteering for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, and teaching kids at Peninsula Bridge. A recipient of a […]
Educator & Lesson Spotlight: Leveling Up (& Lighting Up) Book Clubs with Aubrey Garrison
Spotlight on Aubrey Garrison Integrating circuits, art, and literature is not always an easy feat! In today’s post, we are featuring a dynamic middle school educator who boldly reimagines book reports and book clubs to be much more engaging and exciting for students. Language Arts teacher Aubrey Garrison, in collaboration with Jill Dawson, has created […]
How to Make a Flickering Jack-O-Lantern with Chibitronics White Fade LED Stickers (by Emily Brooks)
Video Tutorial For everyone that knows that Halloween is a season, not a day, this light-up pop-up jack-o-lantern card video tutorial is for you! Watch the video to see how to make your own paper pumpkin pop-up! Materials: Step 1: Prep Your Jack-O-Lantern Piece Choose one of the four options below to create your Jack-O-Lantern. […]
PopUpTober: Light-up, Slot & Joint Mechanism (featuring Chibitronics)
Slot & Joint Video Tutorial: Introduction: In this video tutorial for #PopUpTober, I’ll show you two different methods for building a light-up pop-up mechanism called a Slot and Joint. A Slot and Joint mechanism is useful for creating pop-ups that appear to jut out from a parallelogram adhered to a base card. This type of […]