Pinewood Derby Season is Coming

Hey everyone!  Happy Thursday.  Today I want to share with you a fun project I made.  Lots of talk these days with friends about scouts, seeing all their cub scout photos, remembering our scouting days.  Anyway that got me to thinking....I love playing with electricity and circuits (thus the reason I am working with Chibitronics)...what if I lit up a pinewood derby car?

Well, after years of Cub Scouts and Y-Guides, I had quite a few cars to choose from.  I chose to go with the fire engine that Brighton made oh so many years ago (maybe 10?).  Anyway, what would be more fun than adding flashing lights, just like a real fire engine.

So, here is the fire engine that Brighton made all those years ago.

I began by placing my Chibitronics Copper tape in parallel across the top and wrapped it under the body of the fire engine.

I added three lights, two red and one white.  Chibitronics chibi lights come in a variety of colors, and if you want you can even color them with Sharpie for a custom color.

Well, a car that lights up is pretty cool, right...but this is a fire engine, those lights need to blink.  lol  So I added in the twinkle effects sticker.  There are a total of four effects in the pack, I did the blinking before on a gift bag, so I decided to try the twinkle.  Now, this car has seen its days racing down the track.  If you wanted to do this for a real race, you would want to hollow out the area where the battery sits so that it doesn't come into contact with the track.

You Warm My Heart Light Up Box

Hey everyone!  Hope your day is off to a great start!  Today I wanted to share with you a project I made featuring a fun, new, company; Chibitronics.  I met this fun group back at CHA and was given a set of their unique LED circuits to play with.  They have a starter kit that contains everything you need to get going with creating your own light up circuits.  Being a homeschooler, and having built many circuits over the years, I thought I was quite the pro.  Yeah, I can build a circuit....but the copper foil tape definitely took a bit to get used to, so be sure and practice in the book before committing anything to your project.

You Warm My Heart Light Up Box

You Warm My Heart Box Supplies:

• Chibitronics Sticker Starter Kit
• Core'dinations Neutrals 12x12 Brown
• Core'dinations Core Basics Brown Large Dot
• Core'dinations Glitter Silk 12x12
• Core'dinations Vellum Quotes 
• SVGCuts Camp Firefly SVG files
• Sizzix Texture Fades Embossing Folders Brick/Woodgrain  
• Misc. Rhinestones

Step 1:  Cut all pieces needed and emboss using the Sizzix Texture fade.  I used my Cricut Explore.

Step 2:  Assemble box as per instructions.  Yep, didn't follow the instructions well, so my box has a few irregularities.  

Step 3:  This was the fun part.  Build your circuit.  Remember when I told you to practice before trying to lay out your circuit on the finished project?  Making turns with the copper tape takes a bit of practice.  My first circuit did not look this pretty.  The glitter paper and the copper tape did not play nicely.  lol

Step 4:  Add additional LED lights as desired.  I decided to add a few more to give the fire a nice glow. Seriously, how cool is that?  The circuits are super easy to build.  This one is in parallel, but I may try a series next.

 

Here is the box in a darkened room....look at the glow from the fire!  I can't wait to see what else I can light up.  Definitely thinking a camera....with a switch....so I can make it flash!  Oh, and a new baby card (have a girlfriend about to be a grandma)....twinkling stars?  The possibilities are endless.

Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs.