LED Name Tag

Maker Foundations Course Overview and Objectives LED Name Tag

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Project Overview

The LED Name Tag is an icebreaker as well as an introduction to basic circuitry. This is a great project to do on the first day of a longer program or as a one-off project in drop-in programming. You’re encouraged to explore and have fun with the prompt!

Project Objectives

Using the available materials, design a name tag that represents something about yourself.

Materials

You’ll need the following supplies for this project:

Coin cell battery
At least 1 LED (10mm LEDs work well)
Felt
Adhesive felt
Markers
Scissors
Yarn or pinback

Prompt

Design a name tag with an LED that represents something about yourself.

Steps

The construction and creation of the name tag are completely up to you. Design something that answers the prompt and uses the material. There are several ways to approach this project. These steps outline one of the most important parts – lighting up an LED with a coin cell battery.

Step 1: Look at the LED

LED with the longer, positive leg (the anode) and the shorter, negative leg (the cathode)

LEDs have 2 legs and a bulb.

The longer leg is positive and is called the anode.

The shorter leg is negative and is called the cathode.

Step 2: Look at the Coin Cell Battery

Both sides of a coin cell battery - showing the smooth, positive side and the textured, negative side.

Coin cell batteries have 2 sides: positive and negative.

The smooth side is positive and is called the anode.

The textured side is negative and is called the cathode.

Step 3: Connect the LED and Coin Cell

LED connected to a coin cell battery - positive to positive and negative to negative

‘Sandwich’ the coin cell battery between the LED legs.

Connect the positive sides to each other

Connect the negative sides to each other

Once you connect the coin cell battery and the LED, the LED lights up!

Step 4: Create Your Name Tag

‘Sandwich’ the coin cell battery between the LED legs.

Connect the positive sides to each other

Connect the negative sides to each other

If your LED doesn’t light up, doublecheck that the positive leg of the LED is touching the positive side of the battery, and the negative leg is touching the negative side of the battery.

Creating the Name Tag

Two LED Name Tags on top of a Maker's Notebook — Our name tags from the first day of *Maker Foundations* in 2015

Design the rest of your name tag! Remember, it should represent something about yourself.

Once you have an idea of where you’d like to place the LED, poke the legs through the felt.

After the legs are through the felt, wrap the battery with the legs and test that your LED turns on.

Use the adhesive felt to secure the battery in place!

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