I’m unusually enthusiastic about this holiday season. I’ve already started making gifts and holiday decorations. I made a few handmade LED snowflake ornaments that I would like to share with the community. They are super-easy to make and only take about 15-20 minutes each (depends on how long you experiment with the beading). This is the first project that I’ve really “beaded” but I can imagine such beautiful forms from crafters/makers with actual beading experience.
The tutorial does require soldering. Enjoy the tutorial below. If this project inspires you make your own LED ornaments, please share it with us! I’d love to see them! Materials: — 3″ Head Pins {6} Any conductive wire can be used—brass, nickel and copper jewelry wire works great. — Beads (with a large center-hole to fit head pin AND wire wrap wire) — Crimp Beads {6} *optional — 3 or 5mm LED — Wire Wrap Wire {12″} You can substitute wire wrap for any other thin insulated wire — Metallic Magnetic Jewelry Clasp — 3V Coin Cell Battery — Solder Tools — Needle-nose pliers — Wire cutter and stripper — Soldering Iron — Glue Gun
Step One:
String the beads on the head pin, leaving at least 1/4″ of the pin free on opposite end. If you have crimp beads handy, add a crimp bead at each end to prevent the beads from moving. Repeat four times, creating a total of 5 beaded pins.
Step Two:
Cut the wire into one 8″ and 4″ piece. Strip 1″ of wire off both ends. For the 6th pin, string the beads along the 8″ wire AND pin. (If the center hole of a bead is too small to fit both the wire and pin, string the bead on the pin only.)
Step Three:
Using wire cutters, trim the LED leads to about 1/2″.
Step Four:
Insert the LED in between two beaded pins, one with the wire and one without the wire. If the LED lead fits, secure the lead inside the last bead of each pin, making sure the LED lead and pin overlap. Solder the LED lead to the beaded pin with the wire, making sure that you do NOT solder the wire accidentally. You will be soldering the wire to the opposite pin. Wrap the stripped end of the wire around the LED lead and pin (without wire). Solder, creating a nice solder joint.
Step Five:
Using a hot glue gun, glue the remaining four beaded pins symmetrically to the center of the LED.
Step Six:
Wrap one stripped end of the 4″ wire around the loop of a magnetic clasp. Wrap the opposite end around the loop of the pin. Solder.
Step Seven:
Wrap the stripped end of the 8″ wire around the loop of the remaining magnetic clasp. Solder.
Step Eight:
Congratulations! Your ornament is complete! Place the battery in between the two magnetic clasps and check to see if your LED light is on. If the LED does not turn on, flip the battery! Note: To turn the ornament off, simply flip the battery. If you are planning on making more than one LED ornament, it is more efficient to create an “power ribbon” using traces of conductive thread connected to a rechargeable battery. Later this week, I will upload a diagram of the “power ribbon”. Download LED Ornament Tutorial
