LED Lighting on Group Projects

[John Hawkins]

Hi everyone! 

We're working on a project where 2nd grade students are building prototype signs. Like an exterior business sign. They want to put on LEDs for lettering. Has anyone ever messed around with cuttable LED light strips? How easy are they to use for multiple projects? Like could I buy one roll and a whole class cut and use it?

If so, any recs on the best equipment to get? Looking at like 16 groups.  

Thanks!

John

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John Hawkins

Lower School Science

Oak Hill School

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[Justin Schmidt]

In my experience the hard part is usually connecting to the cut ends to wires. I've tried buying clip on connectors which have been fiddly at best. Soldering works well but is challenging for beginners.

What about using cheap string lights instead? You can poke them through cardboard easily with all the wires hidden behind (have students use a sharp pencil to poke the holes if you don't have something like a makedo or other safe pokey tool) or taped flat under another layer of cardboard.

Could using a few LEDs and conductive tape (copper or nylon) work (like paper circuits)?

There's also EL wire that might be worth looking into. I think you can cut them to length easily but I don't think you can easily reconnect the cut parts to a battery.

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From: 'John Hawkins' via K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:13:07 AM
To: k-12-f...@googlegroups.com <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [k-12-fablabs] LED Lighting on Group Projects

 

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[Sandee Bisson]

John,

We've used this flexible LED filament for a similar project. It's a little pricey so we've made choosing one letter or design flourish to illuminate part of the design criteria. Example collage attached.

Sandee Bisson Maker Educator and Lower School STEAM Curriculum Designer 415-294-4901 office pronouns: she, her, hers  (why is this important?)

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[Rob Morrill]

We've had good luck using battery-powered fairy lights. Adafruit also makes a strip of neopixel lights with alligator clips that you can easily attach to a CPX or Micro:bit to program. (My claim to fame is that they made this product at my suggestion about 9 years ago.) Happy to provide same code if you go that route. Here's the link: https://www.adafruit.com/product/3811 

[John Hawkins]

Thanks!

[Joan Horvath]

Here's a lesson plan with step by step for cuttable lights; 2nd grade might be a bit young though. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10TWKw2JyQqLlzZSGt1hHwj67nApiGAoczLRvdDrW7KQ/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.9h551d3lgsfx

Joan Horvath

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On Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9:03:07 AM UTC-7 hawk...@oakhillschool.org wrote:

[Chris Reina]

Hi John,

+1 for Justin’s idea. I’ve done this myself and it’s cheap, easy and quickly satisfying.

If you want the project to be more like a “flashing neon” sign, you can snip off the battery packs of the string lights.

Then attach these to the business end of a SBC of some sort. (Micro:bit if you have it) No soldering required and simple easy code to flash the lights on and off.

Of course Arduino, RPi W or the like will work as well. These can be powered by cheap USB phone chargers. (Any will do once they output 5V). Not sure about the US, by in Ireland, we have “Euro Shops” that sell cheap stuff…

All materials mentioned can be purchased here (except SBCs) - are reusable for other projects afterwards.

Many thanks!

Chris

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[Kim Ducharme]

What a great lesson plan, and others' ideas and resources, as well. Thank you!

Kim 

Designer | Maker | Educator 
in/kimducharme
@ducharme.kim

[Tim Cooper]

I love all these ideas. I have used a lot of cheap fairy lights. If you have a laser cutter, some coloured transparent plastic letters could be an upgrade or a simpler trick would be coloured cellophane (if you have a cricut, you could use it to cut out letters on paer/cardboard or the cellophaen). I have done cards with leds and drawable or sticker circuit stuff. I find alligator clips need a lot of space and separation. I wrap them in electrical tap after so they don't short each other out.

Good luck,

Tim

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