With our Geek Chic theme in full swing this month, we just had to offer an excerpt from our favorite book on smart crafting, Fashioning Technology by Syuzi Pakhchyan. This DIY Intro to Smart Crafting is precisely that: it offers everything you need to get started blending “traditional and unorthodox crafting techniques with new, intelligent materials to create objects that are interactive and responsive.” The book starts out with a 75-page primer including graphical materials and tools indices as well as tutorials covering everything from building a simple circuit to choosing a power supply and sewing soft circuits.
The Space Invaders Tote is a fun, simple project that involves a little soldering, a little desoldering, and gets you started sewing soft circuits. When you’re done, turn off the ringer on your cellphone, throw it in the tote, and your Space Invader’s eyes will light up when you’re getting an incoming call.
Download the Space Invaders Tote PDF for the full project.
In the Maker Shed:
