An infinity mirror is an optical illusion that makes a single row of lights look like countless rows of lights, receding into the void forever. It's created by placing a one-way mirror over a second mirror with lights in-between. The lights turn the upper mirror transparent from the outside. Inside, the two mirrored surfaces reflect each other in ever decreasing images. The lights appear to be marching in perspective towards a vanishing point, which gives them the feeling of depth. 

This guide will show you how to build an infinity mirror box lid and light it two different ways:

  • a Mini Box that uses press-on Circuit Sticker LEDs
  • an Animated Box that uses a strip of NeoPixels controlled by an Adafruit Gemma M0 programmed in beginner-friendly MakeCode.

Both versions can be used to store treasures after the candy is gone and are kid-friendly. The Animated Box uses AAA batteries (rather than LiPo) and a Gemma M0 microcontroller that's inexpensive enough to build in permanently.

Try one or both!

Parts List -- Mini Box Version

Large roll of quarter-inch wide copper tape.
Copper tape can be an interesting addition to your toolbox. The tape itself is made of thin pure copper so its extremely flexible and can take on nearly any shape. You can easily...
$5.95
In Stock
Front shot of CR2032 Lithium Coin Cell Battery upright.
A perfect match for our sew-able coin cell holder. This non-rechargeable coin cell is CR2032 sized: 20mm diameter, 3.2mm thick. It...
Out of Stock

Parts List -- Animated Version

Pink polished fingers holding a Adafruit GEMMA M0 - Miniature wearable electronic platform.
The Adafruit Gemma M0 is a super small microcontroller board, with just enough built-in to create many simple projects. It may look small and cute: round, about the...
$9.95
In Stock
Adafruit NeoPixel LED 0.5 meter Strip with Alligator Clips wired to Circuit Playground, lighting up rainbow
Adding glowy color to your projects has never been easier: no more soldering or stripping wires, clip 'em on and glow! This Adafruit NeoPixel LED Strip with Alligator...
Out of Stock
USB cable - USB A to Micro-B - 3 foot long
This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or...
$2.95
In Stock
Front angled shot of 3 x AAA battery holder with on-off switch and 2-pin JST PH connector.
This battery holder connects 3 AAA batteries together in series for powering all kinds of projects. We spec'd these out because the box is slim, and 3 AAA's add up to about...
$1.95
In Stock
Angled shot of 3 PKcell AAA batteries.
Battery power for your portable project! These batteries are good quality at a good price, and work fantastic with any of the kits or projects in the shop that use AAA's. This is a...
$1.50
In Stock

Suggested Materials List -- Both Versions

If you don't have any of the items below, you can probably substitute from crafts materials you have on hand.

For either box:

  • heart-shaped candy box with thin flat top:
    • Mini Box -- about 4 inches wide, holding three pieces of chocolate
    • Animated Box -- about 7 inches wide, holding eight pieces of chocolate
  • black cardstock or poster board
  • one-way mirror window film (such as this) -- sold in large rolls, but you only need two pieces about the size of your box
  • glue stick
  • clear tape
  • scrap cardboard, cardstock, or paper

For the Animated Box:

  • mini zip ties
  • clear removable adhesive mini-squares (such as these) to make it easier to attach and detach the microcontroller and battery pack
  • shiny red cardboard (such as this) to extend the lid

This guide was first published on Feb 05, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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