The fun fur we're using makes a great diffuser, but if it's laid directly on the pixels you will still see individual pixels in a grid through the fur. I wanted a more diffused look, with bands of color instead of discernible pixels. The cheapest and easiest way to add more diffusion is with open space. Holding the fur an inch or two above the pixels creates an unbeatable layer of diffusion.
Check out our NeoPixel Diffusion guide for more ideas.
To achieve this, I stretched the fun fur across a 2" deep frame that we made in our garage wood shop. The frame is fully covered by the fur, so we used ugly scrap wood for the edges and repurposed a sheet of 1/4" birch plywood for the backing.
If you don't have your own wood shop, it's not hard to find deep-set picture frames at thrift stores. My local Goodwill has an incredible selection of pictures with frames for around $5, and they already come with hanging hardware.
The frame is made from 2" x 1" pieces of scrap wood, screwed into a box. We got a little fancy and ran them through the table saw at about 1/4" depth, to make a slot for the plywood backing.
The foam core is mounted inside the frame using a staple gun.
We used a palm router to rout out a hole for the switch, so that it sits flush with the outer edge of the frame. It will be covered by the fun fur, but still accessible by feel.
There is a hole drilled all the way through on one side, to feed the power cables through.
We routed another hole in the back of the frame where the Feather is going to be mounted. This wiring layout doesn't allow reprogramming through the USB power cable, so this hole will allow access to the Feather's USB port for reprogramming without taking the whole piece apart.
Some final wiring is needed to get the power switch on the outside of the frame. Cut the two power wires coming from the switch, thread them through the hole, then reconnect them.
If your pixels seem a bit dim at the top of the matrix, this is a good time to splice in another red and black wire and connect it to the far end of your strip (mine's in the upper left corner). Power flows both directions through these strips, while data has to go from IN to OUT. Connecting power and ground at both ends of the strip will give you a more even power distribution and correct for any dimness caused by voltage drop across a long run of LEDs.
Here's the switch nestled into its hole. I finished by gluing the Feather board against the frame with hot glue, making sure the USB port is accessible through the hole in the back of the frame, then used a few dabs of hot glue to manage the wires so they don't cast any shadows on the fur.
The USB power cable plugs into the switch at the corner, which is handy because now I can hang the piece either horizontally or vertically and the cable will drop from the corner instead of the side.
When laying out your fun fur, give some thought to the orientation. This stuff is directional -- there's one way you can smooth it down so it looks neat and tidy. I've found it looks best when it's hung so that it "pets" downward.
Cut the fun fur from the back side with a sharp utility knife to minimize fuzz bunnies. Make it a few inches larger than your frame on all sides. Stretch it tightly across the frame and secure it with a staple gun.
Be careful to ONLY staple around the wooden frame and NOT through the plywood backing. If a staple hits one of your strips it could damage it or short it out, which would be very sad and frustrating at this point in the project. Stick to the edge, all you staple fiends.
Cut a little slit for the USB cable. It can also be helpful to grade out the corners a bit if they seem too bulky.
There's an art to hiding the power cords for light-up art pieces.
- Use a white USB cable
- Use a wire cover system
- If the cord really bugs you, this LED Floor guide shows you how to poke a hole in the wall and drop the cable down inside, then fish it out of a second hole near the outlet with a coat hanger.
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