In this project we’ll show you how to build a coffee cup lamp using an Adafruit Circuit Playground Express and Microsoft Makecode.

 

We'll design our lamp out of a paper cup and use capacitive touch to change the colors of the LEDs!

 

You can build your own capacitive touch pads using conductive tape.

 

So get ready to go on an adventure and learn how to craft your own paper cup lamp!

Program your Circuit Playground Express using code blocks in Microsoft Makecode.

 

Drag and drop to create interactive lights that change colors by using the sensors and inputs on-board the circuit playground.

 

Get inspired to make paper crafts of your favorite characters and build a scene straight out the tree fort!

Prerequisite Guides

 

There's resources in these guides that go beyond what's covered in this tutorial. MakeCode guide is all about setting up your Circuit Playground Express board.

 

TheCircuit Playground Express introduction guide walks you through all of the pinouts, sensors and everything you need to know.

 

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...
$24.95
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
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You'll need conductive tape, you can use either copper foil or conductive nylon tape:

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...
Out of Stock

OR

Conductive Nylon Fabric Tape - 5mm Wide
With our fun assortment of conductive materials, 
$2.95
In Stock
1 x Foam Tape
Foam Tape
1 x Paper Coffee Cup with Lid (12oz)
Paper Coffee Cup with Lid (12oz)
1 x Scissors
Scissors

This guide was first published on Jan 07, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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

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