# Capacitive Touch Holiday Light Control

## Materals

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/512/medium800thumb/proximity_On_Off.jpg?1448313742)

### Switch your holiday lights on and off with a wave of your hand. 

This simple project can be complete in an hour or two and requires no programming at all. It combines a PowerSwitch Tail II with a stand-alone capacitive touch sensor disguised as a holiday ornament.  The large area of the cap-touch sensor makes it extra sensitive.  You don’t need to actually touch it.  It can sense your hand from an inch or more away.

### To build this project, you will need:
### Capacitive Touch Toggle Switch

This will turn your holiday ornament into a touch sensor.

![proximity_1375-00.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/447/medium640/proximity_1375-00.jpg?1417568241)

### Powerswitch Tail

This will switch power to your lights.

![proximity_268-00.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/448/medium640/proximity_268-00.jpg?1417568347)

### 5v Power Supply and Adapter

Any small 3v-5v power supply will work.  See the links on the right for the exact model used for the prototype.

If your power supply comes with a barrel plug, the adapter will simplify the wiring.

![proximity_276-00.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/449/medium640/proximity_276-00.jpg?1417568415)

![proximity_368-00.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/450/medium640/proximity_368-00.jpg?1417568576)

### A Metallic Holiday Ornament

Choose a store-bought ornament, or make one yourself out of some heavy wire or metal rod.  

The only requirement is that it conduct electricity.

![proximity_IMG_5572.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/451/medium640/proximity_IMG_5572.jpg?1417568628)

![proximity_IMG_5577.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/452/medium640/proximity_IMG_5577.jpg?1417568665)

![proximity_IMG_5579.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/453/medium640/proximity_IMG_5579.jpg?1417568701)

![proximity_IMG_5616.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/454/medium640/proximity_IMG_5616.jpg?1417568749)

![proximity_IMG_5531.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/455/medium640/proximity_IMG_5531.jpg?1417568862)

### Some wire and cable ties.

You will need some 4-conductor wire to connect the touch sensor to the Powerswitch Tail.  

[Telephone modular cable](http://www.amazon.com/Line-Cord-Silver-Satin-Conductor/dp/B00HGDNE4S/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417570867&sr=1-6&keywords=phone+cord+4+conductor) is inexpensive and works well for this project.  You may even have some around the house somewhere (Remember when telephones had cords?)  Just cut the connectors off the end and strip the wires.

[Some cable ties](http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6235-Assorted-Cable-200-Piece/dp/B000NQ16NG/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417571251&sr=1-3&keywords=cable+ties) will help keep all the wiring nice and organized.  Electrical tape can be used instead if preferred.

 

# Capacitive Touch Holiday Light Control

## Wire it up

### Solder the wires to the sensor

Connect the wires to the sensor breakout as shown.

- Note that the black and green wires are twisted together and both soldered to the GND pin.  
-  Solder a short wire to the sensor pad and connect the other end to the ornament.  Make sure that it makes good electrical contact with the ornament.
-  You can disguise the sensor breakout with a bit of ribbon.

![proximity_IMG_5526.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/463/medium640/proximity_IMG_5526.jpg?1417570083)

![proximity_IMG_5527.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/464/medium640/proximity_IMG_5527.jpg?1417570106)

![proximity_IMG_5530.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/465/medium640/proximity_IMG_5530.jpg?1417570139)

### Connect the Powerswitch Tail

Connect the sensor and the power supply adapter to the Powerswitch Tail as shown in the diagram below:

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/457/medium800/proximity_LightSwitch_bb.png?1417569223)

### Wrap it up in a tidy package

Plug the power supply into the adapter and secure all the wiring with some cable ties or tape.

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/458/medium800/proximity_IMG_5525.jpg?1417569411)

# Capacitive Touch Holiday Light Control

## Light it up!

## Postion the touch-sensor ornament
![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/466/medium800/proximity_IMG_5532.jpg?1417570368)

## Add power

- Plug the lights into the PowerswitchTail
- Plug the Powerswitch Tail and the 5v Power Supply into an outlet

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/467/medium800/proximity_IMG_5536.jpg?1417570397)

## And touch to turn on! 
![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/515/medium800thumb/proximity_On_Off.jpg?1448313751)


## Featured Products

### Standalone Toggle Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout

[Standalone Toggle Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1375)
This breakout board is the simplest way to create a project with a single "toggle" capacitive touch sensor. No microcontroller is required here - just power with 1.8 to 5.5VDC and touch the pad to activate the sensor.  
  
This sensor is a toggle output type: touch-on then...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1375)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1375/guides)
### Powerswitch tail 2

[Powerswitch tail 2](https://www.adafruit.com/product/268)
[**The PST has been discontinued. Please check out the IoT Power Relay for an equivalent alternative. The IoT Power Relay has more outlets but otherwise is functionally the same, and at a similar price!**](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2935)

The Power Switch...

No Longer Stocked
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/268)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/268/guides)
### 5V 2A (2000mA) switching power supply - UL Listed

[5V 2A (2000mA) switching power supply - UL Listed](https://www.adafruit.com/product/276)
This is an FCC/CE certified and UL listed power supply. Need a lot of 5V power? This switching supply gives a clean regulated 5V output at up to 2000mA. 110 or 240 input, so it works in any country. The plugs are "US 2-prong" style so you may need a plug adapter, but you can pick one...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/276)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/276/guides)
### Female DC Power adapter - 2.1mm jack to screw terminal block

[Female DC Power adapter - 2.1mm jack to screw terminal block](https://www.adafruit.com/product/368)
If you need to connect a DC power wall wart to a board that doesn't have a DC jack - this adapter will come in very handy! There is a 2.1mm DC jack on one end, and a screw terminal block on the other. The terminals are labeled with positive/negative assuming a positive-tip configuration...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/368)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/368/guides)
### Controllable Four Outlet Power Relay Module version 2

[Controllable Four Outlet Power Relay Module version 2](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2935)
Say goodbye to hazardous high voltage wiring and create the [Internet of Things](https://www.adafruit.com/categories/342) with safe, reliable power control. The **IoT Power Relay**  from [Digital...](http://www.digital-loggers.com/iot.html)

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2935)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2935/guides)

## Related Guides

- [Adafruit Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakouts](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakouts.md)
- [Costume Triggers & Actuators](https://learn.adafruit.com/costume-triggers-and-switches.md)
- [Capacitive Touch Sensors on the Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/capacitive-touch-sensors-on-the-raspberry-pi.md)
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- [Calibrating Sensors](https://learn.adafruit.com/calibrating-sensors.md)
- [FunHouse Motion Detecting Lights with LIFX Bulbs](https://learn.adafruit.com/funhouse-motion-detecting-lighting-for-lifx-bulbs.md)
- [Adafruit VL53L4CX Time of Flight Distance Sensor](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-vl53l4cx-time-of-flight-distance-sensor.md)
- [Ultrasonic Sonar Distance Sensors](https://learn.adafruit.com/ultrasonic-sonar-distance-sensors.md)
- [Magic Mirror with Glowing Secret Messages](https://learn.adafruit.com/magic-mirror-with-glowing-secret-messages.md)
- [Wireless Security Camera with the Arduino Yun](https://learn.adafruit.com/wireless-security-camera-arduino-yun.md)
- [Adafruit Proximity Trinkey](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-proximity-trinkey.md)
- [Proximity Based Lighting](https://learn.adafruit.com/proximity-based-lighting.md)