Most of the time, we wear masks to help us stay safe. But sometimes, it's fun to add a little life to your facewear. This mask uses an Adafruit Circuit Playground Express board to flash a shiny smile whenever you talk, using its built-in sound sensor and easy-to-learn Microsoft MakeCode programming!

This mask itself is simple to sew by hand or on a machine and comfortable to wear. It's got two layers of fabric with a pouch that can hold a filter -- or your CPX. 

It's a great project for kids (or anyone) who are just learning to sew and learning to code!

Parts List -- Electronics

About all you need for this project is a Circuit Playground Express programmable microcontoller board, a USB cable to transfer the programming from your computer to the board, and a AAA battery holder to make it portable. These are all contained in the CPX Base Kit, or you can buy what you need separately. You'll also need extension wires (one for a child, or chain two together for an adult) that can connect the board in your mask with the battery pack in your pocket.

Materials List -- Household and Crafts Supplies

Other supplies you will need include:

• 8 inch by 16 inch piece of tightly-woven cotton fabric ("quilting fabric"), preferably in a dark color
• two (2) pieces of t-shirt yarn or other cord, about 28 inches long

Optional:

• 4 inch long piece of twist-tie or other wire
• two (2) plastic beads with a large opening ("pony beads")
• pair of peel-and-stick Velcro dots
• disposible, non-woven filter layer, such as a coffee filter, one ply of paper towel, or waffle-pattern conference tote bag material.

The mask in this project is based on the "Imara mask" designed by Airigami artist Kelly Cheatle (original printable instructions here). It's a two-layer mask with a pouch to hold a disposable filter (made from a piece of non-woven material, such as a single ply of paper towel) and a casing or tunnel where you can insert a wire to make it fit better over the bridge of your nose. It also offers comfy ties that can go behind your head as well as around your ears.

All you need to make it is a rectangle of fabric (8 inches by 16 inches) and two cords made from t-shirt yarn (long narrow strips of t-shirt material pulled until they curl up).

The mask is sized for an adult, but easy to adjust by scrunching up the sides. The width when finished is 7 1/2 inches, and should fit snugly against your cheeks. If you need to make the mask smaller (or larger), just size the rectangle down (or up).

One change from the original pattern: You'll need to add a 1/2-inch gap in the stitching along the bottom to run a wire from the battery pack in your pocket to the Circuit Playground Express board inside the mask.

Here's what to do:

Sew the Top and Sides

Sew Side Casings to Hold the Cords

Add Nose Wire and Finish the Cords

To make the mask light up when you talk, you'll be programming the Circuit Playground Express using Microsoft MakeCode. It's really easy to learn and fun to play around with! You can use it online at the Adafruit MakeCode site, or offline with the Windows 10 app on your computer. If you've never used MakeCode before, there's a guide to getting started here.

First, you'll figure out how to program the ring of lights on the CPX to look like a mouth opening, closing, and smiling. Then you'll add code to trigger the lights using the sound sensor/microphone built into the board.

The instructions below show two ways to trigger the lights respond to your voice. One uses a pre-built code block called on loud. You can check out the completed code of that version by clicking the button here.

If you need to fine-tune your code to make your talking mask work better, go on to the steps that show you how to adjust the sound sensor to respond to the volume that you set using the sound level block. This version was adapted from the Sound Activated Shark Mask learning guide. The button below takes you to sample code using that method:

Program the Lights

The first step is to make the lights flash in a pattern that looks like a mouth talking. To do this, imagine turning the Circuit Playground Express board simulation on the screen sideways, so that the lights go across the top and the bottom.

When all the lights are lit, the "mouth" is open.

With just the bottom row lit up, the lights form a little smile.

The pattern of lights used in the example shown here is:

• The open mouth flashes on and off twice.
• The smile flashes on for a moment, then turns off.

You'll be building this part of the code using the show ring block from the LIGHT category of blocks in the menu column. Change the colors of the ring of lights by clicking on a color in the center of the diagram and then on the lights you want to change.

To test your program, insert the code inside the forever block that's already in the workspace whenever you open a new project. Here's how:

Program the Sound Sensor/Microphone

Now it's time to add the sound sensor to trigger the pattern of lights!

Follow the instructions on the MakeCode guide to download your program to your CPX board.

Then test to see whether this will work for your mask by putting the CPX board near your mouth. Say something in your normal speaking voice.

If the lights don't turn on, go on to the next section and try creating some code that lets you adjust the sound sensor.

That's it! You've set the sound sensor to trigger your code when the sound level gets to 140 or above. Again, follow the instructions on the MakeCode guide to download your program to your CPX board.

Test out this setting the same way you did before and adjust it lower or higher to work with your mask.

When everything's working, go to the last page to see how to insert the electronics into your mask.

Once your mask is done and the Circuit Playground Express is programmed, you can add all the electronics to the mask!

The CPX board slips right into the filter pouch. You can carry the AAA battery pack in a pocket, or use the belt clip to attach it to a piece of clothing.

Make sure it won't snag on anything as you walk around. You may want to thread the extension wire down into your collar and under your shirt.