Hat Installation

The Adafruit Feather and LiPo battery fits nicely inside the lining of the hat. Just unfold the flap and drop in the feather and battery. You can secure the electronics but I kept them loose so I can quickly remove them if needed.

Make A Hole

Create a small incision in the seam of the hat using a sharp hobby knife.

Slit

To make the wiring more discreet, fit the JST connector through the slit. You can use a seam ripper to create a clean opening. Cutting the fabric can leave frayed edges so you’ll need to be careful.

Thread JST Cable

With the incision now large enough, you can insert the connector and pull the wiring through.

Adjust Strip

Take a moment to adjust the placement of the strip and ensure it's in a position that looks straight.

Affix NeoPixel Strip

I used hot glue to affix the NeoPixel strip to the front of the hat. My glue gun has a fine tipped nozzle which I found to be really helpful. 

Secure NeoPixel Strip

Press the strip onto the hat to make sure the hot glue has a good hold of the fabric.

Manage Hot Glue Application

You’ll want to be careful not to use too much glue or it may leave a stain on the outside. Otherwise, I found this to work pretty well.

Install the NeoPixel Strip

And there you have it! That’s how you can add NeoPixels to your hat. You can use the switch to power the circuit on and off.

Adding Bling

You can add crystals to each NeoPixel for additional diffusion.

The crystals appear really nice as is and looks even better with the LEDs on.

This guide was first published on Aug 13, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

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

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