NeoPixel LED Jewelry

In this guide, we'll build a Legend of Zelda themed pendant. This wearable necklace features the Sheikah symbol and glows nicely making a chic accessory. The parts are 3D printed and snap fit together. Illuminating the pendant is a NeoPixel Jewel which features 7 smart RGB LEDs. Driving the NeoPixels is an Adafruit GEMMA M0, which runs the CircuitPython code base. So, do you want to forge one yourself? Let's get started!

Remix, remake or whatever

If you've made it past the thumbnail, you're probably interested in The Legend of Zelda. But if Zelda isn't your cup o' tea, it's totally possible to re-skin and theme this as whatever you want. Maybe you want to make this as a gift for a friend who's into some other Sci-Fi / fantasy stuff. Maybe they like sports. Or maybe you're into cosplay and need a specific theme. This type of project could potentially sell at craft fairs, make a great listing on your Etsy store or just look good displayed at an art gallery.

Getting 3D Printed Parts

If you don't have a 3D printer laying around, you don't necessarily need to own one. There's lots of ways to obtain the 3D printed parts. The easiest is to send the 3D files to 3DHubs.com and have a local maker 3D print and ship the parts to you. Another option is to search your area for a maker/hacker space or even a library, as some of them have 3D printers now. Either way, there's lots of relatively affordable 3D printers on the market today, some even as low as $150! 

Project Expectations

Although this project may look easy enough to build, it does require a bit of some finesse and craftsmanship. To fit everything into a nice little package requires shortening a lipo battery cable. Rewiring lithium polymer batteries should only be done by confident and experienced makers. So if you're planning this to be your first time electronics project, you may want to consider a more plug and play friendly project. Just be mindful and use common sense :-)

Prerequisite Guides

If your new to electronics and working with micro-controllers NeoPixel LEDs, I suggest you walk through the following guides to get basics of wiring and soldering. The following guides will walk you through setting up the parts and libraries.

Parts & Components

You'll need just a couple a parts to build this project. The GEMMA M0, NeoPixel Jewel and battery are relatively inexpensive, so you don't have to break the bank if you want to make more than one.

1 x GEMMA M0
Adafruit GEMMA M0 - Miniature wearable electronic platform
1 x NeoPixel Jewel
NeoPixel Jewel - 7 x 5050 RGB LED with Integrated Drivers
1 x JST Cable Set
2-pin JST SM plug + receptacle
1 x 150mAh Battery
Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 150mAh
1 x Nylon Screws/Nuts
Black Nylon Screw and Stand-off Set – M2.5 Thread
1 x Kapton Tape
High Temperature Polyimide Tape - 1cm wide x 33 meter roll

Cool Tools!

These things really do help make building the project smoothly. You don't need them all of them, but I recommend them.

1 x Wire Strippers
Hakko Professsional Quality 20-30 AWG Wire Strippers - CSP-30-1
1 x Wire Cutters
Flush diagonal cutters - CHP170
1 x Soldering Iron
Adjustable 30W 110V soldering iron - XY-258 110V
1 x Panavise
Panavise Jr. - PV-201
1 x Helping Third Hands
Helping Third Hand Magnifier W/Magnifying Glass Tool - MZ101
1 x 30AWG Wire
Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 30AWG in Various Colors
1 x Solder Wire
Solder Spool - 1/4 lb SAC305 RoHS lead-free / 0.031" rosin-core - 0.25 lb / 100 g
1 x Heat Shrink Tubing
Multi-Colored Heat Shrink Pack - 3/32" + 1/8" + 3/16" Diameters
1 x Mounting Putty Tack
Loctite Fun-Tak Mounting Putty 2-Ounce

This guide was first published on Aug 09, 2017. It was last updated on Aug 09, 2017.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Aug 04, 2017.

Text editor powered by tinymce.