# NeoPixel Star Crown with WLED
## Overview
https://youtu.be/aWONra39riU
Sparkle like a 1940s starlet with this DIY star crown, inspired by the iconic Hedy Lamarr in _Ziegfeld Girl_ (1941).
Hedy Lamarr wasn't just another Hollywood beauty—she was also a fearless inventor, and wicked smart. While making headlines with her glamorous and sometimes scandalous roles (like in _Ecstasy_, where she became famous for one of Hollywood’s earliest nude scenes), Hedy was secretly working on a groundbreaking invention to help win World War II. She co-created a “frequency hopping” system to keep Allied torpedoes safe from jamming. That tech became the foundation for what we now use in WiFi and Bluetooth.
This tutorial channels that mix of glam and genius to make a modern, glowing star crown with NeoPixel stars and WLED, perfect for cosplaying the timeless Hedy or adding some sparkle to your next event. Let’s dive into some Old Hollywood glam meets high-tech magic.
The crown is shown here with my [Noods Mask](https://learn.adafruit.com/light-up-your-costume-with-noods/one-nood), a resin [Noods Necklace](https://learn.adafruit.com/moana-glowing-heart-of-te-fiti-necklace), and my [Oozemaster 3000 LED Drip Dress](https://learn.adafruit.com/water-drip-dress-with-oozemaster-3000), running "Carrie Mode" with red blood drips. I was a hit at the Vampire Ball.
## Parts
### Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico - WiFi Dev Board with STEMMA QT
[Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico - WiFi Dev Board with STEMMA QT](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5395)
This dev board is like when you're watching a super-hero movie and the protagonist shows up in a totally amazing costume in the third act and you're like 'OMG! That's the hero and they're here to kick some serious butt!" but in this case its a...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5395)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5395/guides)
### Adafruit LiIon or LiPoly Charger BFF Add-On for QT Py
[Adafruit LiIon or LiPoly Charger BFF Add-On for QT Py](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5397)
[Is your QT Py all alone](https://www.adafruit.com/?q=qt+py&sort=BestMatch), lacking a friend to travel the wide world with? When you were a kid you may have learned about the "buddy" system, well this product is kinda like that! A board that will watch your QT...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5397)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5397/guides)
### Adafruit NeoPixel LED Star Shape Pixel Strand - 20 LEDs
[Adafruit NeoPixel LED Star Shape Pixel Strand - 20 LEDs](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5982)
Attaching NeoPixel strips to your costume can be a struggle as the flexible PCBs can crack when bent too much. So how to add little shooting stars of color? Use these stranded NeoPixel LEDs that come in adorable 5-pointed star shapes.
Each strand has **20 stars with a single RGB...**
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5982)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5982/guides)
### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh
[Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 420mAh for a total of about 1.55 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4236/guides)
This project uses a lipoly battery because it's very tiny and packs a punch in terms of power. My crown is set to a fairly low brightness and it runs for hours on this tiny battery. If you plan to wear the crown for more than a couple hours, you may want to pick up 2 batteries so you always have a charged one.
The BFF gives us onboard battery charging for LiPoly batteries, so if you wrap the battery up in lots of tape it'll stay pretty safe. Don't puncture these batteries or get them wet or they can catch fire.
If you're planning to make this for a child, you may want to consider using AAA batteries and a battery extension cable instead. It's much bulkier and less glamorous to do it this way, but it's definitely safer. Clip the battery pack to their clothing or drop it into a hood.
### Part: AAA Battery Pack
quantity: 1
AAA Battery Pack
[AAA Battery Pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/727)
### Part: Battery Extension Cable
quantity: 1
Battery Extension Cable
[Battery Extension Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1131)
And here are a few more good things to have on hand for electronics projects:
### Part: Silicone Stranded Wire
quantity: 3
Silicone Stranded Wire in Various Colors
[Silicone Stranded Wire](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2051)
### Part: Heat Shrink
quantity: 1
Heat Shrink Pack
[Heat Shrink](https://www.adafruit.com/product/344)
### [Crown Style Tall Metal Headband (Silver)](https://a.co/d/hhJObnV)
Here's the headband I used. This one is great because it's got a lower band for against my head, and a higher band to attach the decorations to, keeping uncomfortable bumps or wires away from my hair.
## Additional Materials & Tools
- Zip ties in various sizes
- Hot glue gun
- Soldering iron & accessories
- Gold spray paint
- Masking tape
- White gaffer's tape or duct tape
- [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-star-crown-with-wled/wiring-diagram.md)
## Featured Products
### Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico - WiFi Dev Board with STEMMA QT
[Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico - WiFi Dev Board with STEMMA QT](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5395)
This dev board is like when you're watching a super-hero movie and the protagonist shows up in a totally amazing costume in the third act and you're like 'OMG! That's the hero and they're here to kick some serious butt!" but in this case its a...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5395)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5395/guides)
### Adafruit LiIon or LiPoly Charger BFF Add-On for QT Py
[Adafruit LiIon or LiPoly Charger BFF Add-On for QT Py](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5397)
[Is your QT Py all alone](https://www.adafruit.com/?q=qt+py&sort=BestMatch), lacking a friend to travel the wide world with? When you were a kid you may have learned about the "buddy" system, well this product is kinda like that! A board that will watch your QT...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5397)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5397/guides)
### Adafruit NeoPixel LED Star Shape Pixel Strand - 20 LEDs
[Adafruit NeoPixel LED Star Shape Pixel Strand - 20 LEDs](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5982)
Attaching NeoPixel strips to your costume can be a struggle as the flexible PCBs can crack when bent too much. So how to add little shooting stars of color? Use these stranded NeoPixel LEDs that come in adorable 5-pointed star shapes.
Each strand has **20 stars with a single RGB...**
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5982)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5982/guides)
### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh
[Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 420mAh for a total of about 1.55 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4236/guides)
### 3 x AAA Battery Holder with On/Off Switch and 2-Pin JST
[3 x AAA Battery Holder with On/Off Switch and 2-Pin JST](https://www.adafruit.com/product/727)
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 3.3-4.5V, a very similar range to Lithium Ion/polymer (Li-Ion) batteries and have an on-off switch. That makes...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/727)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/727/guides)
### JST-PH Battery Extension Cable - 500mm
[JST-PH Battery Extension Cable - 500mm](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1131)
By popular demand, we now have a handy extension cord for all of our JST PH-terminated battery packs (such as our LiIon/LiPoly and 3xAAA holders). One end has a JST-PH compatible socket, and the other end has a matching plug. Between the two, 500mm of color coded wire. Handy for wearable...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1131)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1131/guides)
### Heat Shrink Pack
[Heat Shrink Pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/344)
Heat shrink is the duct tape of electronics, it keeps your stuff all safe and kept together. Especially when wiring and soldering, use heat shrink to add mechanical strength to cables. We use this stuff all the time and having a zip-lock bag of all the possible sizes is super...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/344)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/344/guides)
### Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 2m 26AWG Red
[Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 2m 26AWG Red](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1877)
Silicone-sheathing wire is super-flexible and soft, and its also strong! Able to handle up to 200°C and up to 600V, it will do when PVC covered wire wimps out. We like this wire for being extremely supple and flexible, so it is great for wearables or projects where the wire-harness has to...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1877)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1877/guides)
## Related Guides
- [Adafruit LiIon or LiPoly Charger BFF Add-On for QT Py](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-qt-py-charger-bff.md)
- [Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-qt-py-esp32-pico.md)
- [Sound Reactive LED Top Hat](https://learn.adafruit.com/sound-reactive-led-top-hat.md)
- [Icicle Crown with Pebble Pixels & WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/icicle-crown-with-pebble-pixels-wled.md)
- [WiFi Jellyfish Lantern with WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/wifi-jellyfish-lantern-with-wled.md)
- [Wireless ESP32-S2 Touch Screen Controller for Pure Data](https://learn.adafruit.com/wireless-esp32-s2-controller-for-pure-data.md)
- [Video Nub Shank: ESP32 QT Py Composite Video Injector](https://learn.adafruit.com/video-nub-shank-esp32-qt-py-composite-video-injector.md)
- [Jellyfish Umbrella with easy WLED WiFi Control](https://learn.adafruit.com/jellyfish-umbrella-with-easy-wled-wifi-control.md)
- [LED Noodle Lantern](https://learn.adafruit.com/led-noodle-lantern.md)
- [Wireless LED Juggling Balls with ESP-NOW](https://learn.adafruit.com/wireless-juggling-balls-esp-now.md)
- [3D Scans for Low Poly Statues](https://learn.adafruit.com/low-poly-3d-scans-for-3d-printing.md)
- [Traffic Light Conference Badge](https://learn.adafruit.com/traffic-light-conference-badge.md)
- [Floor Lamp with NeoPixels and WLED Custom Animations](https://learn.adafruit.com/floor-lamp-with-wled.md)
- [EPCOT Spaceship Earth with WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/epcot-spaceship-earth-with-wled.md)
- [How To Install Drivers for WCH CH34X / CH340 / CH341 / CH342 / CH343 / CH344 / CH346 / CH347 / CH9101 / CH9102 / CH9103 / CH9104 / CH9111 / CH9114 / CH9143 USB to Serial Chips](https://learn.adafruit.com/how-to-install-drivers-for-wch-usb-to-serial-chips-ch9102f-ch9102.md)
- [Capacitive Touch Unicorn Horn](https://learn.adafruit.com/capacitive-touch-unicorn-horn.md)