I want to add lights to the frame that will animate in the same colors I painted the bike. I'm using NeoPixel strand lights at 2" pitch, for a couple of reasons:

  1. They are already 100% waterproof -- each light is encased in plastic, and these lights are very hard to break
  2. The strand-light style will allow me to wrap them around the bike frame, decorating it like a Christmas tree. I can get lights on all sides of the bike really easily.
  3. The spread between the pixels means I can cover the whole bike using fewer lights than if I were to use a NeoPixel strip. This means my batteries will last a lot longer, since I'm driving fewer pixels. My hope is that this strip will last through several nights of use without having to change the batteries.
Pink polished fingers holding a Adafruit GEMMA M0 - Miniature wearable electronic platform.
The Adafruit Gemma M0 is a super small microcontroller board, with just enough built-in to create many simple projects. It may look small and cute: round, about the...
$9.95
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Adafruit NeoPixel LED Dots Strand - 20 LEDs at 2 inch Pitch
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 dots of color? Use these stranded NeoPixel dots!...
$27.50
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Angled shot of black 3 x AA waterproof battery holder with plain wires.
Keep your power source safe and toasty in these waterproof 3xAA battery holders. They're just like classic switched battery holders, but designed for survival! The case has a rubber...
$3.95
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If soldering is not your jam, never fear: you can get this bolt-on kit for the Gemma M0 for attaching the lights and connectors to the board. Just wind the wires around through the Gemma's soldering holes and tighten the screws down to hold the wires in place. Dreamy!

Close up angled shot of a LED strip attached and powered by a circuit playground.
You have a Circuit Playground Express, and want to connect some wires to it for adding LEDs or sensors or speakers? You can use our...
Out of Stock

In addition, you'll need:

  • Large clear heat shrink in 1" and 1/2" sizes
  • Wire strippers & wire cutters
  • Hot glue gun
  • Heat gun
  • Small screwdriver
  • Zip ties

Shop for extra-large clear heat shrink on Amazon

This guide was first published on Jun 18, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

This page (Frame Lights) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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