# Remote Control Tree Ornament with Circuit Playground Express ## Overview Danger: Have you put up with non-interactive, regular, old, low-tech tree ornaments for too long? Yes you have! But, this is where things change! It's time to build your own Remote Control Tree Ornament with Circuit Playground Express!! The Circuit Playground Express (CPX) has a built in infrared (IR) sensor, and it's very simple to decode the signals using CircuitPython, thanks to the Adafruit IR Remote library. We'll program the CPX to read IR blasts from the mini remote control, and use these commands to change the bright, beautiful NeoPixels. Plus, we'll defuse the light and dress it up with an inexpensive hobby store ornament and festive puff balls! ### Part: Circuit Playground Express quantity: 1 Awesome microcontroller with CircuitPython [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) ### Part: Battery Holder w On/Off switch quantity: 1 3 x AAA battery holder [Battery Holder w On/Off switch](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3286) ### Part: Alkaline AAA batteries quantity: 1 3 pack [Alkaline AAA batteries](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3520) ### Part: USB Cable quantity: 1 USB A to USB Micro - 3 ft. [USB Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) Or, optionally, to get most of those parts in a single pack: ### Part: Circuit Playground Express Base Kit quantity: 1 Includes CPX, battery pack and batteries, USB cable, and storage box [Circuit Playground Express Base Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3517) And these two items: ### Part: Mini Remote Control quantity: 1 IR remote with NEC encoding [Mini Remote Control](https://www.adafruit.com/product/389) ### Part: DIY Ornament Kit quantity: 1 6cm Diameter - Perfect for Circuit Playground [DIY Ornament Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4036) Warning: ## Materials In addition to the materials above, you'll need: - White iridescent pom poms from a craft store - Ribbon or tree hanger hook ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/049/624/medium800/circuitpython_IMG_7001.jpg?1514071751) - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/remote-control-tree-ornament-with-circuit-playground-express/code-the-circuit-playground-express.md) ## Featured Products ### Circuit Playground Express [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) **Circuit Playground Express** is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and made it even better! Not only did we pack even more sensors in, we also made it even easier to... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3333/guides) ### DIY Ornament Kit - 6cm Diameter - Perfect for Circuit Playground [DIY Ornament Kit - 6cm Diameter - Perfect for Circuit Playground](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4036) Have you put up with mainstream, uninspiring, low-tech tree ornaments for too long? This season why not deck the halls with _codes_ of holly? This **DIY Ornament Kit** is just the right size (6 cm diameter) for a Circuit Playground Express, 500mAh LiPoly battery, and... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4036) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4036/guides) ### Mini Remote Control [Mini Remote Control](https://www.adafruit.com/product/389) This little remote control would be handy for controlling a robot or other project from across the room. It has 21 buttons and a layout we thought was handy: directional buttons and number entry buttons. The remote uses the NEC encoding type and sends data codes 0 thru 26 (it skips #3, #7,... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/389) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/389/guides) ### 3 x AAA Battery Holder with On/Off Switch, JST, and Belt Clip [3 x AAA Battery Holder with On/Off Switch, JST, and Belt Clip](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3286) 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, plus it has a nifty on-off... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3286) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3286/guides) ### Alkaline AAA batteries - 3 pack [Alkaline AAA batteries - 3 pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3520) Battery power for your portable project! These batteries are good quality at a good price, and work fantastic with any of the kits or projects in the shop that use AAA's. This is a pack of **3 AAA batteries**. These batteries are Alkaline (MnO2) chemistry, with a... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3520) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3520/guides) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ### Circuit Playground Express - Base Kit [Circuit Playground Express - Base Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3517) It's the **Circuit Playground Express Base Kit!**  It provides the few things you'll need to get started with the new [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333). This version of Circuit Playground is super powered, and will... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3517) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3517/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express.md) - [Robotic Creatures ](https://learn.adafruit.com/robotic-creatures.md) - [Bunny Ears with MakeCode](https://learn.adafruit.com/bunny-ears-with-makecode.md) - [Interactive Map with Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/interactive-map-with-cpx.md) - [CircuitPython with Jupyter Notebooks](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-with-jupyter-notebooks.md) - [Android GBoard Morse Code Control with Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/android-gboard-morse-code-at-with-circuitplayground-express.md) - [Infrared Receive and Transmit with Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/infrared-ir-receive-transmit-circuit-playground-express-circuit-python.md) - [Automation with Crickit and Capsela](https://learn.adafruit.com/automation-with-crickit-and-capsela.md) - [Circuit Playground Minecraft Gesture Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitplayground-minecraft-gesture-controller.md) - [Halloween Monsters with CRICKIT and Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/halloween-monsters-with-crickit.md) - [Circuit Playground Express: Piano de Limones](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuit-playground-express-piano-de-limones.md) - [Living Starry Night Painting](https://learn.adafruit.com/animated-starry-night-circuit-playground-express.md) - [Introducing Adafruit Crickit #MakeRobotFriend](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-crickit-creative-robotic-interactive-construction-kit.md) - [FruitBox Sequencer: Musically Delicious Step Pattern Generator ](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-fruitbox-sequencer-musically-delicious-step-pattern-generator.md) - [Program CircuitPython USB Devices with iPhone & iPad](https://learn.adafruit.com/use-circuitpython-devices-with-iphone-ipad.md) - [Steven Universe Cosplay Shirt & Gem](https://learn.adafruit.com/steven-universe-cosplay-shirt-gem.md)