An illuminated wedding dress is a stupid idea or a revolution in the fashion world. Luminous dresses, LED skirts - do it yourself Make a glowing dress with your own hands

What was made by their own hands.

Step 7: Preparing the fiber bundles

For crafts let's get a strand of 200 threads 2 m long and 0.05 cm in diameter (the thicker the fiber, the brighter the tubes will glow and the less likely they will break).

I wanted the skirt to be about 50 cm long. Therefore, we cut the strand three times and get 800 fibers of 50 cm each thread.

After that, it is necessary to fix the fiber optic bundles on the LEDs. To do this, we use vinyl tubes with a diameter of 6 mm (42 pieces - according to the number of LEDs) and a length of 3 cm each. Each vinyl tube will have 17 fibers installed. Let's push them so that they protrude 3-4 cm from the tubes.

On the ends of the fibers that we pushed further (3-4 cm), apply a little glue (I used E6000 plastic glue) in the middle of the bundle. Make sure the glue gets between the fibers and tighten them back into the tube. Epoxy was originally used, but it was not the best choice (it turned out to be very heavy and the fibers sometimes broke).

Step 8: Making the Fiber Glow Brighter

When the glue is dry, cut off about 5 mm from the tip of the tube. Make sure that all the fibers in the cut are at the same level and do not fall inward. The cleaner the cut, the better they will transmit light.

In order for them to glow even brighter, you need to melt the cut. Hold the tip of the vinyl tube close to the flame (gas stove or lighter, not a candle) until the fibers are slightly melted. Be careful not to keep them too close to the flame - you don't want to burn the pipe. After that, the fibers will shine twice as brightly.

Step 9: Separate the strands

For a more elegant skirt look, we need to separate the fibers. At the end of the tube (where the fibers come from), we distribute them evenly from each other and carefully drop a drop of hot melt adhesive. Don't use too much glue or hold the gun too close to the fibers (they will melt and curl).

Step 10: Making the Vinyl Tube Stand

The LED strip has a removable waterproof silicone cover. Many different adhesives were tried, but nothing stuck to the silicone. However, I wanted to use silicone to protect the electronics from moisture.

To attach the fiber bundle to the top of each LED, you need to do small hot melt holder. Place the fiber optic strands on top of the LEDs and apply some glue around the tubes. Let's wait until everything is dry. We repeat the process for all other beams separately. Then carefully melt the glue on the sides and glue 4-5 tubes together. Pay close attention to the distances between the vinyl tubes. In the end, each beam should be located at the very top of the LED.

Step 11: Reinforced tape on tape and belt

At the next stage, you need to cut the adhesive tape into thin strips 5 cm long and use them to fix the LED strips on the belt. Let's start at the end of the tape, to which 3 wires are soldered (leave 10 cm of the tape uncovered). Make sure each strand is in place, exactly on top of the LED. Do not glue three pipes on the last holder (on the strip and belt).

At the end (where there are 3 wires), cut a small hole in the tape and stretch the wires through it. We will direct the wires through the center of the tape and connect them with several turns of adhesive tape. The end result is that the wires will go where the battery pocket will be.

Step 12: Making the Battery Pocket

A small pocket was sewn for the battery and the microcontroller. If you don't know how to sew, just cut out two square pieces of fabric and glue them together. To attach it to your belt, cut out a square with a handle from plastic mesh fabric (plain fabric can also work well). The square should be about the same size as the battery pocket.

Now let's choose the place where you want to attach the battery pocket (mine is on the back a little to the right). Remove one loop of tape between the two vinyl tubes and run a handle between the LED strip and the belt. Then sew or glue it on the fabric. Attach the Velcro to the battery pocket and holder. Also, don't forget to clip the LED strip back onto the belt.

Velcro was chosen for its functionality (the ability to change the battery pouch depending on the outfit being worn).

Step 13: Making the Belt Buckle

Cut off a piece of Velcro 10 cm long and glue it on top of the belt where we left 10 cm uncovered (put the rest of the piece aside for later).

Due to the fact that the belt was heavy, there were fears that the Velcro might open while wearing the outfit. For more reliable support, cut out three small Velcro. At the end of the tape (where we left 3 tubes free) we fix them between the belt and the LED strip. The "free part" should hold the LED strip, while the "rough" part should attach to the belt. The free part will stick out on one side, and the rough part on the other.

From the rest of the tapes, you can make holders for vinyl tubes on a belt.

Now take a free 10 cm piece (which was put aside). We put it under the belt on the same side where we fixed the small strips of Velcro.

Step 14: Loading the LED Control Software

Since there are many well-written and detailed tutorials out there, I'll just share links to them with you.

If you need more help with Arduino (connecting the microcontroller to a computer and uploading programs to Arduino), you can find useful information on the Arduino website or the Adafruit Flora Tutorial

Excellent program Strandtest. Just follow the instructions, download the NeoPixel file and add it to the Arduino library. Visit the community Fast LED community to see good examples of work.

Step 15: Connecting the Ribbon to the Microcontroller

Solder the +5V wire from the belt to the VBAT pin on the microcontroller, the ground cable to GND, and the data wire to the LED code pin we loaded on the microcontroller (pin 6 was chosen). To be sure that the wires do not come off, we fix the board on a piece of plastic and protect the contacts with hot glue. You can also see a pushbutton switch in the left corner (added it to switch between different LED patterns).

Now we connect the power supply to the microcontroller and the LED strips should light up.

Step 16: Almost done

Now you can cut the fibers to the desired length. In case you want to diversify the threads with various visual effects, you can rub them along with sandpaper or bend them slightly. I rubbed the tips with sandpaper and the LEDs began to glow a little diffusely.

https://vimeo.com/135517550

Thank you for your attention. creative to you homemade!

One of the most amazing qualities of LEDs is that they give you endless options when it comes to creating different colored lighting effects. Adding a glow to ordinary pieces of clothing gives them a strikingly shifting look, similar to the coloring of a chameleon. I believe that highlighting clothes should not only be used in some special evening costumes, but it can also become a beautiful design element in clothes that we wear every day.

When designing the Night-Light skirt, I wanted to create something simple, using LED lights, and so that an everyday piece of clothing would turn into a festive one at the push of a single button.

By using a pre-programmed LED controller that can be controlled with a remote, I avoided the need to program the Arduino controller, making this project even easier. I also used a new kind of LED strip, with side addressable RGB LEDs. It is the same as a conventional addressable LED strip, but the light from the LEDs comes from the side. This greatly simplifies the illumination of clothes, since when using such an LED strip, individual pixels are not visible, which allowed me to make the illumination only along the hem of the skirt.

For this project, I chose a two-layer skirt (lining + outer layer), on the outer layer of which an ornament is embroidered. I think the floral pattern adds a little more elegance to the skirt and creates a nice silhouette no matter what girl the skirt is wearing. But in your projects, you can use any skirt model you like.

Step 1: What do you need for this project

For the skirt you need:

The fabric and materials you choose to create the skirt. As a basis, I took a skirt, which is used by ballerinas as clothing for performances. For beauty, I picked up a skirt with different colors of the belt and hem.

Threads, rivets, and other items for sewing.

Necessary set of tools and a sewing machine.

To create a backlight you will need:

Addressable RGB LED strip 60pcs/m WS2811 IC 60L SMD335 5V, waterproof, with flat emitters 1.5 meters long.

Controller "Cool Neon Total Control Lighting Pixel strand of 50 (TCLPXL50)" provides full control of LEDs with remote control. This tiny IC is a great way to drive LEDs if you don't want to mess around with programming your own microcontroller. It comes with 300 pre-loaded LED programs and works with any WS2811 or WS2812 based LED strip. You can control programs with the remote control, increase or decrease the display speed, make the light dimmer or brighter. Programs mostly contain linear effects, and for them to function properly you need a 5V power supply capable of pulling at least 2A of current. If you want to use more diverse programs, then any other small microcontroller like Adafruit Gemma or DF Robot Beetle can be used instead of this controller.

Rechargeable battery with a capacity of at least 5000 mAh and a load capacity of at least 2A. For example, you can use an external Power Bank for cell phones RAVPower 8400mAh Deluxe Portable Charger (External Power Bank, 3A Output, Dual USB)

USB cable

Wire for connecting LEDs

Small and large heat shrink tubing

Required mounting tool

Step 2: Making the Lace Layer

To create the lace layer for the skirt, I used three sizes from my ballet skirt:

Belt diameter

Waist to hem distance

Approximate size of the circumference of the bottom of the hem

Then, based on these dimensions, I cut out a blank from lace fabric. Accordingly, he made cuts on each side at an angle. Also, the distance from the waist to the hem on the lace layer is a little less than on the main skirt, it seemed to me that it would be more beautiful.

Then, using a sewing machine, I sewed the outer lace layer of the fabric.

Step 3: Installing the Lace Layer

Having well stretched the belt of the ballet skirt, I evenly distributed the lace layer over the skirt, making small folds in some places. Then, having secured the lace layer with pins, I sewed it to the belt of the ballet skirt.

Step 4: Adding a Belt

In order to get the right length for my elastic waistband (based on elastic), I wrapped it around my girlfriend's waist and found a length that held it well and didn't cause any discomfort.

Then he folded the belt with a slight overlap of the ends and sewed it with zigzag stitches so that the fabric of the belt would not unravel in the future.

Then I slipped the elastic waistband over the waistband of my already-sewn two-layer skirt, making the necessary lap to hide the ballet skirt waistband, and sewed all three skirt pieces together with zigzag stitches.

Step 5: Making the Battery Case

Now I need to create a small case to hold my battery and hide it in the layers of my skirt. You can also use a ready-made case of a suitable size.

Using a pencil and ruler, I traced the pattern of my case on a piece of leather and cut it out with scissors. Then I attached a battery to it, folded it in half and marked the places for installing rivets. Then I made holes for the rivets and installed the rivets with a hammer. If you do not have rivets, then two layers can simply be sewn together.

At the end of this step, I trimmed off the excess skin and cut a window to connect to my battery's USB connector at the bottom of the case.

Step 6: Installing the Case

When my cover was ready, I sewed it to the belt between the fabric layers of the skirt, so that it was almost invisible.

Step 7: Making the Light Diffuser

Even though these LEDs emit light in a plane parallel to the ribbon, you can still see the glow of individual pixels in the hem of the skirt. To further diffuse the light, I added a white faux fur hem overlay, and hid the LED strips underneath.

To create the overlay, the first thing I did was to measure the circumference of the free part of the bottom layer of the skirt's tulle. This is best done with a skirt on the model or mannequin. In my case, the length turned out to be 1.14 meters, with this size, the legs are not limited to anything when walking freely.

Then I cut a strip of fur 2.5 cm thick and 1.14 meters long, respectively. The fur is best cut off with a sharp razor knife from the skin side. Try not to damage the down covering of the fur.

Next, I cut off a white strap corresponding to the length of the fur lining, but adding a small margin along the edges of the strap for subsequent stitching. Then, with a gap of 10 cm, I sewed clothes buttons to a white strap, and sewed a strip of fur to it.

Step 8: Connecting the LEDs

First of all, I cut off my LED strip a little shorter than the length of the light diffuser (previous step).

I then shortened the wires coming from my LED controller (driver) and soldered them to the input of the LED strip in the following order:

Driver pin G (ground) -> "GND" pin on the strip

Driver pin D (data) -> pin "D" on strip

Driver pin "+" -> pin "5V" on the strip

I then insulated the bare wires with heat shrink tubing.

Since the controller (driver) comes with a mini-jack connector for connecting to a power source, I needed to convert this connector to USB. To do this, I measured the distance required to connect the LED strip driver from the USB connector of my battery installed in the case to the driver. Then I cut the USB cable to the length I needed. After cutting the USB cable, there will be several different wires in it, since data is also transferred through it. For our project, we are interested in the red and black wire, the rest are simply cut off and not used. After stripping the ends of the wires of the cut USB cable, I put heat shrink tubes on them and soldered them to the driver power wires. Then I insulated the bare wires with heat shrink tubing. Then, after connecting the battery, I tested the operation of the controller and LEDs using the remote control.

Step 9: Setting the Backlight

Then, I laid the LED strips inside the project (in the channels I provided in advance). It wasn't easy, but I did it anyway!

Step 10: Installing the LEDs

Sew the other sides of the fabric channel of the ribbon to bring all of your skirt pieces together and create a complete design.

Step 11: Create Your Light Show!

Now, with the project schematic connected to the battery and remote control, I can select different modes to display on the LED strips. Using the selected controller, I have about 300 modes that are programmed into the controller, which I can create in the form of inimitable effects. With the help of controller functions, I can set them to appear faster or slower, while changing their brightness. Of course, the maximum brightness of the skirt will have the maximum effect in a dark room.

That's all! Good luck with your projects!

Luminous LED skirt with microcontroller Adafruit Flora

Make clothes that glow when you move! This is a sewing (without soldering) FLORA project, which uses 12 NeoPixel LEDs, with the ability to change the color of the glow, and a FLORA accelerometer module.
The pulses in the sensor reading cause flashing and blinking of the LEDs that are sewn to the lining of the skirt, the light of which can shine through the outer layer of lace fabric. If the skirt itself isn't your thing, you can use this tutorial and code to create something else, like a belt buckle or even a flashing dog collar!
What you need for the project:

• Microcontroller Adafruit Flora
• FLORA accelerometer module
• NeoPixel LEDs
• Accumulator battery
• Conductive thread
• Lace fabric and sewing materials

Layout and wiring diagram
First you need to choose a skirt and plan the installation of LEDs. On the diagram provided, you can see how to connect all the parts of this circuit.


Each component is connected to the FLORA microcontroller as follows:
Accelerometer module –> microcontroller:

• GND → GND
• SCL → SCL
• SDA → SDA
• 3.3V → 3.3V

NeoPixels LED array -> microcontroller:

• Vcc (Power) → FLORA pin "VBATT"
• IN (Data Input) → FLORA pin "D6"
• Gnd (Ground) → GND

Since the connecting current-carrying thread has a non-trivial resistance, close attention must be paid to laying additional connection lines for the power and ground lines on both sides of the skirt. This will allow the colored LEDs to shine at full strength.
Lift up the outer layer of the skirt so that the lining is exposed for further work. If the outer layer is stitched with a lining in some places, these seams or fixation points must be removed.


Install your components on the front right side of the skirt lining according to the layout diagram. The LEDs on the back (rear) side will be installed later, after checking the operation of the first six LEDs on the front side.


Pick up each component and make a mark with a water-soluble ink pen (or just use the very fine tip of a regular marker to make a small dot) as shown in the picture below.

Sewing an electrical circuit
The flashing of electrical communication lines with a conductive thread should be started with the FLORA controller filing to the skirt lining, while not breaking the thread at the end of the filing, the 3.3V and GND contacts are initially stitched.


Then you need to flash the communication lines between the FLORA controller and the accelerometer module.


After that, reliable knots are tied at the ends of the conductive thread and the excess ends are cut off.


Then the LED boards and the communication line to them are sewn, according to the designations on the LEDs and the FLORA controller, which were described earlier.


The knots and loose ends of the thread are isolated with clear nail polish. This will avoid accidental contact of the threads, which can lead to a short circuit and failure of various components.


To connect the power, one long conductive thread is used, allowing you to connect six LEDs on the front side and six LEDs on the back side. Before flashing the communication lines from the back, it is recommended to check the operation of the circuit on the LEDs from the front.



WARNING: Do not connect your skirt to power until you have verified that there are no short circuits! Double check that your thread ends are cut and your skirt is on a non-conductive surface.
In the following video, you can see very useful tips for successfully flashing NeoPixel LED circuits.

Program code for controller and battery
After triple checking that all your conductive ends are cut and insulated, and that your skirt is not resting on a conductive surface, connect the FLORA microcontroller to your computer using a USB cable, as shown in the figure below.
Open the Adafruit Arduino IDE program (can be downloaded from the official website). For this project to work, you will need the NeoPixel library, which comes with a set of other standard libraries along with the Arduino IDE and Codebender.
Then, first of all, check the operation of all six LEDs on the front side by uploading a sketch (program code) to the microcontroller by following these steps by selecting certain menu items in the Arduino IDE program:
File → Examples → Adafruit_NeoPixel → strandtest


If all your LEDs change color and brightness, then you can continue to connect the six LEDs located on the back of the skirt. Before proceeding, unplug the USB cable from the controller before flashing the LEDs from the back of the skirt.
To check the operation of the accelerometer, you need to install the Adafruit Sensor library, which is contained in the unified library for the operation of the LSM303DLHC accelerometer module. To do this, you need to upload the sketch to the microcontroller by doing the following in the Arduino IDE program:
File → Examples → Adafruit_LSM303 → Test
Once loaded, you can open the serial monitor routine and observe changes in the accelerometer sensor values.
If you made a skirt with two-sided arrangement of LEDs, then during the test it is recommended to lay a piece of fabric in the internal volume to prevent a short circuit. When the skirt is worn, such situations will not occur.
Also, if your skirt has a lot of pleats, you may have problems insulating the LED connections, which can cause a short circuit. In this case, they can be insulated by gluing additional pieces of fabric, which will prevent them from short circuiting, and also add ease of sliding of the fabric inside the skirt space. In addition, these patches of fabric can add additional weight eccentrics that increase fabric vibrations, resulting in a more varied lighting effect.
To add a glitter effect, copy the code below into your Adafruit Arduino IDE program and upload it to the microcontroller by clicking the Upload button.

The colors of the LEDs can be changed in the code line:
myFavoriteColors
If you have correctly connected the LED array and there is no reaction to movement, then you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor in the line below from the program code. The smaller the value, the greater the sensitivity:
MOVE_THRESHOLD
To install the battery in a certain place (the most convenient for you), a small bag is used, sewn from a similar fabric for lining a skirt.


It is recommended to sew the battery bag next to the Adafruit FLORA microcontroller so that the standard wires from the battery reach the microcontroller pins.

That's it, put on your skirt and enjoy!

Make your skirt according to this guide and share your achievements!!! LED light color changes, allows you to match your skirt with the rest of your overall wardrobe and the right occasion!

Luminous LED skirt with Star-lit light
Portable LED lights paired with a long skirt can transform a simple skirt into a heavenly ball gown that will make you look irresistible and grab everyone's attention.



Astronomy is always in fashion, but it can be quite difficult to find stylish clothes that can convey your love for space objects. At first glance, it's just a blue skirt with lots of twinkling lights, but if you look closely, you can see individual details. The skirt is made up of three layers: a lining, a base layer and a transparent top layer that has 250 LEDs embedded in it. Flickering LEDs are positioned exactly according to the star map. The battery is located in a secret pocket.
The cost of making the skirt is $59.99.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/jhsu/

Luminous dress "Ester" - LED technology integrated into clothes
The Ester dress is part of a fashion transformation, combining delicate handwork with cutting-edge LED technology integrated into the garment.

The skirt was made of cane, which made it possible to create a light but very durable corset. The skirt and bodice (the upper part of the women's dress) are covered with over 10,000 hand-cut paper petals. Hundreds of individually addressable LEDs are integrated into the edges of the dress. The Arduino LilyPad microcontroller is used to control the LEDs, which allows you to program each individual LED to any behavior or RGB color. The light from the LEDs is well diffused under the paper petals, allowing the clothes to literally shine in public, turning into a real wearable light show.

The Luminous Ester Dress was designed to create a burst of light in the dark, shocking the audience. It was a finalist in the 2016 World of Wearable Arts Show Open Competition, winning the People's Choice Award.

LED backlighting of cars, motorcycles and other modes of transport will no longer surprise anyone, especially in Asia. However, the potential of this direction of customization has not yet been fully exhausted, which was confirmed by one of the users of the imgur.com service. So, she created a mini-skirt with LED lights with her own hands.

The girl not only published a photo of the final result, but also made a brief photo essay on how she made an unusual skirt. According to her, the control panel of the LED strip, which was decided to be made in the form of a buckle for a strap, caused the greatest problems. The body of the “fastener” had to be made on a 3D printer using special software. The girl also advises buying an LED strip in special protection against water and heat, so as not to get unwanted burns.

As for the length of the skirt, it can be absolutely any and completely depends on the taste of the fashionista. The author of the fashionable wardrobe element herself writes that in her case, the length was enough to make men turn around. She should believe in this.

And here are some shots from the story about how the LED-lit miniskirt was created:

Friends, hello! Dreams Come True! As those brides who at one time watched the Disney cartoon “Sleeping Beauty” with great enthusiasm, where during the waltz with the prince, the color of the outfit constantly changed, the main character could say. Today, the backlit wedding dress is no longer a know-how, but an actively practiced option that adds variety to the fashion industry.

This is one of the niches of the modern market, where real competition has unfolded for the possibility of creating a versatile material that can combine fabric and light. While some craftsmen continue to manually decorate outfits with LED strips, delighting themselves and those around them with dynamically changing images.

Doubt and Choice

If you want to look bright and extraordinary, then use the play of light, the magic of which, in tandem with textiles, and even with music, can only cause admiration and positive emotions. You might be saying, "Who in their right mind would want to look like a glowing Christmas tree?" And you're right, nobody.

But who will refuse, having bought a luxurious white dress, at a banquet without changing clothes, put on (thanks to the backlight) in another brighter outfit. Or in general, arrange a real show, using it as a projector to create unusual and fascinating stories.

As demonstrated by Jennifer Lopez at one of her performances:

Not only that, you can choose between a model with built-in diodes (luminescent fabric) and along with linearly sewn-in spotlights. Or even better, opt for a fiber optic product (LUMINEX) that will surely make a splash.

Revolutionary achievement of the XXI century

LUMINEX is a luminous novelty of joint (Italian and Swiss) production. The structure of the fabric consists of a combination of the latest advances in electronics with textile technologies designed for a specific purpose: weaving fiber into textiles.

Thus, LUMINEX has its own luminosity, emitting evenly the light of self-regulation. Turn it on or off - it's up to you. Management takes place remotely. But the recharging of the outfit will be carried out from a small compact battery (like the one in a mobile phone), imperceptibly sewn into the folds of the outfit.

By the way, it is recharged via a USB adapter.

The bottom line is that optical fibers serve as conductors of moving luminous beams that can change colors, playing with a variety of shades. You should not worry about the type of material either, since in reality it corresponds to several dozen types of fabrics: the same organza, knitwear, silk, stretch, etc.

Not only that, developers continue to work hard to create thinner fiber so that things can be created light and soft, suitable for any need.

The only drawback is the price, which varies from 60 to 600 dollars per meter. And in Russia today there are sites where you can purchase this material, for example, in the Flari company.

Other variations

As an alternative, you can consider LUMIGRAM - also a luminous fabric, but from a French company. Permeated with thin LEDs woven into the canvas, it tends to flicker in the dark with thousands of small stars, which creates a light, weightless haze around the image. Filling it with magical and even fabulous associations.

Due to the fact that it is longer on the market, the price is more acceptable. Such a fabric can be washed, ironed and, accordingly, cut, sewn, creating mysterious bows.

LED lights

But the options with built-in LED backlighting are still more popular. It is more acceptable, to the point that many craftswomen sew this device on their own.

Such a technique can be linear, when only the edging on the neck, hem, sleeves or belt glows. Or scattered - all over the dress.

Models with an ornament look interesting,. And thanks to light variations, and monochromatic tulle, thin organza begin to play with new colors.

Watch the video to see how it looks from the outside:

Additional accents

You may not want such a bright bow, but the luminous fabric still attracts your attention and you really want to use it somewhere. Then you can buy a small piece of this canvas, literally half a meter, and throw it in the form of a shawl over your shoulders or even use it as a veil.

Very often, in the same America, you can see girls in iridescent dresses at wedding ceremonies, who play the role of assistants. They carry a basket of petals to the altar, help support the bride's train, etc., which looks very touching. And the children are delighted - after all, this is a great chance for a girl to feel like a real little fairy.

Role of accessories

In creating the image of the bride, you can use LEDs even in jewelry, which will be most welcome at the moment the light is activated on the dress. After all, it is very important in such an abundance of light reflections and overflows not to remain a walking silhouette, but to maintain harmony in a single and thoughtful image.

DIY decor

The A-line looks quite original in this transformation, as well as more asymmetric shapes with an abundance of spiral frills, when each tier is cut with a separate LED strip.

If you sew an outfit yourself and really want to try to implement such a trick, then I advise you to put a luminous tape along the bottom of the hem and connect a 6 V power driver to it. Alternatively, you can try an LED equalizer that responds to sound, which will looks very unusual and quite beautiful.

Especially considering your main role and the number of dances that you have to perform, including I offer a small photo gallery of interesting ideas.

I almost forgot, you think: “Ok, everything seems to be beautiful, but there are so many flashing activated light bulbs, so as not to flare up.” I want to assure you that you will "light up" only on the dance floor, and with the right connection and observance of all the rules of elementary physics, they are so low-powered that nothing threatens you.

Write in the comments your attitude to such illumination, and when leaving the site, do not forget to leave feedback and subscribe to updates. See you!

The love of girls for everything bright, shiny and luminous is indestructible. Whether it's an exclusive designer bodice and skirt made for a Tron movie party. Or the Hikaru skirt from Kiyoyuki Amano, which represents a whole trend in Japanese cosplay fashion, providing illumination of the legs.
These and others like them, outfits invariably arouse interest, a desire to possess them. And even improve to your own taste, if possible.

A young craftswoman with the nickname SexyCyborg - as she calls herself on the network, has such an opportunity. The girl is well versed in electronics, knows how to work with printed circuit boards, visualization programs and with a 3D printer. And she also loves fashionable youth outfits - both to wear and improve.

The original girl seemed too limited in terms of functionality. Yes, it automatically reacts to movement by changing the brightness of the LEDs. But it does not allow you to choose the desired options yourself: be it the color of the LEDs (for example, under a T-shirt or shoes), the intensity of their glow, etc.
In addition, not everyone likes the luminous hikaru skirts with several tiers of puffy and multi-layered laces offered by the Japanese designer - the author of the idea. And someone even considers their style too childish.

So, the craftswoman decided to apply the idea of ​​LED leg lighting for a short denim skirt (you can choose the length of your own). At the same time, making it more functional - with the ability to adjust options through an application on a smartphone.
How did she achieve the goal, what did she use and how much did she spend on her experiment?

How to make a hikaru skirt with your own hands?

First of all, the girl purchased a roll of a waterproof RGB LED strip (paying about $20 for 5 meters on Aliexpress for it - and using about a meter of a skirt to make a hikaru skirt). The silicone shell ensured that it would not be damaged even if the wearer got caught in the rain or accidentally spilled a drink on herself).
Other major expenses included a Bluetooth controller for the tape (which cost almost $15). And a compact rechargeable 2000 mAh battery (in Chinese stores from $8 to $20 depending on the model).

Money was also spent on a 12V battery charger, slide switch, connectors, and other odds and ends. A separate item was the material for 3D printing of the buckle - black ABS filaments for the printer.

The girl sewed the LED strip on the hem of the skirt from the inside. Be careful - avoid metal fasteners that can get hot when the backlight is on.
The next step was the design of a massive plastic buckle, in which it was planned to hide the battery, Bluetooth module (controller) and other electronic parts. For this, the craftswoman used the Tinkercad program: not the most powerful, but quite simple and familiar to her earlier.

The resulting container - a buckle, she printed on a 3D printer from black ABS plastic with a resolution of .15. I placed the board of the universal Bluetooth RGB LED controller there, having previously soldered wires corresponding in color to the outputs. And I connected a battery to it, the capacity of which, according to preliminary calculations, will be enough for at least 3-5 hours of operation, depending on the glow modes.

Having closed the container with screws, the girl attached an inexpensive, durable and pretty plastic belt to the resulting buckle. At the same time, the wires coming out of the buckle ended with a miniature connector, which was connected inside the skirt to the connector of the LED strip.
A universal application for an Android or iOS smartphone was also supplied with the RGB ribbon Bluetooth controller board. Allows you to adjust the brightness, color of the glow, set its various modes. Actually, to do what the whole idea of ​​a homemade hikaru skirt was embodied for.

To learn more about the project - in English, you can follow the links under the article. In the same place - on pastebin, a list of materials used in a short version is posted. And for those who are a little familiar with works in the field of electronics (and are ready to spend a certain amount of money on creating a unique outfit), it will certainly not be difficult to repeat the experiment of a young and charming craftswoman. After all, a skirt like Hikaru - made by yourself, will turn out to be truly unique!

Source: imgur.com/a/cAyO2 ; imgur.com/a/NZfIb; pastebin.com/JbVPy5yM