Project
Materials

Light Up Tote Bag

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE?

A wearable electronic tote bag to carry around your belongings!

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

You will leanr to measure fabric and sew a tote. You will also learn to solder a light strip and add that circuit to your bag.

STEPS

STEP 1

Sew your bag
Start with two 18" x 18" square pieces of fabric. Lay the pieces on top of each other and cut a 3" x 3" square from the bottom corners of each piece. Now measure a 1/2" border around the bottom, left, and right edges of your stack of fabric.

STEP 2

Sew the bottom, left, and right edges together. Pinch and pull the inner corners of the square that you cut out until the two seams that you made in step 3 line up.

STEP 3

Press the edge down so that it lays flat and measure out a 1/2" seam allowance. Sew the two edges together so that the seams stay aligned in the center. Repeat steps 4-6 on the other corner of the bag.

STEP 4

Cut a piece of 18" x 3" fabric. Draw a 1/2" border on one of the longer sides and on both of the two shorter sides. Fold the fabric in half hotdog style. Sew along the three border lines that you drew in step 7.

STEP 5

Repeat steps 7-8 so that you have two straps for your bag.

STEP 6

Build the Circuit
Prepare the LED strip by lightly scraping the positive and ground connections with a craft knife. Tin the LED strip by melting a small amount of solder onto each connection.

STEP 7

Solder a 7" piece of hookup wire to the positive connection on the LED strip Now solder an 18" piece of hookup wire to the ground connection.

STEP 8

Test your reed switch to find out which pin is "normally closed". When attached to a battery and an LED, the LED should be off when a magnet is near the switch. Solder the other end of the 18" hookup wire to the normally closed pin on the reed switch.

STEP 9

Solder a 5" piece of hookup wire to the other end of the reed switch. Find the ground wire on your battery clip. It should be black

STEP 10

Solder the ground wire of the battery clip to the 5" hookup wire that is attached to the reed switch. Complete the circuit by soldering the positive wire on the battery clip to the other end of the wire that you soldered to the positive connection on the LED strip.

STEP 11

Wrap all of the points that you soldered with electric tape. Trim any excess tape.

STEP 12

Glue the edges of three 3" x 3" squares together so that they are in a row. You should have these squares left over from step one. Measure and trim 1/2" from one of the long edges of your glued strip of squares.

STEP 13

Apply hot glue to the edges of the center square. Fold the bottom square over the center square and firmly press it down.

STEP 14

Apply a small amount of glue above the square that you just folded up and then fold the top square down. The top square should slightly overlap the bottom square. Flip the pouch over and cut a small hole into the back of your pouch. It should be near the top edge of your pouch.

STEP 15

Cut and attach a small tab of fabric to the top of the back of the pouch.

STEP 16

Attach the Circuit
Flip the bag inside out and measure a 2" hem along the opening of the bag.Apply hot glue to the side seam and fold the hem down.

STEP 17

Repeat step 29 on the other side of the bag. Find the center point of the hem and mark it. Also mark the center point of your LED strip.

STEP 18

Center and line the LED strip along the bottom edge of the hem and mark where the LED strip's end is. Make a small cut where you marked the end of the strip and feed the strip through the hole so that its wires are beneath the hem.

STEP 19

Remove the adhesive from the back of the strip and hot glue the strip onto the hem. Now take your remaining square from step 1 and cut it in half. Glue this tab above the LED strip at the center of the hem. Save the other half for another tab.

STEP 20

Use the craft knife to make two holes for the purse clasp. Attach the magnetic end of the purse clasp above the LED strip

STEP 21

Secure the hem to the bag by hot gluing it beneath the LED strip. Flip the bag over and find the center point on the hem.

STEP 22

Make another tab in the same way that you made the one in step 35. Glue the other half of the purse clasp to this tab. Apply glue to the back of the tab.

STEP 23

Attach the tab to the center of the hem. Glue one of the taped connections on the switch, not the switch itself, to the back of the purse clasp.

STEP 24

Glue a small piece of fabric over the switch to protect it.  Make sure all wires except for the battery clip's are tucked under the hem. Glue the hem down.

STEP 25

Run the battery clip through the hole that you made on the back your battery pouch. Glue the tab of the pouch onto the hem of the bag.

STEP 26

Snap the clip onto the battery and tuck it into the pouch. Finally, attach the straps that you made in steps 7-9 to the other side of the hem. Your Light-Up Tote Bag is now complete!

STEP 27

When the magnet is near the switch, the lights will turn off. The lights will turn on when the bag is opened and the magnet moves away from the switch.

Materials:

  • needle
  • thread
  • scissors
  • ruler
  • marker
  • hot glue gun / glue sticks
  • 1/2 yard of heavy weight fabric
  • 3/4" magnetic purse snap
  • 8" LED light strip
  • 9V battery and snap
  • insulated hookup wire
  • soldering iron
  • solder
  • wire strippers
  • electric tape
  • normally closed reed switch

See More Projects in these topics:

Electronics Fabrication Fiber Arts Wearables

See More Projects from these themes:

Art/Craft Studio
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Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear and adult supervision. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. Use of the instructions and suggestions found in Maker Camp is at your own risk. Make Community, LLC, disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense.

Maker Camp Project Standards

Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards. Learn more.

Forces and Motion

  • 3-PS2-3. Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
  • HS-PS4-5. Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

CCSS (Common Core State Standards)

The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).

Geometry

  • Grades K-2
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.3 Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
  • Grades 3-5
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.G.A.3 Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry.
  • Middle School
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.2 Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.3 Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.3 Describe the effect of dilations, translations, rotations, and reflections on two-dimensional figures using coordinates.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.4 Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and dilations; given two similar two-dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the similarity between them.

National Core Arts Standards

The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Visual Arts.

NGSS MS.Engineering Design

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.
  • MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
  • MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
  • MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
For additional information on using content standards with our projects please visit the Maker Camp Playbook.

NGSS HS.Engineering Design

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.
  • HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
  • HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
  • HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
  • HS-ETS1-4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
For additional information on using content standards with our projects please visit the Maker Camp Playbook.

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