MAKE Volume 21: EL wire primer - Make: MAKE Volume 21: EL wire primer - Make:

MAKE Volume 21: EL wire primer

Technology Wearables

I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

View more articles by Goli Mohammadi

January 28th, 2010

Here on Make: Online, we’ve featured lots of projects that use electrolumiscent wire, like the barbershop pole, the sequencing costume, and the angler fish. EL wire is a really flexible (pun intended) way to add lighting to your projects, and it’s fairly easy to use. In the newest issue of MAKE, Volume 21, we offer an 8-page primer on how to use EL wire, including the anatomy of EL wire, a discussion of drivers and sequencers, a comparison between EL wire and LEDs, and walking you through creating an animated blinking eye (frames shown above). If you already have MAKE 21, flip on over to page 142 and get started. If not, you can pick one up at a fine newsstand near you, get one over in the Maker Shed, or subscribe and have knowledge delivered to your doorstep.