Christmas Card With Colored LEDs

This Instructable has been submitted to the "Make it glow" contest. If you like it, I'd really appreciate your votes.

I was looking for a decent/innovative Christmas card, but I haven't been able to find one that suits my taste.

So, I locked myself to the "drawing board" and after a while I made one I like.

Anyway for this "Instructable" you need:

A4 sheet (of the same weight of the card) 160gsm white (or colored)

Markers

Utility knife (please use it carefully)

A small screwdriver (follow the advices above)

Glue (solvent free) UHU POR is my favorite

Foam for packaging

6 to 10 colored 3mm LEDs (according to the drawing you'd like to make)

6 to 10 10K resistors, for the version powered by a 3.7V battery (the number of resistors is affected by the quantity of LEDs chosen)

1 Momentary switch/Push button

2 button batteries 1.5V

or a 3.7V Lipo

(please take all the necessary precautions when you use this kind of battery as Lipos are very dangerous)

Soldering on Iron Station (again please follow all the precautions when you use this tool)

Soldering wire

Draw and Color Your Christmas Card

Take the A4, cut the size you need for your Christmas card.

Fold it and on the 2nd page make your favorite Christmas drawing.

Color it in stripes, using the marker.

You can leave a part of it white/uncolored, to pretend the tree is covered with snow.

Make the holes in the card using the screwdriver.

You should pop out just the head of the LEDs, possibly keeping all the long legs of them arranged in the same way

(i.e. first row: long leg - short leg, long leg - short leg, long leg - short leg).

LED1 LED2 LED3

This step is the most tedious of the tutorial.

Follow the schematic above and take your time.

You have to solder every resistor, to every long leg of the LED (for the 3.7V battery version)

After you have to connect all the positives and all the negatives

(please note that the picture above is for the the version with 2 button batteries)

When you finish, install the momentary switch.

I've decided to place the push button... at the bottom of the tree... ha, ha, ha!

Sorry!

Press the button against the card,

so you'll see where the contacts are and make 4 small holes.

You don't need even to glue to it, as the "legs" are long enough to stay attached to the card itself.

Glue some foam for packaging behind the card, so you'll avoid to squash the LEDs accidentally.

You basically should create a small box/container, to cover all the electrical stuff.

Cut the space for the momentary switch on the front of your card.

Write something cheerful on the front of it and...

Happy Holidays everyone!