Required Supplies:

Clear Tape
Glue Stick
Scissors
Scrap Paper to Protect Table From Glue
(Only if you live outside the USA:) CR2032 or CR2025 Battery

Optional Supplies:

Instructions:

It's time to make!

Take out this piece

Line up the first piece of copper tape with the small edge as shown
Mark a length just before the score, making the mark with your fingernail or a pencil

Cut to size

Peel back the white backing of the copper tape about 1/2 inch
Align the tape just under the tiny edge, making sure it doesn't go over

Remove the backing slowly while pressing the copper tape down, band-aid style

Turn the shape over

Measure a piece the same way on the other side

Press into place

Fold back and forth on each vertical score line to make it easier to fold

Take out a piece of scrap paper
Apply glue to the end piece that looks like a half snowflake; stop at the score line

Fold the shape - match the glued part to the snowflake in the center

Push the left edge of the paper so that it folds into a box

It should look like a box from the bottom

Apply glue to the outer half of the shield-like part

Fold it over to align the glued half with the matching half shield

The front should look like this

A correctly folded snowflake support should be able to flatten to the right…

And left...

...and fold flat at the center

Take out the front of the card

Apply glue to the entire back of the shield-like shape as shown
Notice the half-shield guide line on the back of the card

Allow the snowflake shape to flatten to the left to see the guide line easily
Glue the shape in place, aligning it with the guide line
Make sure the top of the shape is at the center fold of the card

Pop the shape up - be sure the entire bottom is secured to the card

Close the card, and press down on the area that was just glued

Open the card; check to be sure the structure is completely adhered and centered

- CONSTRUCT THE CIRCUIT -

The first part of the circuit instructions include diagrams with explanations and tips, the second part is a step-by-step building guide with photography.

( AFTER THESE MESSAGES... WE'LL BE RI I I I I I I I IGHT BACK! )

A Simple Circuit: Battery, Switch, LED

The battery will be placed on the top right corner. The positive side touches the copper tape on the right.

The switch is a break in the copper tape and a patch to bridge the gap when the paper is squeezed.
The LED is placed on the vertical structure inside the snowflake with the positive side (the longer wire on the LED) on the right. Electricity travels through the LED to the other side of the paper where more copper tape continues around to the negative side of the battery.

And we're back!

Start the circuit at the small horizontal guide line on the right side

Remove a 1/2 inch piece of the tape's backing
Position that end just above the guide line
Slowly press the tape into place while peeling off the packing, band-aid style

Add another piece of copper tape starting just below the guide line as shown
Be sure this piece doesn't touch the first one

Add a piece of copper tape parallel to the snowflake structure, as shown

Hold the LED with the longer wire (the positive side) on the right

Place the LED over the center paper structure so that the longer wire is on the right side and the short wire is on the left
It should rest on the flat edge, with the wires on top of the copper tape pieces from the first step

Press the snowflake structure flat- the LED wire and copper tape should be sticking out

Connect that wire to the circuit with 3 pieces of copper tape

Reinforce with clear tape

Press the structure flat on the right side

Apply a piece of copper tape vertically as shown

Just like the first side, connect the wire to the vertical piece with three pieces of copper tape

Reinforce with clear tape

Cut two 1 inch pieces of tape
Place one parallel to the battery flap, as shown
Place the other on the switch flap, as shown

Connect the two pieces, as shown

Add an additional piece of copper tape to reinforce the piece that goes over the card's crease

Reinforce with clear tape as well- We want that circuit to stay connected!

On the switch flap, fold the tiny flaps up and down

Fold both right side flaps over

Place the battery on top of the flap with the "+" side up

Fold the top flap down and secure with the binder clip

It's time! Test -- That -- Circuit! (press the switch)

Didn’t light up?

Make sure the electricity has an uninterrupted path from the positive side of the battery to the negative when the switch is closed.
Make sure the switch makes a good “bridge” between the gap in the copper tape ( try bridging the gap with a scrap piece of copper tape).
Check that the LED has a good connection to the copper tape, and be sure that the tape is not going over the paper to connect to the other side, creating a short circuit.
Be sure the battery is installed with the “+” facing up – if the circuit works with the negative side facing up, the LED is in the wrong way and needs to be installed with the long wire on the right.
… more troubleshooting coming soon!