Sarah Hostetter

ENGL202C Instruction Set

15 April 2016

HOW TO BUILD A DESK LAMP

INTRODUCTION
As a college student, you will experience situations in
which you are studying for long periods of time,
especially late into the night. In these instances, a
desk lamp is crucial for providing light as you study.
With the use of a littleBits kit and common household
items, you could build your own custom desk lamp.
Nevertheless, you do not need to be a college
student in order to produce your own desk lamp. This
activity could be performed by an individual with an
http://littlebits.cc/projects/desk-lamp
interest in a creative project. Additionally, this activity
is a fun activity for kids and teenagers to complete, under the
supervision of an adult.
For the purpose of creating your desk lamp, you will be using littleBits.
LittleBits are electronic pieces in which can be combined in a plethora
of ways in order to create devices. You have the capability to utilize
littleBits to create whatever your imagination leads you to invent. One
example of a creative project that uses littleBits is a desk lamp,
however, as you become more familiar with littleBits, you may find
yourself inventing other projects applicable to your life.
This activity will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending
on the amount of decoration that you would like to add to your desk
lamp. If this is your first time creating your own desk lamp, allow at least
an hour for constructing the lamp. However, with practice, you will be
able to assemble and decorate your desk lamp in approximately 30
minutes. In order to achieve success with this project, complete the
activity on a flat surface with at least 12 inches of free space.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: Steps 10, 12, and 14 involve the use of scissors.
Proceed with caution in order to avoid serious bodily injury. If
under the age of 10, do not complete steps 10, 12, and 14
without the help of your parent or guardian.

MATERIALS
Cardboard box (1)
Marker (pen, pencil) (1)

Plastic disposable cup (1)

Rubber band (1)
Paper (1 sheet)
Tape (1 roll)
Scissors (1)

LITTLEBITS MODULE
Battery and cable (1)
Dimmer (1)
Power (1)
Pressure sensor (1)
Bright LED (1)
Wire (1)
Weighted object, such as
water bottle or drinking glass

GATHERING THE MATERIALS

1. Gather all of the materials, including the littleBits modules.
2. Choose a small cardboard box, which will serve as the base of
the desk lamp.
If you have a small pre-made cardboard box already, use this
box in order to save time.

ASSEMBLING THE CIRCUIT

3. Connect the cable to the battery followed by the
pressure sensor.
The littleBits pieces have a magnetic feature, which
will prevent you from connecting the circuit
improperly.

4. Next, add the dimmer switch to the pressure sensor.

5. Using the magnetic feature of the wire, connect the

wire out side to the dimmer switch.

6. Attach the wire in side of the wire to the bright led.

7. Check your circuit by pressing one finger down on the

pressure sensor. Make sure that the power is turned
on.
You can control the brightness of the light by turning
the knob on the dimmer switch in either direction.

ASSEMBLING THE LAMP

8. Using the box that you chose in step 2, decide which side of the
cardboard box that you would like to be the face of the box.
Choose a side that you are able to easily open in order to store
the circuit of the desk lamp.

9. Place the completed circuit inside the cardboard box. Position

the dimmer switch and the pressure sensor in the box in order to
determine where to attach the circuit.

CAUTION: In the next few

steps you will use scissors.
Take extreme caution when
using the scissors. Do not
attempt steps 10, 12, and 14
without the supervision of
an adult if you are under the
age of 10.

10. Using scissors, create a hole that is able to fit the

dimmer switch. Create a slit that is able to fit the
pressure sensor.

11. Tape the circuit inside the cardboard box in order to

hold the circuit in place. Leave out the end of the
wire that is attached to the bright led piece.
The pressure sensor and dimmer switch might
require extra tape in order to keep the circuit intact
and attached to the cardboard box.

12. Take a piece of paper and place the bottom of the

plastic cup on the sheet. Trace the cup using the
marker. Then, cut out the circular pattern.
Optional: You may use construction paper for the
circular pattern if you would prefer to add color to
your desk lamp.

13. Tape the circular pattern over the pressure sensor,

which will protect the pressure sensor from
damage.

14. Using the scissors, construct a hole that will fit the
marker that you have selected as the base of the
lamp.
After a small slit is made for the marker with the
scissors, use the marker to create a hole that will
accommodate the marker.

15. Insert the marker into the hole that was made in
step 14.

16. Take the wire and bright LED light and wrap
the wire around the marker to the top of the
marker.

17. Using a rubber band, wrap the rubber band

several times around the bright LED light in
order to secure the light to the marker.

18. Place the clear plastic cup on top of the

marker, covering the wire and the bright LED
light.

19. Use a weighted object, such as a water bottle

or a glass cup to activate the pressure sensor
by placing the weighted object on the circular
attachment that is covering the pressure
sensor.
You can adjust the brightness of the light by
using the dimmer switch, located near the
pressure sensor.

DECORATING THE LAMP (OPTIONAL)

20. If you would like to add a personal touch to your desk lamp, take
construction paper and additional markers in order to decorate
the base of the lamp.
21. If you would like to create a lamp shade that will emit a design,
cut your desired pattern in the plastic cup.
This step is not recommended for novice lamp builders.

CONCLUSION
Now that you have constructed your lamp, you are ready to begin using
your lamp whenever you need to! If you did not decorate your lamp,
you are able to do so at any time in order to add your personal touch.