Traffic Light with paper clip switch. Move paper clip to copper line on far left to light up red.
You can quickly create circuits on paper using copper tape, clear tape, and some simple electronics. The image above is from a workshop Jie taught at the Exploratorium museum, showing how you can c…
Make simple or complex electrical circuits on a flat piece of paper!
5 Free Paper Circuit Templates - Paper circuits are great makerspace projects for teaching electricity & circuits. Paper Circuit Tutorial PDF
Paper Circuits Cubes: Use these easy to make Paper Circuits Cubes to demonstrate the basics of circuitry. Learn about open and closed circuits, polarity, power, and components. The attached PDF file contains the printable templates needed to create the cubes. If you like…
Learn creative ways to use paper circuits in the classroom to light up the makerspace and infuse STEM into crafts and art activities.
Learn how to create a light-up Father's Day card using paper circuits. This project is a great way to be creative and make something special for your father. P
Why mess with wires when you can just use conductive tape. Choose from our personal sized "Standard Kit" or our giant "Classroom Set". In a nutshell, that's our philosophy behind the Paper Circuits - Conductive Tape Kit. Designed from the ground up to be engaging for kids of all ages, our kit fits right at home at a k
Learn how to create simple, series & parallel circuits w/ copper tape. Paper circuits are a great STEM and makerspace project. PDF templates
6 Halloween themed makerspace projects using paper circuits. Free project templates PDF with step by step directions. Copper tape, LED and coin cell battery
FREE Ebook - Get into the Halloween "spirit" by creating these 13 light-up paper circuit cards. Great STEM / STEAM project for your makerspace.
What is a Paper Circuit? STEM technology has evolved into all kinds of fantastic forms with many brands bringing craft and electronics together in new and innovative ways. There’s plenty of products which make use of ‘paper circuits’; platforms which allow you to create devices and circuits using household craft materials such as paper, rather than a traditional PCB. Some of our favourite brands for educational electronics are Chibitronics, Circuit Scribe, and Makey Makey, and copper tape is used extensively in projects for all of these platforms. So what is this magical copper tape? What is Copper Tape? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like; very thin copper sheet which can be bent and molded to suit the task at hand, with adhesive to allow it to stick to things. Copper tape is great because it can be used with alligator clips to connect things up without requiring any soldering, but it can also be soldered to just as easily. We’ve got a few different options for copper tape on our site, however, we’ve put together a list of our picks which are Maker Favourites, so we’ll be using those to highlight some fantastic uses for copper tape in your projects. Copper Tape - Non-Conductive Adhesive 5mm (50ft) Copper Tape - Conductive Adhesive, 5mm (50ft) Copper Foil Tape Wth Conductive Adhesive - 25mm X 15 Meter Roll Apart from different thicknesses, we’ve got two main types of copper tape, tape with conductive adhesive, and tape with non-conductive adhesive. For most projects, I highly recommend conductive adhesive as it allows you to more easily join two pieces of tape together, and ensure a good connection. Methods and Tips So now, let’s take a look at some techniques and tips for using copper tape in your projects. Using conductive and non-conductive together Whilst conductive adhesive tape is usually much easier to work with, it’s also a little more expensive, so a neat trick is to use both conductive and non-conductive adhesive tape. If you run a length of non-conductive adhesive tape, you can use conductive adhesive on the next joint as you only need one side to conduct. This method is great for alternating different tape and saving the conductive adhesive for when it’s really needed. Soldering Copper tape is literally just a sheet of thin copper foil, which makes it excellent for soldering to. The copper isn’t too thick that it wicks all of the heat away from the joint, and the result is a smooth, shiny solder joint that allows you to connect other components to your paper circuit. Securing Components One of the tricks when using copper tape is securing components to it that aren’t ‘tape friendly’. For platforms such as Chibitronics, their components are designed to easily stick to copper tape and paper so they’re incredibly easy to use with tape: However, let’s try using a traditional through-hole resistor, LED, and push button to create a simple circuit. You’ll see a few tricks that I’ve used to ensure a reliable connection. I’ve used a strip of tape to lay my circuit out, and then another small square of tape to secure the component to the tape. Alternatively, if you’re using conductive adhesive tape, you can just tape it straight onto the paper. Switches Simple switches are extremely easy and fun to make using copper tape. Thanks to the flexibility of the foil, you can easily make on/off switches for your circuit in as many ways as you can imagine, however, there are two easy solutions for this: Copper Tape Spring By using a small piece of tape, you can create a neat little on-off switch by folding it over to bridge the connections. You can either use the adhesive side for a toggle switch or fold it over so it’s the non-adhesive side for a momentary switch. These switches will require the use of conductive adhesive. Folded Paper Spring A paper spring switch is incredibly easy and fun to create. You can simply run two strips for your switch into the corner of a page (or anywhere you can fold), and simply fold the paper over to make a connection. Because it’s only the top side making contact, you can make these switches with the non-conductive adhesive. Battery Holders The last thing to know when creating paper circuits using copper tape is how to connect a battery. There are two different methods that I like to use, one incorporates a momentary on/off switch with the battery and the other allows for a more permanent battery connection. You’re definitely going to want to use conductive adhesive for this. Something to be careful here is not to create a short circuit, so be sure to place your tape far enough apart so that the battery can’t accidentally short out. Battery Switch To use the battery connection as a switch, just take the same approach as a momentary switch, but use the battery as a contact. Double over some tape on the bottom side of the battery to hold it in place, and just press on the tape to turn the circuit on! Battery Holder To create a nice battery holder, double over some tape to attach your battery to the first track. Now, run the second piece of tape from your other rail to the top of your battery, and voila! A clean, reliable copper tape battery holder. Using Wearable Components A great trick when creating paper circuits is that most wearable modules and components have large, round, flat pads for sewing too, which makes them great for paper circuits. Some of our recommendations are: Sewable Coin Cell Battery Holder Lilypad Button Board Lilypad LED Pack What Now? If there’s anything you’d like to see more of when using copper tape, or ideas you’ve had, but you’re not sure how to implement them with a paper circuit, then get the conversation started below, and we’ll be sure to keep this updated with some of our favourite tips and tricks.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a digital ebook in PDF format. The circuit cards must be printed for use. The Circuit Cards Paper Circuits for Kids Ebook contains 10+ printable and buildable paper circuits cards for holidays, special occasions, and year-round fun. Each card contains a printable template and circuit diagram, plus
We make DIY light up cards using a STEM concept of circuits. This is a fun project for kids and teens to make special greeting cards.
Guide Preview: Chibitronics Educators Guide preview Paper Circuits STEAM Educator's Guide Our Educator's Guide is a comprehensive guide to STEAM (Science...
Getting started with paper circuits is easy, fun, and a blast for young artists and inventors! Light up your artwork with these tips. Find this and other hardware projects on Hackster.io.
FREE Template (PDF) - Make flashing police lights using paper circuits. This is a simple STEM project that uses copper tape, LED & a CR2032 battery.
Make fun paper circuits and cool light up cards with these great STEM challenges using copper tape, LED lights, coin batteries and paper.
My passion is creative STEAM education using paper and simple electronics. I create tutorials and templates to use in class or at home.
