How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

How to Make a Dog with a Magnetic Bone

Description

This cute little dog has a magnet hidden away inside

his bone, and when the bone is placed in his mouth

the LED in his nose lights up. The dog uses a magnet

switch hidden in the mouth area, which when paired

with the magnet hidden inside the bone, activates the

circuit turning on the LED. The rest of the circuit is

hidden away inside the dog, though the battery can

still be accessed when it needs replacing via a small

gap in the dog’s body. The circuit requires some

previous knowledge of e-textiles as well as some

textiles knowledge.

Learn How To:

Add a magnet switch to a circuit

Use a mini cell holder

Create a circuit using one PCB LED

Level of Difficulty:

Intermediate.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Parts List

Miniature cell holder & cell

White PCB LED

Electro Fashion magnetic switch

Conductive thread

Brown felt fabric 16cm x 45cm

Small pieces of black, white and

beige felt fabric

30cm ribbon (0.5cm wide)

Stuffing

Stranded embroidery thread to

match felt fabric.

You will also need the following equipment:

Round nosed pliers. Fabric to match the ears if you want to cover up the circuit. Paper template.

Step-by-step guide to making the Dog

Step One

Start to stitch the e-textiles circuit on the inner layer of the

body fabric. Use conductive thread to over-sew the negative

side of the cell holder into the position marked on the

pattern template. Note that the open side of the cell holder

is facing the bottom edge of the fabric.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Two

Use small running stitches to get to the position of the

magnet switch (see pattern template) and over-sew one

side into position (it doesn’t matter which way round the

magnet switch goes).

Step Three

Using a new piece of conductive thread over-sew the

second side of the magnet switch onto the fabric. Use small

running stitches to get to the position of the LED on the

edge of the fabric and over-sew the negative side of the LED

into position (see pattern template).

Step Four

Using a new piece of conductive thread, over-sew the

positive side of the LED into position. Stitch small running

stitches from the LED to the positive side of the cell holder

and over-sew it into position. The remaining positive and

negative holes on the cell holder are not used in this circuit

and can be held in position using ordering sewing thread.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Five

The e-textiles circuit is now complete. Insert the cell into the

cell holder with the positive side facing upwards. Place the

magnet onto the switch to check the circuit works.

Step Six

Attach the eyes & tail to the main body of the front and back

of the dog using the embroidery thread. Any stitch can be

used to do this. In the photo a cross-stitch has been used to

hold the centre of the eye in place, and a blanket stitch has

been used for all other areas. Two strands of stranded

embroidery thread have been used. Use a running stitch to

create the body markings on the dog using the pattern

template as a guide.

Step Seven

Sandwich the inner fabric layer with the circuit attached

between the back and front pieces of the dog. If necessary trim

the layers so they match exactly.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Eight

Use the stranded embroidery thread to stitch the layers of

the dog together starting at the hole on the bottom edge

of the dog and stitching the legs first. Any stitch can be

used. The stitch used in the photos is a blanket stitch.

Step Nine

When you reach the top of the back leg stop stitching and

stuff the legs, as they will be harder to reach when the body

is stitched together. You may need to use a thin pointed

object to help you reach the tips of the legs.

Step Ten

Continue stitching around the dog until you get to the end

of the nose where the LED is. The back and front fabrics are

slightly smaller than the inner fabric the circuit is stitched

onto so the LED should sit beyond the 2 layers of fabric.

Position the inner layer of fabric so the LED sits flat against

the nose.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Eleven

Continue stitching the layers of the dog together from the other side of the LED to the position of the cell holder.

Leave a few centimetres of fabric open by the cell holder to allow you to stuff the dog. To close the hole stitch 2 of

the layers of fabric together. Stitch the edge of the single layer of fabric covering the cell holder to make it match the

rest of the dog. This single layer of fabric is where the battery will be accessed so the gap needs to be big enough to

get your fingers in.

Step Twelve

Cut a small, square hole in the nose fabric, as

shown on the pattern template. Slide the hole

over the LED. Stitch the nose into shape

covering the LED.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Thirteen

Stitch 2 layers of the ear fabrics together closing all

sides.

Step Fourteen

Position the curved section of the ears on either side of

the head and stitch into the position indicated on the

pattern template.

Step Fifteen

Stitch the 2 layers of the bone together leaving a gap

along the centre of the fabric. Slide the magnet into the

hole along with a small amount of stuffing to pad the

bone. Stitch the hole closed.

How to Make a Dog with Magnetic Bone www.kitronik.co.uk

Step Sixteen

Attach the ribbon around the bone and around the dog’s neck. When the magnet in the bone is placed onto the

mouth area where the magnet switch is the LED will light up.