Light-Up Acrylic Displays

This inexpensive and easy project is a great starter project and will help new makers get familiar with simple electronics, image processing, and using the laser cutter.

Project Image

Tools

Soldering and wiring tools

Laser Cutter 

Graphics design app (Google Slides, Vectr.com, Inkscape, etc.)

Materials

Birch plywood sheet, ⅛” thick

Clear Acrylic sheet, ⅛” thick (cast is preferable to extruded)

LED strips - 12V, single color or RGB (not addressable LEDs / Neopixels), (such as https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NATWJ49 - the 12V strips run on 9V)

Stranded wire 24 AWG 

9V Batteries

Battery snaps

Brass fasteners - 1”

Project details

Express yourself with a light-up acrylic display! For classes and large groups, pre-cut the plywood bases and prepare the LED strips in advance.

Have a question or want to share your Makes with us? Contact us!

k12maker@mit.edu