Helen Leigh is an author, education writer, and maker with a focus on creative use of new technologies. She has written playful technology education materials for National Geographic, Intel Education, and Adafruit and has developed a Design, Coding, and Electronics Course for the Royal Court of Oman.

>Alongside her writing, Helen makes creative technology products with a focus on education, including her latest collaboration with Imogen Heap, [...], and Pimoroni, a gesture-controlled musical instrument glove that you can sew, wire, code, and play. To see some of the things Helen has made and find out more about some of the projects she has worked on, visit her website, [...]

>Helen lectures on electronics, physical computing, and music technology at Ravensbourne University and Tileyard Studios in London. She was previously director of the education platform Mission: Explore, with whom she published six acclaimed children's books.

>Helen lives in Berlin but is often found in London. You can say hello, ask questions, or show off your DIY electronics on Twitter (@helenleigh), on YouTube (HelenLeigh), or on Instagram (@helenleigh_makes).

Introduction
Acknowledgments
PART ONE Paper Circuits
Introduction to Paper Circuits
Paper Circuits: Essential Skills
What Is Electricity?
What Is a Circuit?
Conductive and Nonconductive Materials
Buying Copper Tape
Project 1 Light-Up Greeting Card
Choosing Your Materials
Starting Your First Circuit
What Is an LED Sticker?
How to Work with Copper Tape
Laying Down Your Paths
Finishing Your First Circuit
Adding in More than One LED
Introducing Series Circuits
Introducing Parallel Circuits
Designing the Circuit for Your Greeting Card
Making the Circuit for Your Greeting Card
Finishing the Circuit for Your Greeting Card
Finishing the Design for Your Greeting Card
Project 2 Dancing Origami Ladybird
Preparing Your Materials
How to Make Your First Origami Folds
Making Your First Folds
Folding Your Ladybird's Shell and Head
Making Your Final Folds
Adding the Final Touches
Preparing Your Circuit
Starting Your Circuit
Finishing Your Origami Ladybird
Project 3 Cardboard Doorbell
Preparing Your Materials
How to Work with Cardboard
Constructing Your Doorbell Base Plates
What Are Buttons and Switches?
Planning Where to Put Your Doorbell
How to Move Electricity Along a Path
Making Paths for Your Circuit
Finishing Your Cardboard Doorbell
Testing Your Cardboard Doorbell
Project 4 Flickering Firefly Wall Art
Preparing the Frame
Preparing Your Card
How to Score Card
Starting Your Flickering Firefly Circuit
How to Make a Parallel Circuit
Making Your Parallel Circuit
Finishing Your Flickering Firefly Circuit
Decorate Your Flickering Firefly Circuit
Frame Your Flickering Firefly Circuit
Project 5 Spy Bird
Preparing Your Materials
Folding Your Spy Bird
How to Make a Reverse Fold
Folding Your Spy Bird's Head
Folding Your Spy Bird's Wings and Tail
How to Use an LED in a Paper Circuit
Planning Your Negative Path
Planning Your Positive Path
Finishing Your Spy Bird
Project 6 Pop-Up Cityscape
Preparing Your Materials
How to Make a Pop-Up Card
Designing Your Cityscape
How to Use a Craft Knife
Making the Cityscape
How to Plan More Complex Paper Circuits
Starting Your Cityscape Circuit
Finishing Your Cityscape Circuit
Adding Power
Maker Spotlight: Coco Sato
Roborigami
Gesture-Sensing Origami Fan
PART TWO Soft Circuits
Introduction to Soft Circuits
Soft Circuits: Essential Skills
How to Thread a Needle
How to Tie a Knot
How to Do a Running Stitch
How to End a Stitch
Project 7 Circuit Sewing Sampler
Choosing Your Materials
Preparing Your Sampler
How to Make Good Connections
How to Avoid Short Circuits
Sewing Your First Circuit
Completing Your First Circuit
How to Make a Series Circuit
Designing Your Series Circuit Sampler
Sewing Your Series Circuit Sampler
Completing Your Series Circuit Sampler
How to Make a Parallel Circuit
Designing Your Parallel Circuit Sampler
Making Your Parallel Circuit Sampler
Project 8 Squishable Sparkle Heart
Preparing Your Materials
Sewing Your Hearts Together
How to Prepare an LED for Sewing
Anchoring Your LEDs
Sewing Your Circuit
Adding Power to Your Circuit
How to Make a Fabric Battery Pack
Finishing Your Squishy Heart
Project 9 Tiny Squishy Torch
What Is a Switch?
Preparing Your Materials
Sewing Your Pressure Sensor
Sewing Your LEDs
Sewing the Other Side of the Pressure Sensor
Sewing the Rest of the Battery Pack
Finishing Your Pressure Switch
How to Sew a Blanket Stitch
Adding Your Batteries in Series
Project 10 Constellation Night Light
Preparing Your Materials
How to Embroider with a Backstitch
Sewing Your Constellation Night Light
Adding Your North Star
Stitching in Your Stars
Finishing Your Constellation
Adding an On/Off Switch
How to Link Batteries Together
Sewing Your Batteries
Project 11 Grumpy Monster with DIY Tilt Sensor
Preparing Your Materials
Designing Your Monster
Sewing the Battery Pack
Sewing Your Cube with Blanket Stitches
Constructing Your Monster
What Is a Tilt Sensor?
Sewing Your Tilt Sensor Contact
Sewing the Buzzer
Making Your Tilt Sensor Switch and Finishing Your Monster
Maker Spotlight: Rachel Freire
e-Textile Crystallography
Stretchy Circuits
PART THREE Wearables
Introduction to Wearables
Wearables: Essential Skills
How to Make Good Connections
How to Avoid Short Circuits
How to Wire Your Circuits in Different Ways
How to Make a Series Circuit
How to Make a Parallel Circuit
Project 12 Conductivity-Sensing Bracelet
Preparing Your Materials
How to Test for Conductivity
Sketching Your Circuit
How to Power Different Colors of LEDs
Designing Your Conductivity-Sensing Bracelet
Sewing Your Conductivity-Sensing Bracelet
Sewing the Negative Side of Your Bracelet
Finishing Your Conductivity-Sensing Bracelet
How to Use a Conductivity Sensor
Project 13 LED Paper Flower Crown
Preparing Your Materials
Hacking Your Headband
Completing Your Negative Path
Sewing Your Positive Path
Preparing Your Paper Flowers
Making Your Paper Flowers
Finishing Your Paper Flowers
Attaching Your Paper Flowers
Finishing Your LED Paper Flower Crown
Project 14 Glove Hacks: Touchscreen Glove and BFF Gloves
Preparing Your Materials for the Touchscreen Glove
Starting Your DIY Touchscreen Glove
Finishing Your DIY Touchscreen Glove
How Touchscreens Work
Preparing Your Materials for the BFF Glove
How to Choose and Use Conductive Fabric
Starting Your BFF Gloves
Sewing Your Positive Paths
Sewing Your Negative Paths
Sewing the Negative Side of Your LED
Sewing the Negative Side of Your LED
Testing and Using Your BFF Gloves
Project 15 Dark-Sensing Amulet
Preparing Your Materials
How to Make a Lark's Head Knot
Sewing Your Battery Pack
What Is a Light Sensor?
Sewing Your Light Sensor
Sewing Your Light Sensor to Your LED
Finishing Your Circuit
How to Tie an Adjustable Sliding Knot
Using Your Dark-Sensing Amulet
Project 16 Secret Signal Mood Badge
Preparing Your Materials
What Are RGB LEDs?
Wiring Your RGB LEDs
Finishing Your Positive Paths
Sewing Your Battery Pack
How to Avoid Short Circuits
Insulating Your Circuit
Finishing Your Secret Signal Mood Badge
Using Your Secret Signal Mood Badge
Maker Spotlight: Hadeel Ayoub
BrightSign Glove
PART FOUR Robots
Introduction to Robots
Robots: Essential Skills
What Are Motors?
How to Use Wire for the First Time
Project 17 Googly-Eyed Trash Robot
Preparing Your Materials
How to Choose and Use Motors
How to Use a Wire Stripper
Making Your DIY Vibration Motor
Adding Your 3V Battery Holder
Attaching Your Circuit to Your Robot Body
Making Googly Eyes on Stalks
Attaching the Googly Eyes to Your Trash Robot
Finishing Your Googly-Eyed Trash Robot
Project 18 Modern Art Robot
Preparing Your Materials
Preparing the Motor
Connecting Your 3V Battery Holder
Attaching Your Circuit to Your Robot Body
Making the Legs of Your Modern Art Robot
Preparing Your Canvas
Making Your First Piece of Art
How to Experiment with Your Robot's Movement
Displaying Your Artwork
Project 19 Extremely Annoying Robot Alarm Clock
Preparing Your Materials
Understanding Your Circuit
How to Choose and Use Different Wires
Wiring Up Your DC Motor
Completing Your Circuit
Attaching the Circuit to Your Robot Body
Making Your Robot Alarm Clock Extra Annoying
Finishing Your Robot Alarm Clock
Project 20 Unicorn Automaton
Preparing Your Materials
Making Your Frame
Making Holes in Your Frame
Making Your Unicorn Automaton
Finishing Your Unicorn Automaton
Assembling Your Automaton
How to Use Cams in Automatons
Adding Movement to Your Unicorn Automaton
Finishing Your Unicorn Automaton
Maker Spotlight: Phoenix Perry
Bot Party
Thrum
PART FIVE Templates
Maker Notes
Templates
Index