Projects
Need inspiration? Find it here! These tutorials feature special projects broken down into steps to illustrate how you can use various concepts, skills, and technologies to build awesome stuff.
LilyTiny Plush Monster
January 27, 2015
Craft a stuffed monster while exploring the LilyTiny preprogrammed microcontroller. This is a project based on the Plush Monster Activity created at MIT's High-Low Tech Lab by Emily Lovell, Jie Qi, and Natalie Freed.
Interactive LED Music Visualizer
May 31, 2016
Use an Arduino and the SparkFun Sound Detector to create visualizations on Addressable RGB LED strips.
Proto Pedal Example: Programmable Digital Pedal
September 22, 2016
Building a pedal around the Teensy 3.2 and Teensy Audio shield. Changing the effect in the pedal is as easy as uploading a new sketch!
IoT Weight Logging Scale
May 9, 2018
This tutorial will show you how to make a scale that logs your weight to a custom website on the Internet. The principles can be extrapolated to any type of data.
Using Artnet DMX and the ESP32 to Drive Pixels
March 29, 2018
In this tutorial, we'll find out how to use Resolume Arena, a popular video jockey software, to control custom-made ArtNet DMX fixtures.
Wireless Audio Bluetooth Adapter w/ BC127
December 14, 2017
Build a custom wireless audio Bluetooth adapter using BlueCreation's BC127 and add it to your old speaker system!
Headless Raspberry Pi Setup
April 23, 2018
Configure a Raspberry Pi without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor.
Setting up a Raspberry Pi 3 as an Access Point
April 23, 2018
This guide will show you how to configure a Raspberry Pi as an access point and connect it to your local Ethernet network to share Internet to other WiFi devices.
Interactive 3D Printed LED Diamond Prop
April 19, 2018
In this tutorial, we will learn about how to create an interactive theatrical prop for a performance by 3D printing a translucent diamond prop using a non-addressable RGB LED strip and AT42QT1011 capacitive touch sensing.
Prototype Wearable LED Dance Harness
February 8, 2018
A project tutorial to add an extra effect for dancers performing a choreographed piece. The harness can be added quickly under a costume.
Soil moisture-sensing by hacking a solar light
June 19, 2014
How to take a solar powered pathway light from a hardware store and make it into a crude soil moisture sensor.
LilyPad Safety Scarf
November 21, 2017
This scarf is embedded with a ribbon of LEDs that illuminate when it gets dark out, making yourself more visible to vehicle and other pedestrians.
Boss Alarm
March 30, 2016
Build a Boss Alarm that alerts you of anyone walking into your office and automatically changes your computer screen.
Raspberry Pi Zero Helmet Impact Force Monitor
March 8, 2018
How much impact can the human body handle? This tutorial will teach you how to build your very own impact force monitor using a helmet, Raspberry Pi Zero, and accelerometer!
SIK Keyboard Instrument
April 15, 2016
We can use the parts and concepts in the SparkFun Invetor's Kit to make a primitive keyboard instrument.
Das Blinken Top Hat
January 22, 2014
A top hat decked out with LED strips makes for a heck of a wedding gift.
Craft a Holiday Greeting with Love to Code
March 23, 2018
Craft your own paper circuit holiday greeting using the LEDs, a Chibi Chip, Love to Code!
21st Century Fashion Kit: Inflation
December 10, 2014
Learn how to use a blower and thin sheet plastic to create designs that change shape and volume!
Alphanumeric GPS Wall Clock
January 26, 2015
This is a GPS controlled clock - a clock you truly never have to set! Using GPS and some formulas, we figure out what day of the week and if we are in or out of daylight savings time.
Dungeons and Dragons Dice Gauntlet
August 13, 2013
A playful, geeky tutorial for a leather bracer that uses a LilyPad Arduino, LilyPad accelerometer, and seven segment display to roll virtual 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, and 100 side dice for gaming.
Origami Paper Circuits
May 26, 2015
A quick tutorial to get you started in the world of light up origami flowers.
Quick Illuminated Boxes
December 16, 2013
A quick tutorial to show you how to add LEDs to gift or holiday bags or boxes.
Old Tutorials
Looking for the old, archived tutorials? Head on over to the
archived tutorials on the main
SparkFun site.
Please be aware that the tutorials you find there are no longer
actively maintained.