easy to do el wire ideas

[Stolli]

gonna be my first time on the playa this year!

I have no sewing experience but want to light myself up. Any of you guys got easy ideas of how i can do this without much sewing. I have fur and costumes as well as el wire just dont know how to put them together so that its not constantly coming off / putting in many hours of work. With a full time job and planning logistics for our camp i just cant put as many hours as i want to into this.

Thanks!

[Captain Goddammit]

Bubble gum would hold it...

[PhoenixFemmeFatale]

Staple it? Make sure not to puncture the wire though.

[Eric]

For a serious answer - I used safety pins the first time I used EL wire. It's going to look a bit janky, but you'll be lit up - just make sure you plan out where to put the battery pack, they tend to be a little on the heavy side for safety pins. I put mine in the pocket of my jacket.

[Drawingablank]

Stitch it on with 10 lb test fishing line - long looping stitches - doesn't need a seamster or seamstress.

My personal favorite are the Bike glo kits as they are pretty much weatherproof and offer a 50% burner discount. Great product, super price, and they are burners. See: http://www.burningman.com/preparation/r ... tml#lights One kit will outline a good portion of a coat.

I also use them on my bike.

I have instructions for adding EL wire rto coats at: http://grasshoppernight.org/elwireusage.php

[mikgus]

I used a hole punch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lochzange.jpeg and threaded the wire trough the holes.
Have no idea how it will work on the playa yet

[Bounce530]

I have just used needle and thread. Battery pack in a pocket, then fish the elwire through the material and then loop the needle and thread over and around the el wire. It has worked on jackets, backpacks, hats, etc..

[danibel]

I completely second drawingablank. Fishing line and BikeGlow. 10 ft in any color, with driver pack, zip ties, tape for 50% off is a good deal. A great length for a backpack or coat. I used a 3 foot pink piece I bought from coolneon and wrapped it around my hat for a heart. I poked a small whole to get wire of the driver hidden in the top of the hat. When you are thinking about lighting up, think about your night time outfits (duh!). Hats are good for fiber optics (glowbys) too.

[dragonpilot]

I still use safety pins here and there...at night they can't be seen...and you usually won't be wearing a coat during the day anyway....where everyone's warts show.

[theCryptofishist]

I have just used needle and thread. Battery pack in a pocket, then fish the elwire through the material and then loop the needle and thread over and around the el wire. It has worked on jackets, backpacks, hats, etc..

When the op says "no sewing experience" I'm assuming, "can't thread needle."

[TT120]

I have absolutely zero sewing experience and I did it like this:

I took a large needle and some 20lb fishing line and just made long loop stiches around the wire. I used pieces of duct tape to hold the el wire in place while I sewed it and just removed them as I went along. Hopefully you can see the stiching in this pic. It was a bit awkward at first but I eventually got the hang of it and it came out pretty good if I do say so myself. It doesn't really have to be perfect anyway so just jump in and start sewing!

[Turtleburp]

Fishing line, of course!

Face palm moment

[theCryptofishist]

Indeed. that's evil stuff, and you'd never use it...

[tamarakay]

We had several coats, light-medium-heavy and couldn't really afford to light them all up independently so we sewed ribbon in strategic places then just tied the lights onto whatever jacket fit that nights weather.

[Turtleburp]

Indeed. that's evil stuff, and you'd never use it...

I used cotton and applied a most hold really tight approach that means I now have vaguely glowing cotton - and lots of holes in my finger tips - still the flying nun shall ride again!

T

[Stolli]

great advice everybody thank you! I will try the fishing line wrapping and see how it goes!

[some seeing eye]

I have some 5 foot lengths of EL wire with 2xAA controllers. I simply wrap them around my neck as a necklace to be seen. The controller clips to clothing. Our burner friend businesses have those up to a certain shipping date cutoff. Bike lights, usable throughout the year, available anywhere, several facing in each direction, are equally - even more - effective.

[Zhust]

I did a coat a couple years ago ...

2010827 Marc Hertlein's photo of Zhust at the Temple.jpg

(the back has a pyramid with a question mark inside in two colors) and, to get tight, straight lines, I backed it with plastic crochet mesh. It's just a plastic grid with about 1/8 inch (3mm) spacing. I'd suggest getting a pre-made kit and just keep everything as-is (e.g. don't even cut the EL wire shorter.)

Oh yeah, and I used fishing line to stitch it.

Things I learned:

• It's easier to use heat-shrink tubing over parts you want to be dark than it is to cut it and solder on new connections (e.g. the gap between the two parts of the question mark.)
• Don't cut the outside to make tight corners. Rather, make a loop inside the fabric with heat-shrink over it.
• It eventually fails. If you treat it well, it will last a few years.
• If you turn on the inverter without wire connected, it will commit suicide.