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Making a Color-Changing LilyPad Patch
Ed

Created by

Ed

13. July 2026FI
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Making a Color-Changing LilyPad Patch

Sew a patch that glows in any color. A single RGB LED holds red, green and blue elements; by fading each one with the microcontroller's PWM pins you mix millions of colors and cycle through the rainbow. The e-textile version of the classic RGB colour-mixing project.

Intermediate
1-2 hours

Instructions

1

Sew the board and RGB LED

Sew a LilyPad Arduino onto felt. The RGB LED has four legs — bend each into a small loop so it can be sewn. Wire the common cathode (the longest leg) to -, and the red, green and blue legs to pins 5, 6 and 9. Keep the four lines from touching each other.

Materials for this step:

LilyPad Arduino Simple BoardLilyPad Arduino Simple Board1 piece
LED - RGB Diffused Common Cathode - 5mmLED - RGB Diffused Common Cathode - 5mm1 piece
Conductive Thread - 60g (Stainless Steel)Conductive Thread - 60g (Stainless Steel)1 spool
Hand Sewing Needles (Assorted, 30-Pack)Hand Sewing Needles (Assorted, 30-Pack)1 pack
Wool Felt SheetWool Felt Sheet1 sheet
2

Connect the programmer

Plug the LilyPad FTDI onto the programming header and connect the USB cable. Open the Arduino IDE and select the LilyPad Arduino board and its serial port.

Materials for this step:

LilyPad FTDI Basic Breakout - 5VLilyPad FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V1 piece
SparkFun Cerberus USB Cable - 1.8 meterSparkFun Cerberus USB Cable - 1.8 meter1 piece

Tools needed:

Computer with Arduino IDEComputer with Arduino IDE
3

Upload the color-mixing sketch

Paste this sketch and upload. It fades the LED through red, green, blue and the mixes using analogWrite (PWM).

lilypad_color_changing.inoarduino
// Mix colors on a common-cathode RGB LED.
// Red/Green/Blue legs on PWM pins 5, 6, 9; common cathode to - (GND).

const int RED_PIN = 5;
const int GREEN_PIN = 6;
const int BLUE_PIN = 9;

void setColor(int r, int g, int b) {
  analogWrite(RED_PIN, r);     // 0 = off, 255 = full
  analogWrite(GREEN_PIN, g);
  analogWrite(BLUE_PIN, b);
}

void setup() {
  pinMode(RED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GREEN_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(BLUE_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  setColor(255, 0, 0);   delay(500);  // red
  setColor(0, 255, 0);   delay(500);  // green
  setColor(0, 0, 255);   delay(500);  // blue
  setColor(255, 255, 0); delay(500);  // yellow
  setColor(0, 255, 255); delay(500);  // cyan
  setColor(255, 0, 255); delay(500);  // magenta
  setColor(255, 255, 255); delay(500);// white
}
4

Watch it cycle, then mix your own

The LED fades through the colors on its own. Make your own by changing the three numbers in setColor(red, green, blue) — each 0–255. Note: at the LilyPad's lower voltage blue and green look a little dimmer than red, which is normal for RGB LEDs.

5

Go wireless and wear it

Plug a 3.7 V LiPo into the LilyPad Arduino's JST connector and switch on — the higher voltage also makes the colors brighter. Sew the felt onto a bag or costume for a colour-changing glow.

Materials for this step:

LiPo Battery 3.7V 1000mAh (JST Connector)LiPo Battery 3.7V 1000mAh (JST Connector)1 piece

Materials

8

Tools Required

1
Estimated Total
$110.00

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