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DIY Flickering Photo
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Today i modified a 6x8 inch photo of the Aurora Australis so that the stars flicker in the night sky. The photo frame sits easily on a desk and turns on and off via a switch on the side. A watch battery sits on the back which can be changed if it runs out.

OVERVIEW:

The idea was to design and create a smaller, simpler and cheaper version of the large twinkling canvas logged here.

 

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The electronics will be very small and the flickering effect will come from a flickering LED circuit on the back of the frame. On the back of the frame will be a flickering LED light from which optic fibre strands will extend until they poke through to the front of the picture. When switched on the stars will flicker as they do in actuality.

PARTS REQUIRED

• 6x8 Photo
• 6x8 Frame
• Exacto knife
• Soldering iron
• Craft matt
• Opic fibre strands
• Lithium Battery CR2032
• CR2032 Battery holder
• Single strand wire
• Flickering candle circuit
• Sewing needle

The first step was to print the photo and cut out a craft mapped the same size as the photo.  With the matte attached to the back of the photo I took a small sewing needle and from the front of the photo, made small holes at each of the star points all the way through both materials.

I decided to put the electronics in the bottom right hand side of the frame (fromt he back), so I would need to make room by cutting the corner from the backing of the frame.  I used this piece to mount the flashing light circuit and the battery holder.  A friend gave me a flickering candle as a gift which I immediately stripped down and extracted the flashing unit from.  You can purchase these on the Internet for about a dollar each.  I found an old mother board and extracted the piece that holds the battery for the bios.  Both of these parts were then secured on to the corner of these that are cut off.