In Miss Penguin's post about paper lanterns ambinsb gave the great idea of making little battery operated LED lights called Throwies. I ran out to radio shack after work to do a little R&D. Sorry for the grainy pictures. I loaned my camera to my mom. Here is a 14" white lantern with 2 throwies. I'll probably use 3 or 4. I accidentally grabbed red LED lights instead of white. Now I know it works and will buy the supplies in bulk. It will probably end up being $1ish per lantern! I'm a happy girl. I suspended the throwies inside with a rubber band ghetto style because I just wanted to try it. I made the throwies with an on off switch with scraps of paper. ambinsb I owe you an adult beverage! Throwies Throwies with on off switch
Wow - great instructions! I am wondering though - what is the magnet for? Do I need the little magnet if I'm going to suspend them inside a lantern using a thread or something like that?
these are so fun. it made me think of my days when i was in college (electrical engineering major), i went to radio shack all the time for lab materials! what a great idea!
This is with just one LED? Just wondering, because I notice some of the websites that sell pre-assembled lighting use three. I have a headlamp with three and it seems to be that would be really bright.
This is with 2. One fell because my dog thought it was his ball and enjoyed throwing it. It was about 50 cents to light this. I have a few bigger lanterns and will probably use 3 or 4. I'll have about 50 to light and I couldn't swallow $4 ea for the premade ones.
The last picture was after being on for 12 hours. Still very bright.
Thank you soooo much for this great post. I have been trying to figure out how to cheaply light 100 chinese lanterns for my wedding in 2 months. I had given up, but thanks to this post, I just ordered LEDs and batteries from ebay. Yay!
The premade ones are cool but spendy. I can see springing for premade if I wanted a dozen lanterns for a garden party, but not for a whole reception hall! Thanks so much for the tip!
Thanks so much for sharing this. I too had totally given up on lighting up my lanterns. One question though, how did you attach the throwies to the lantern? Since these will be hanging from the ceilings of my reception hall, I don't want throwies falling down on my guests!
It looks great! I've been meaning to post my throwie lantern experiment, but haven't gotten around to it. One thing to keep in mind is that you'll probably need (at least in my experience) one battery per LED. Everytime you add an LED to a battery, they all get less bright, and my the time I had added three LED's to one battery, they were pretty much useless. I used fishing line to suspend my throwies, and it worked really well. Also, try to order LED's online if you can. RadioShack has them, but they are way more expensive than online or my small local parts place.
I ordered my leds and batteries from ebay. Try to get the diffused ones, they have a better glow instead of a spot. I used one battery per led. I just followed the instructions and it was great. I put paper in between each throwie to keep them from shorting out. Then I taped them into bundles of 3.
Definitely go to radio shack and make a few. I bought several different sized batteries to test as well. Once you make your test, it will make sense.
so far where have you guys found is the best price to buy these LED bulbs in bulk? I will probably have about 20 lanterns...so with 3-4 LED's in each one I will need to buy about 60-80 bulbs. Do you guys have any suggestions of which site to buy them from. Same with the batteries, where is best? Another thing...what size is good, 10mm???
In Miss Penguin's post about paper lanterns ambinsb gave the great idea of making little battery operated LED lights called Throwies. I ran out to radio shack after work to do a little R&D. Sorry for the grainy pictures. I loaned my camera to my mom. Here is a 14" white lantern with 2 throwies. I'll probably use 3 or 4. I accidentally grabbed red LED lights instead of white. Now I know it works and will buy the supplies in bulk.
posted by MissRojoOso 220 posts 8 months agoIt will probably end up being $1ish per lantern! I'm a happy girl. I suspended the throwies inside with a rubber band ghetto style because I just wanted to try it. I made the throwies with an on off switch with scraps of paper. ambinsb I owe you an adult beverage!
Throwies
Throwies with on off switch
Wow - great instructions! I am wondering though - what is the magnet for? Do I need the little magnet if I'm going to suspend them inside a lantern using a thread or something like that?
posted by suzanno 1,953 posts 8 months agoI didn't use the magnet. The magnet is so you can throw it at a building and have it stick
posted by MissRojoOso 220 posts 8 months agothese are so fun. it made me think of my days when i was in college (electrical engineering major), i went to radio shack all the time for lab materials! what a great idea!
posted by reilabird 159 posts 8 months agoWOW FACE!!!!!!! I gotta try this too!!!
posted by penguin 207 posts 8 months agovery cool. you can also buy them (premade) from lunabazaar.com
posted by katiethelady 163 posts 8 months agoCool!
and I looked at lunabazaar, and didn't see any... I mean, there were led lights, but I didn't see throwies.
posted by bethgraced 105 posts 8 months agoBetter picture
posted by MissRojoOso 220 posts 8 months agoThis is with just one LED? Just wondering, because I notice some of the websites that sell pre-assembled lighting use three. I have a headlamp with three and it seems to be that would be really bright.
posted by suzanno 1,953 posts 8 months agoThis is with 2. One fell because my dog thought it was his ball and enjoyed throwing it. It was about 50 cents to light this. I have a few bigger lanterns and will probably use 3 or 4. I'll have about 50 to light and I couldn't swallow $4 ea for the premade ones.
The last picture was after being on for 12 hours. Still very bright.
posted by MissRojoOso 220 posts 8 months agoThank you soooo much for this great post. I have been trying to figure out how to cheaply light 100 chinese lanterns for my wedding in 2 months. I had given up, but thanks to this post, I just ordered LEDs and batteries from ebay. Yay!
posted by knudsonwedding 194 posts 8 months agoThe premade ones are cool but spendy. I can see springing for premade if I wanted a dozen lanterns for a garden party, but not for a whole reception hall! Thanks so much for the tip!
posted by suzanno 1,953 posts 8 months agoThanks so much for sharing this. I too had totally given up on lighting up my lanterns. One question though, how did you attach the throwies to the lantern? Since these will be hanging from the ceilings of my reception hall, I don't want throwies falling down on my guests!
posted by harmoniyous 4 posts 7 months agoIt looks great! I've been meaning to post my throwie lantern experiment, but haven't gotten around to it. One thing to keep in mind is that you'll probably need (at least in my experience) one battery per LED. Everytime you add an LED to a battery, they all get less bright, and my the time I had added three LED's to one battery, they were pretty much useless. I used fishing line to suspend my throwies, and it worked really well. Also, try to order LED's online if you can. RadioShack has them, but they are way more expensive than online or my small local parts place.
Good luck!
posted by ambinsb 4 posts 7 months agoI ordered my leds and batteries from ebay. Try to get the diffused ones, they have a better glow instead of a spot. I used one battery per led. I just followed the instructions and it was great. I put paper in between each throwie to keep them from shorting out. Then I taped them into bundles of 3.
Definitely go to radio shack and make a few. I bought several different sized batteries to test as well. Once you make your test, it will make sense.
posted by MissRojoOso 220 posts 7 months agoso far where have you guys found is the best price to buy these LED bulbs in bulk? I will probably have about 20 lanterns...so with 3-4 LED's in each one I will need to buy about 60-80 bulbs. Do you guys have any suggestions of which site to buy them from. Same with the batteries, where is best? Another thing...what size is good, 10mm???
thanks girls!
posted by hroper22 40 posts 7 months agoposted by hroper22 40 posts 7 months ago