Toren's Craft Site

Today I added a bunch of lights to my costume. I still have to add the spine protrusions but thanks to Kelly & Paul I had a working drill to get that started.

Here’s my tiny light saga:

Knowing I wanted some tiny lights on my costume, but keeping in mind that I don’t know how to solder properly or safely, and not having time to fiddle around with that much detail, I polled my friends for suggestions. Main Street Electronics was a bust not only because they didn’t have self-contained, ready-to-go lights in the store, but the old white men were not interested in helping me, talking to me, acknowledging me, or even hearing me. Luckily a few doors down was Lee’s Electronics. I knew describing what I was looking for was going to be challenging, but I think these guys finally got it when I saw those little keychain lights that you squeeze to turn on ($2.50 each). Luckily they had a wide variety and these things have a “stay on” switch so I won’t have to squeeze eight key chain lights while I’m trying to sing on stage. They also had a flashing red bike light for $5. Deal.

I biked down to Mountain Equipment Co-op and found amongst their many bike lights only one item that was under $9 – a small Coleman light in the shape of a lantern. It was $7 and I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to get it because, apart from being $2 over my loosely self-imposed $5-per-light limit, I didn’t like the “vibe” of MEC. I finally decided I might as well take it but when I got to the register I noted that apparently you have to pay a membership fee to purchase there. The light went back on the shelf and I hit the road.

An unsuccessful stop at London Drugs and Home Depot had me at Canadian Tire, where they had these great little push-on/off stick-em lights in various colours. I grabbed two packs of 4 ($10 each) and at the checkout stand I saw a little laser pointer/flexi-necked reading light that was perfect. With all that totalling about $50, plus the free Ikea lights that Jeremy generously supplied, I felt I had enough!

Here are the photos of the work in progress:

I attached a red light to the end of my head hose-claw.

All of the keychain lights are attached to the chains – or attached to the things attached to the chains. They point at the ground creating a cool effect.

The red flashing bike light is affixed to the chest piece.


You can see one of the green stick-on lights which I hot-glue-gunned to the Darth Vaderesque chest panel. The flexi-necked light points up at my face to create a spooooooky ambiance! I can also handily point it down towards the set list on the ground when the stage lights fail me!


Here’s one of Jeremy’s Ikea wire-lights on. Not totally sold on my application of it but I figure I can keep it off until I really need that extra festive oomph.
I’ve added lights to the tips of my spine-spools (thanks EmbroidMe!) and I’ll be zap-strapping them to the back of my flight suit in short order! Move over, Circue de Soleil!