Pre Release | Edge Lit Votives Three Ways

I had a brainwave after I uploaded my recent stained glass votive lanterns. Based on my liking for edge-lit acrylic, why not use those tiny lights to make some tiny edge-lit acrylic signs?

I tried three different designs: one based on the box shape of my stained glass votives, one based on a living hinge that hugs the tiny votive light, and a third which is a minimalist, acrylic-only design:

Pencil is there for scale.

Here is how they look lit up:

These are incredibly inexpensive to make, especially if you buy the lights in bulk. The only thing I don’t like is the yellowish color. I do have a small sack of LEDs in various colors, so I might take these apart and solder in some LEDs more to my liking.

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I could see a little troop of those running along the table for a special dinner. Superior idea! :grinning:

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These are simply amazing, @cynd11 ! I have such a soft spot for LED lit anything…so it goes without saying. Really beautiful.

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something i’ve been thinking of…i think you could make a delightful set of christmas village houses, or similar, by engraving onto veneer and gluing it on top of these acrylic pieces. judicious use of colour on top could go a long way, too.

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These are really cool!

If you added some perspective effects to narrow the bottom edge of the buildings, you’d have a nifty “House on Haunted Hill” halloween effect then the color is perfect. Or laser cut Jack-O-Lanterns :slight_smile:

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Love these!!!

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Update: I just got back from Michael’s (craft store in case you didn’t know) and found that they have color-changing votives!!! With my 40% off coupon I got a set of 4 for less than $1 apiece. They look really cool with the edge lit acrylic–highly recommended.

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You can open the votive and take off the little plastic flame and then it’s usually a white LED under it.

I really like the Happy Birthday version - the round living hinge base is a nice look. Might put black felt or construction paper inside to keep the light from leaking out with white LEDs.

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Nope. All the ones I’ve taken apart have clear plastic flames and yellow LEDs. Actually, you have to take those plastic flames off to get these lights to work as edge-lit ones. In any case, I’m recommending the color-changing votives (see my message just above yours), they look a lot better!

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Brilliant idea and execution! What a
fabulous project for a wedding or dinner party.

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Cynd11, Those are amazing! To express how amazing I think they are, just know that I have been a lurker for 425 days and read 38.5k posts (so says the stats page) and I have never posted before this! Nice job!.

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Hahaha, well it’s time we heard more from you then!

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These are really great!
And I know you don’t like the yellow color, but I find it quite warming. It definitely lends itself to the houses.
Man… I’m gonna have to up my Michael’s game.

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I completely agree.

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Very nice! Great idea. :sunglasses:

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Maybe some kind of modern interpretation. I am confident that this time I have my glowforge ready for christmas time (maybe halloween). With 2 or more layers and some WS2812 + esp32 pixies we could create a “falling snow” effect?

So great an ideas…also…looks like “someone” is burning…errrr…sharpening the pencil on both ends…slow down…hahaha :grinning:

Fantastic! I think the living hinge one in the middle is my favorite.

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They all look great but the living hinge one is my favorite too!!

Love these! Such simple concept and they look great! Idea: stolen.