Embed A Radio In Your Scarf [Instructables How-To]

Last night we went to the ITP Winter Show, which featured recent work from students in NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. The trend this year seemed to revolve around new musical interfaces, and we were impressed with a number of interactive instruments that included a giant harp installation, a variety of projects using hacked Kinects, necklaces made from music, a candle-based musical interface called “Altar” and a leather jacket with embedded DJ controls.

We found congruous creativity in the Radio Redux scarf from Instuctables user Madeline Wilson, which embeds a radio inside a scarf for headphones-free listening. The speakers are positioned so they sit close to the ears when the scarf is wound around the neck, which means you’ll be able to listen to your favorite NPR program without disrupting your neighbor too much.

Some materials you’ll need are an average consumer radio (like the Sony ICF-S22), 2m of felt, 30cm of a different colored felt, two meters polyester padding, nine red LEDs, two small speakers, wires, solder and soldering iron, three large buttons, Araldite adhesive, two snap fasteners, pliers, sewing machine and dress pins, scissors and a needle and thread.

First disassemble the radio, take the existing speaker out and attach two smaller speakers in parallel. Check and make sure they’re working before you move on. Then connect the nine LEDs in parallel and wire them to where the tuning indicator had been. This will make the scarf light up when the radio is on. To make the scarf work only when activated through physical engagement, extend the batteries to the circuit board on the opposite end of the scarf. One wire should run along the scarf to the battery cell and another should run to the button. A wire should also run from the battery cell to the associated button hole, so that when the button is done up, the circuit is complete. The other two buttons will run the volume and tuning.

Shoot to make your scarf 2m long and 15-20cm wide, depending on how chunky you like your scarves. Whatever length/width you go for, know that the final width will be 2cm less taking into account hems.

With the second piece of felt, sew pouches for your battery cell and circuit board, wrapping the felt around both components separately, sewing the sides and dodging any protruding wires. Then sew snap fasteners into place in the middle of the front of the pouch, leaving a 2cm gap between the top and the fastener to allow for seams.

Lay out all the components onto the first layers of felt and padding and pin them down temporarily. Put another layer of padding over the wires and remove any pins. Put down the top layer of felt, pin around the edges and tuck the cut edge inside of the scarf. Leave the ends open and battery wire exposed. Sew along the length of your scarf, keeping all the cut edges inside.

Locate each LED inside the scarf and cut a tiny hole for them to poke through, being careful not to clip any wires. Take your needle and thread and sew each LED to the outside of the scarf. Then locate both speakers and cut holes for them to fit through. Cover with your second color of felt and then sew the speakers to the outside of the scarf like you did with the LEDs.

Locate your tuner and volume control on your circuit board and cut holes to expose them through the felt and padding. If the thickness of your padding and felt is too thick for your buttons to be glued onto the circuit board directly, glue tinier buttons to the base of the bigger ones to use as extenders. Apply the Araldite to all three buttons and let sit for a few minutes.

Apply a small drop of Araldite onto the tuner, place your button construction on the component and hold in place for 10 minutes, repeat for the volume control. Cut a hole at an even space to the other buttons and tease the wire out. Get some space wire, take off the plastic exterior and weave through the third button. Twist this into the exposed wire and either attach the button with Araldite or sew it into the hole.

Cut three buttonholes using the buttonhole setting on your sewing machine. Then expose the battery wire by making a small cut at the end of the third hole and pull the wire through. Wind the end of the wire into a circle and sew to the button hole. Also sew up the little hole where the wire is coming from to make it look neater.

After everything’s sewn up, cozy up with your scarf and listen to some NPR.

Visit the Instructables How-To for further instruction, more detailed photographs and tips on where to buy materials.