Glue a film canister to the middle of one edge
of the baseboard. Cut a paint paddle to be
about 9 inches long. Glue a craft stick to one
end of the paint paddle.
Glue the other end of
the paint paddle to the
edge of the baseboard and also to the film canister.
Glue the other film canister on the opposite edge of
the baseboard, as shown.
Strip the insulation off both ends of three 8-inch
wires. Strip both ends of the holiday light wires.
Connect one 8-inch wire to
each end of the holiday light
wires. One of these wires will
go directly to the battery, the
other to the craft stick.
Drape a second 8-inch wire over the craft
stick and wrap it around once. Tie the weight
to this wire near the bottom. Wrap the third
8-inch wire around the paint paddle and
make a loop that encompasses the hanging
wire. This wire will go directly to the battery.
These two wires need to be stripped about
5 inches from one end. When the hanging
wire swings, it should contact the loop wire.
Put a battery in the film canister near the
paint paddle. Use a 9-volt battery snap if you
have one. If not, connect one paper clip to
the loop wire and one to the wire coming
from the lights. Connect the paper clips to
the battery snaps, taking care not to let them
touch each other. When you’re finished,
there should be a single series circuit: from
one side of the battery, to the holiday lights, to the swinging wire, to the
loop of wire, and back to the battery.
Draw a picture of a snowman (or whatever you’d
like) on the file folder or thin cardboard and cut it
out. Make a hole in the picture with a screwdriver
for each light. Each hole must be big enough to hold
the light firmly. Insert the lights, and glue them in
place if they do not stay by themselves.
Glue the figure to the front film canister.
Add craft sticks for rigidity if it does not stand up on
its own. Swing the weight back and forth. The lights
will flash every time the dangling wire touches the
loop completing the circuit