Everybody loves their iPhone… except when it’s -30°C and you’re risking frostbite by exposing your poor fingers to the unforgiving winter wind. So how then do we fight back against Mother Nature this season to keep our fingers happily skating over our touchscreens? Well, there are a multitude of gizmos and gadgets readily available for purchase (the iPhone stylus and finger-less gloves to name a few). But the stylus takes away from the chic, ‘wow’ factor of the device and the finger-less gloves still pose the dilemma of frost-bitten fingertips. In fact, Apple is rumoured to have their own iPhone gloves in the making as well.
In a conversation with my sister a couple of weekends ago, we pondered whether there could be such a thing as a material that would conduct the electricity from our fingertips through our gloves and into our phone’s touchscreens thereby eliminating the need for such knick knacks.
Enter conductive thread. Though not a very popular item at your hardware store, this spool of silvery magic may prove to be a lifesaver if you can get your hands on it. And yes, it actually does work. You don’t even really need to know how to sew to be able to get your gloves touchscreen-ready.
So, if you’re as attached to your touchscreen as I am, or still thinking of a last minute gift for someone, you’ll love this clever way to keep your digits cozy and your touchscreen device in-use during your sub-zero outdoor adventures this winter.
What you’ll need:
- gloves
- conductive thread
- needle
Put your gloves on and mark the contact area where your fingers touch the screen (with chalk or a sharpie). Take the gloves off and with the conductive thread threaded onto your needle just sew straight over the marked area. Go all the way through one layer of the fabric so that when your finger is inside the glove it will come in contact with the thread. Just make sure not to go through both layers of the glove, or else you won’t get your fingers in.
Continue to sew over the contact area several times so that you have enough of a contact surface. Fasten the thread and do the next finger.
And voila! Your very own pair of conductive iPhone gloves.
Here are a few more resources to help you along your quest for warm fingers:
Switch Craft: Battery-Powered Crafts to Make and Sew (book)
Craftsanity (tutorial)
Spread the warmth and happy holidays!
Iffat Jokhio
Where did you find conductive thread? I’ve been searching for it for a while.
[...] own! All you need is some conductive thread, a pair of gloves you already like, patience, and these instructions. I can’t think of a downside to this solution, apart from the fact that I can barely sow a [...]
It’s true, conductive thread is a bit difficult to get your hands on. It’s something used by electricians and those working with circuit boards but it might be tricky to find at the usual hardware store. If you’re in Toronto, you can go to Creatron over at College and Spadina (they also sell conductive glue!).
Cool post, was curious if you would permit me to link to it in a article i am currently creating for my own site?