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NextFab seasonal workshops are a fun way to learn new skills and come away with a great gift for yourself or someone else. The recent “Showflake”  Winter Workshop is a great example. Check out this unique tech decoration designed by Electronics Manager, Matt Garfield.

The Showflake is an Arduino-controlled snowflake ornament that can be programmed to create a variety of different wintry-themed light shows. It can be powered by USB, a 9V battery or DC adapter and multiple units can be linked together via USB.

NextFab members working on Showflake Arduino light

The snowflake shape is a custom PCB (printed circuit board) designed by Garfield with a silk screened design on the back side. It’s probably the only beautiful PCB I’ve ever seen.

NextFab Showflake Arduino light circuits close up
Garfield notes that there is a lot of flexibility to PCB design, it’s just not usually applied to aesthetic ends. After some unorthodoxed use of customization features in the PCB design software, he was able to execute his design and have the boards cut and printed.

NextFab Showflake Arduino light close up

The origin of idea came from last year’s metal shop project, in which Matt Watson, metal shop supervisor, designed a metal votive holder and put together a small LED “candle” which tucked into the votive holder to illuminate it. While last year’s LED candle was functional, this year’s candle has evolved nicely into a sophisticated little circuit.

NextFab members working on Showflake Arduino light

Under Garfield’s tutelage, workshop attendees learned to solder the components to the board and gained a basic understanding of programmable circuit principles.

NextFab members working on Showflake Arduino light

The Showflake utilizes a simple push-button control to select different color and sequence patterns as well as control the data feed to multiple, daisy-chained units. In this configuration, one unit acts as a “master” and additional units as “slaves” functioning as a single circuit controlled by the master unit.


The Showflake Winter Workshop and other workshops at NextFab are a great way to get introduced to new concepts and techniques. Better yet, workshops offer an opportunity for participants to apply their new knowledge to practical projects. Staff expertise and enthusiasm, both for the projects that they develop and the desire to share knowledge, make the workshops a great experience for makers of all levels.

Want to check out some Showflakes and the facilities that made them possible?