Okay, Potter fans, you are in for a treat this week. Did someone say Quidditch?  Caitlin’sDad, the humorous tinkerer, has decided to do yet another fun project to bring smiles to his family–the Golden Snitch Ring. Honestly, this made me laugh so hard on Twitter because I just love this guy’s work. It’s right up there with his Star Wars Theramin LED Bra. The ring has a golden ball with fluttering wings, as you might expect, and it’s outlined on Instructables. Although this has been done as a ring, it could also be quite humorous if it is attached to a hat or another part of the body as if it is flying nearby.

Caitlin’sDad declares this as a great first-time electronics project, and I agree. It uses a simple circuit and has no need for a microcontroller. Two vibration motors create fluttery wings, which are activated with a tilt switch leading to a coin cell battery. The real crafting comes into play when the motors are concealed by a bundle of paper and masking tape to create the classic Snitch ball shape. The wings are simply made with clear tape–a cost effective solution. The ring is fabricated using cardboard, glue and some fabric paint to create the embellishments. If you are a cosplayer, you are probably quite familiar with this method of creating raised faux metal decoration. It’s quite convincing once it gets a few coats of metallic paint. In fact, some people even brush on a darker paint on edges to create an aged look. Tricking the eye with materials makes costuming its own art form.

The finished ring is really a delight, and the battery holder is at the base of the ring, so it is really concealed nicely in the hand. I really love the way this appears to hover and I imagine you can really give someone a surprise as you whip it past their face. If you are feeling really Potter motivated, you should check out the other Instructable from Caitlin’sDad on making a sweet Ravenclaw Robe Hoodie. While you’re at it, give some “fave” love to these Instructables, because we all know it takes time to write and share knowledge. This is one maker that certainly continues to inspire me. Speaking of inspire, let me show you where to get the Tilt Ball Switch, so you can get started making your own Snitch. Looking forward to your video of the next Quidditch match!

Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!