← all projects

led light cube

a wooden cube that lights up my room and moves along with the music.

the assembled cube as a render. press play to see the light patterns on the bare matrix.

2025, everything

  • esp32
  • wled
  • woodworking

a home for the matrix

an 8x8 led matrix straight from amazon is blindingly bright and twice as ugly. it needed a home that softens the light and hides the electronics.

so: a wooden cube, sized around the matrix, with the esp32 tucked inside.

gluing the frame

i cut four identical wooden side panels with 45-degree miters so the seams sit right on the corners. i joined the panels with wood glue and cinched a strap around the frame to keep the corners tight while it dried.

how the four sides fit around the base.

wooden cube frame glued and strapped while drying

holding the wooden frame together while the glue dries.

once the glue had dried, i painted the inside black so the colors from the matrix would stand out.

cube shell painted black, drying outdoors

a black finish for the wooden enclosure.

wiring the matrix

the matrix got its wires soldered by hand, moved into the cube, and an esp32 running WLED took over the show.

hand-soldering wires to the led matrix

wiring the LED matrix by hand.

8x8 led matrix fitted into the wooden cube

the 8×8 matrix fitted into its wooden home.

a lamp that runs animations, reacts to music, and answers to a phone app. wood, light, and wifi, quietly getting along.