Step One: Gather materials.
- Plastic highlighter.
- 3-foot bare wire.
- Small piece of conductive foam*.
- Electrical tape.
- Pliers.
- Scissors.
- Plastic highlighter.
* Where to get conductive foam – TechAccess (see organization).
Step Two: Start by removing the innards of the highlighter. Using pliers remove the tip, and the felt ink well by removing the end plug of the highlighter.
*Maker will be left with these parts: an empty highlighter shell, the end plug, and the cap.
Step Three: Thread your wire through the barrel of the highlighter so that the maker has the wire coming out both ends.
Step Four: Tightly wrap the wire around your piece of foam, which should be cut into something about the size of a pen cap. Make sure the wire is tightly wound.
Step Five: Grabbing the other end of the wire, pull the foam into the highlighter so that just 1/4-inch of the tip remains to show. This is the pointer for your stylus.
Step Six: Wrap the remaining wire around the barrel of the highlighter, making sure that the wire covers the highlighter from top to bottom. A hand touching this wire is what creates the charge to control the touch screen.
Step Seven: Using your electrical tape, wrap the barrel of the highlighter with the electrical tape. Many fun colors are available.
Step Eight: Trim the foam at the tip to a rounded point. Do not trim too close. Leave about 1/4 of an inch of foam for the user's stylus tip.