For something different Michael Shorter printed event invitations using conductive ink. On one side was the normal information about time, date, etc., and on the other side he printed a large circle with three smaller ones below. Once the recipient arrived at the event, the invitation was connected to a simple Ardino-based circuit and thus the invitation turned into a user-input device which could control sounds and be used to make effects. For further effect the Arduino circuit was mounted in an enclosure made in the style of 1970s-era musical equipment. The system is demonstrated in the following video:
It's a quirky but interesting point of different for any party, and a lot of fun as well. Michael has published all the required details to do it yourself, so visit the project page to get started. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you'd like to learn about Arduino - but not sure how to start - then the best way to learn is with our Experimenter's Kit for Arduino:
The package includes a wide variety of parts, sensors and modules including: a servo motor, lights, buttons, switches, sound, sensors, breadboard, wires and more. Furthermore a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to make this an extensive hobby experimenter, inventor and starter kit. However we don't leave you alone to figure it all out, included is a great project and instruction booklet, plus access to a supporting web page and software examples. In other words - this is everything you need to get started for a fun range of electronics and Arduino related projects!
So to get started or for more information and to order, check out the product page.