Science Technology Turn a Playing Card Into a Solar Battery Charger in About 10 Minutes By Jaymi Heimbuch Writer California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Jaymi Heimbuch is a writer and photographer specializing in wildlife conservation. She is the author of The Ethiopian Wolf: Hope at the Edge of Extinction. our editorial process Twitter Twitter Jaymi Heimbuch Updated October 11, 2018 ©. sfrayne Share Twitter Pinterest Email Science Space Natural Science Technology Agriculture Energy © sfrayne Want to make your own AA or AAA battery charger but want to use something more slender than an Altoids tin? This Instructable by Shawn Frayne (sfrayne) is a cool design change for building a charger -- you simply use an old playing card. [Insert magician joke here.] The project is really basic, using just a few simple materials including "a playing card, some solettes, some magnets and super glue." It doesn't require soldering and takes just about 15 minutes of time. © sfrayne Here's a video with some details. Note that this project may get even easier later in the year. The creator, Shawn, writes: "Where can you get the small bits of solar cells -- the solettes -- needed for these Instructables? Well, it's a pain right now. You can track these puppies down from suppliers in China, but they aren't easy to pin down. So, to make this easier, we're launching a Kickstarter campaign in August to get a solette-packed Solar Pocket Factory DIY kit out into the world. Until then, send me a message or post and I'll try to get you what info I can...!" © sfrayne