Parts list:
- Nokia 5110 LCD ($10) http://www.adafruit.com/products/338
- Adafruit Proto Shield ($12.50) http://www.adafruit.com/products/51
Tools:
- Soldering Iron
- Solid core wire
- solder
- Patience
Optional: 8 pin header on which to plug the LCD. I used one.
All I did was follow the instructions for the Nokia 5110 LCD EXACTLY how they were described at http://ladyada.net/products/nokia5110/ with two notable exceptions. First, I used +5V (shown in the pink wire in the drawing, white wire on the results) for the LED backlight. Second, I followed the pin traces around the proto shield used in the example and built that onto the underside of the Adafruit proto shield!
I had difficulty with the wire at such short runs. Specifically, I had insulation shrinking when I set the soldering iron hot enough to melt the solder to the wires. A more experienced person (or higher quality wire insulation) could avoid this. The LED uses one of the +5V rail connectors on the Proto Shield's PCB and the "open" rail gathers 3.3V to share with the LCD and the driver.
A few tips: Cut the wires longer than you need and use something to hold them down (not your fingers! You'll get burnt!) when you solder, then clip the extra bits off. Also push the wires through the board to connect to the IC as they will be easier to solder (and more stable) top-side. Finally, consider using an IC socket (I didn't) for mounting the chip in the middle. That makes it easier to replace if need be.
Happy hacking.