MPR121 touch sensor material (sensor and cover)

Hey guys,
im quite new into hardware stuff and i got a question for which i havent found an answer yet:

I want to a controller, to control LED Stripes. For this controller i want to use touch sensor panels (MPR121).
I want them to look and work like Ableton Push- oder Native Instruments Maschine-Buttons.
My questions:

Can I use this buttons if there is just 10mm spacing between each of them?

How can I light those buttons and what do i cover them with?

Is there a better solution for my use-case?