If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a light box please change your mind. There’s no need to throw that extravagant amount of money away when a light box is so cheap and easy to make. In case you’re not sure what to do with a light box, you’ll soon be in a new world of art. When you illuminate drawings, paintings, computer printouts, fabric, and other materials, you can easily transfer the images to make your own calligraphy and other artwork.
You don’t have to make a fancy light box to achieve the work station you need. A cardboard box works fine as long as it’s very sturdy. In addition to the box you’ll need a large piece of glass. The glass can be the exact size of the box bottom or can be a bit smaller. Tape foil to the inside of the box. Cover the inside bottom and all four sides.
If the box has a lid, remove it, but if it has flaps, cut those off. Turn the box upside down so that the bottom becomes the top of your light box. If the glass is an exact fit, lay it on the box, and tape it in place. If it’s smaller than the box, cut a hole in the box to be a little smaller than the glass. Tape the glass to the box on top and, underneath, tape the glass to the box.
Cut a small hole in the bottom of the light box, on one side, to make an opening for a corded light. There are various choices for light, depending upon how much you want to spend on the light box, and what you might have on hand. Some things you can use include a tap light that runs on batteries or even a strand of Christmas lights. To use an electric light bulb, buy a small hardware piece which allows you to screw the bulb right into it. This should be short and small. Fit it with a low-wattage bulb.
You can make a much nicer light box by using wood. You can have a single plank cut into four equal pieces at any large home improvement store. Nail or screw the four boards together, standing them each on one edge, so that you have a square form without a top or bottom. The glass can be glued to the wood or you can purchase small hardware pieces for attaching glass to wood.
Lay any paper or cloth image on the glass of the light box, turn on the light, and get busy. The illuminated image is cast onto the paper or fabric on which you want to draw and helps you create exact heights, widths, and spacing, and images.