How To: Building A Light Box

Hi,

This is my first DIY post. I've been wanting to make a light box for a while simply because the quality of my pictures bugged me.

So I got a box and got to work.

What you'll need:
Cardboard box (something your hand(s) can fit into comfortably
Box cutter
Scissors
White bristol board
White tissue paper/wax paper
Glue gun and glue sticks
Tape

I started but getting my box - I used a Silk almond milk box.

Step 1:
Determine which side of the box you want to be the front. It's easier to use the side with the four open flaps as the front simply because it's less work. Cut the flaps off the front of the box and if necessary reinforce the back of the box.

Step 2:
Now that you've determined the front and back of the box you need to cut out the sides to allow light to pass through. To do this you'll need to cut 'windows' into the sides and top of the box, leaving a one inch border around the edges. You can make a bigger border if necessary but it all depends on the size of the box. It's important that the box is sturdy and can stand on its own after the 'windows' have been cut out.

Step 3:
Cut your bristol board or hard card to the size of the inside of the box. This will be stuck to the back and bottom of the box. Once I cut mine to size I used my glue gun to stick it in. This purpose of this white card inside is to reflect light and it acts as a background. I've seen lightboxes where persons used white cloth, black or grey card and even holographic card so it's really just your personal preference.

Step 4:
Now that your 'windows' have been cut out it's time to cut your wax/tissue paper. I used wax paper because that's what I had on hand at the time. You can use the cutouts from the box as a template for the size of paper you'll need.

Step 5:
Once you've cut the paper to size you can begin to glue or tape it to the outside of the box so it covers the 'windows' you made. I used my glue gun here again and reinforced with masking tape.

TADAHHH!! Lightbox complete!!

Sorry I don't have any pictures, I didn't initially plan on making a tutorial out of this.

I hope this is easy to follow. If you try let me know how it goes for you.

In case my explanation isn't very clear here's a link for Nail'd It's Light Box Tutorial

Until next time...