Our Cup of Tea: Light box

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Introducing our Light Box! (Finally)

This is another one of those projects I found online and have been wanting to make for AGES! I’ve been pinning light table/box ideas for at least a year (Pinterest Light Table Fun). I bought a container last fall, but it’s been lying on top of our wardrobe, with lots of stuff stored in it). Today, I finally put it together, yayyy!

You can purchase a nice, professionally-made light table, but they are super expensive. The alternative is to make your own. I’ve found several ideas online, ranging from expensive ones (but still far cheaper than a store-bought table) to really cheap and easy ones. Some look amazing, and some are so-so. Mine probably isn’t the best, but it works. My kids love it!

Materials:

1. Large under-the-bed plastic container with lid.

The lid and container are both clear, and the lid is very nearly flat, without ridges.

2. 4 battery-operated push lights (with batteries)

I’m probably going to replace these with better lights!

3. Aluminum foil

4. Wax paper

5. Clear tape

6. Black construction paper

7. Light table objects of all sorts (can be stored in box in ziploc bags)

So far I have:

Transparent, colored counters (round)

Transparent, colored shapes

Shapes made from colored, plastic dividers

Marbles

Glass pebbles

Large transparent beads of different shapes and colors

Epsom salts (which I plan to color)

Colored water in transparent trays or bowls

This is really an experiment, so I don’t know if I have it right. You may not need everything I mentioned, and there might be ways I could improve it. I’m pretty happy with the results, but my lights aren’t so great. The girls have been playing for 30 minutes, and the lights are already dim. Either the batteries or the bulbs are not very long-lasting. I’ll be on the look-out for better lights, I think!

I lined the inside of the lid with wax paper. I lined the inside sides of the container with foil and the bottom with black paper. I put the lights inside the box, turned them on, put the lid on, and I have a light table! (Or light box).