My Lightbox Tutorial - Challenge 2 @ DDCC

Good morning my crafty friends & followers :)
I hope you have all had a lovely week.

What do you think of challenge #2 at Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge?
All of the DT projects are fantastic & we honestly cannot wait to see yours.
Today I would like to share my challenge project with you.

This month we are focusing on the Designer & her Craft Room.
You can find out more of the details on the original post here.

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Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge #2:

My Craft Room - Construct A Lightbox.

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This challenge is all about creating a lightbox which will enable you to take better photo's of your designs & / or projects.  It will help you to eliminate items from the background & provide better lighting during your photo shoot.

* If you already have a lightbox that you have already created please try to remember how you put it together.  Use photo's where you can & follow the challenge as much as possible.  This applies even if you have purchased a store bought lightbox.

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When you read the challenge description you will see how the challenge is to be set out like a tutorial while creating the lightbox.  I am so excited to share my take on the challenge with you for a few reasons.  This is my first attempt at a tutorial & I have been wanting to do one for some time but wan't quite sure what to base is around lol. Also, since starting my blog a few years ago I have had a lot of difficulty with photographing my designs & achieving the results I was hoping for.

My surroundings were always interfering & I was always having to move objects out of the way which was not only frustrating but also time consuming.  However, now that I have created my lightbox I am so impressed with how easy it was to create & how much difference it has made to the photo's of my designs.  The results are fantastic. The best thing of all it only cost me a few dollars to make :)

I am so happy that I am able to provide this tutorial so that it will give you some ideas of how you too can create one.  Not only that, if you enter it into our challenge you could WIN $20 Cash!  What a bonus!  Remember though, you need to be in it to WIN it.  Enter the challenge, have a lightbox at the end of it & also the chance to WIN some crafting cash :)  Perfect :)

Challenge Part A:
Do some online research about creating a handmade lightbox & decide which design will better suit you & your needs.

I did a bit of research, gained a little bit of extra insight but mostly just created the lightbox in a more simplified Lisa way :)  Many of the one's I looked at were quite different to what I wanted & needed.

Challenge Part B:
Create your lightbox taking step-by-step photo's as you go. Explain each step with how you are putting it together until you have completed your project.

I only moved house not that long ago & I decided to keep some of the boxes, just in case.  I am so glad that I did!  I grabbed the biggest box I had & knew it would be perfect for the lightbox that I wanted to create.

Although I had the box I couldn't work out what I was going to use for the inside.  Cardstock, tissue paper, paint it?  It only happened by chance when visiting my local hardware shop to get more hinges for my designs that I found exactly what I needed.  Corflute.  It was white, sturdy & perfect!

When I got home I gathered all of the supplies & materials that I would need to construct my lightbox.


Supplies Needed

1 Cardboard Box
1 Sheet of Corflute
Measuring Tape
A long ruler
Craft Glue
Pencil
Craft Knife



Step 1:
Decide on a cardboard box that you feel will be big enough to house your projects.

Step 2:

Cut off all side flaps with your cutting knife.

Once you have done that cut the front panel off too.

Your box should now look like this:

Step 3:

Measure up your corflute to the size of each side panel & the bottom of the box.  When you are satisfied that you have it right, use your pencil & ruler to mark where you need to cut.  Then cut the corflute in accordance to your sizing & markings.

Your box should now look something like this:

Step 4:

When you are very happy with the correct sizes of the panels & they fit properly, take your glue & adhere each panel to the box. I started with the bottom first, then the back & then the two sides.

Step 4:

I also used clothes pegs to hold the panels in place whilst drying. You could also put some books on the bottom panel too if you like just to give it that extra weight for the glue to bond better.  I used magazines :)

Step 5:

When the glue has set & you are happy with stability of the insides, simply take off the pegs & remove your books (or magazines).  Your lightbox is now complete :)

I generally take my photo's outside so I am not in any need of indoor lighting at this point in time.  However, if I do end up adding lights etc, I will be sure to update this tutorial to let you know the changes I have made to my lightbox.  Stay tuned :)

Challenge Part C:

1) Take a photo of one of your designs without the lightbox as you would have done before you created it. This is your 'before' photo.

2) Take another photo of the same design but this time inside your lightbox. This is your 'after' photo.

This is my before shot of this design without using a lightbox.

This is my after photo - using the lightbox.

Challenge Part D: 

Explain your experience including:

1) Has the lightbox helped you?  If so, how?

2) Are you using the lightbox inside the house or outside?

3) Are you using lights?  If so, what kind?

4) Tell us two tips or tricks about creating or using a lightbox.

I had a great time putting the lightbox together & it has definately helped me in many ways.  I no longer have to worry about my surroundings, what is in the way & what is in the background of the photo.  All I have to do is grab the lightbox & take it outside to begin my photo shoot. The greatest thing I have found is that my pictures are a lot clearer & brighter.  The lightbox creates the perfect white background for every single photo.

Tips & Tricks

- When storing your lightbox put a sheet over the top to prevent dust & dirt making marks on it.

- Store in a dry place to prevent the box from getting damp otherwise the box will become limp.

I am really looking forward to using my new lightbox from now on.  I would greatly encourage you to try making your own as you will be amazed with the results.  Come & join us in the challenge here.

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JOIN THE DDCC FACEBOOK GROUP

Want to chat about the challenge, share ideas & make some friends? 
Come & join in on the conversations in our new Facebook group. 
You can join here.

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Thank you so much for popping in.
I will look forward to seeing you in the challenge.

Big hugs xxx

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