I made a light box! And so can you.

   

One of my goals for 2012 is to re-do my Etsy shop since it's been open for a year now (yay me! Check it out:: www.etsy.com/shop/wearesocrafty )

    The first step was getting new photos of my products in there, so, with the help of my friend Jana (our previous featured seller: Jana's Post ), I created a mini photo studio!

                                                

You can buy something similar from Amazon and Ebay, but it'll cost you around $50! Um... no thanks. I made this one for $17. You can do it for less if you already have the stuff!

You need:
*This WikiHow link with great directions (except use white cotton fabric, NOT tissue paper!):: Wiki How Light Box
*A sturdy cardboard box (mine is 18x16 from the container store)
*Box cutter ($2 at home depot--- WORTH IT)
*White cotton fabric (I used $3 "pillow covers" from Target. Jana used a $5 fitted sheet from Walmart. You can also use whatever you have, as long as its white.
*White poster board
*Light source-- a desk lamp works well. Mine was $6 at Target.
*Camera with tripod

>>Follow the Instructions from WikiHow, then test out your new, fancy light box.<<

       Here are 2 of my trial photos:

  That's my mom's ring from Carolyn Pollack, where she works.

My mood ring!



**Camera Settings that worked best for me with the light box**
F. 7.1

Shutter Speed: 25 (use the tripod)

ISO: 800

White Balance: Incandescent +2

These photos, and the ones in my shop, only needed to be cropped! It's amazing what the right light and right settings can do for your photos.

Film Negavite Lamp

Saw an amazing photo of this on Pinterest and just had to do it! There was no tutorial, so I totally winged it. You're welcome...because now you have directions!

Difficulty level: easy-ish

Cost: $15 including the lamp

You will need:
A glass lamp. This one was $8 at Ikea. (Free for me, I've had it forever)
Old film negaitves. Try to use black and white; color film is brown and not as nice. * I used 12*
Mod Podge and a sponge brush

Step One:

Clean and dry your lamp, and choose your negatives. Mine are from my and Katie's high school photo journalism class!

Step Two:
Apply a layer of Mod Podge ( 1 inch wide) to 2 sides of the lamp. You will wrap the strips one at a time around the corners. ** This was my first time ever using Mod Podge!**

Keep doing this until half of your lamp is covered.

Let the glue dry before flipping the lamp on the other side. Then, keep on gluing!

Let all of that dry too. ** Some of the film had a hard time staying down, so I used a little hot gule to tack it.

Last Step:

Plug it in and enjoy, or give it as a gift. This would be cool if you had old vacation or wedding negatives too. 

 

Pretty sweet look! And I'm proud of my first Mod Podge creation.