Homemade light box

I always wanted a light box for tracing roughs, or backgrounds for the comics I make. The other day I priced one at the art store. For a 9 x 12 box they wanted $50.00. Well I thought I should be able to make a light box for less than that. So here is my light box project.


Materials: one 8 ft 1 x 4 $6.00

One 8ft 1x1 $$5.00


A lamp Kit $10.00


Two packages of plastic screen holders $2.00 each


A piece of Lexan left over from a previouse project. The Lexan dictated the size of the box


13 x 17


Below you can see the steps I went through to build my box. I am no carpenter, but it turned out OK!

Homemade light box

I scored a piece of scrap Lexan, that I had from another project, and bent it until it broke cleanly.( a rather scary process, but it worked great)

Homemade light box

Since My piece of Lexan was clear, I baught a roll of white contact paper, and cut it to fit the Lexan

Homemade light box

Next I applied the white contact paper to one side of the lexan

Homemade Light Box

These are the two side pieces with the rails attached that will hold the lexan sheet.

Homemade Light box

Here is the lamp installed in the top of the box. I used a kit intended for making a bottle into a lamp.

Homemade Light Box

This shot shows the box after all four sided have been screwed together

Homemade Light Box

The box with the Lexan installed

Homemade Light box

Here is the completed Light box with a drawing on it, ready to be traced