How to Craft Using a Lightbox

A light box is a good investment for a crafter. It is a favored tool of anyone who has to transfer a pattern needed to craft an item. You can use a light box to transfer a pattern to a wooden item you are painting. Needlepoint artists can use the box to copy pictures for embroidery and other projects. Scrapbooking enthusiasts find a light box helpful when tracing letters onto paper for titles and other paper-piercing projects. Embossers and card makers use light boxes to help complete their work. Students find them an asset when preparing posters and major class projects. And paper piercers use this illuminated aid to help them transfer their lightly drawn images to vellum. As you get deeper into crafting, you may find that a light box is an inexpensive tool you cannot do without.

Instructions

1. Set up your light box on a clean, flat work surface. Plug it in to a nearby outlet.

2. Place a drawing, coloring page or any finely detailed picture you want to transfer atop the light-box unit.

3. Cover the item you wish to transfer with the lightweight copy, art, vellum, drawing paper or cloth you will be using in your project. You can tape the papers to the box with a re-positionable tape to keep them in place if you wish.

4. Turn on the light switch. Take a few seconds to let your eyes adjust to the light before you begin to work. Make sure you can see the lines of the picture you want to copy. You may need to find a more lightweight paper to transfer the picture onto.

5. Carefully trace over your picture with a pencil. Be sure to turn off the light once or twice to monitor your progress. Continue until you have finished the entire picture.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not leave the light box plugged in. Do not leave it unattended if the light is on. It is a fire hazard while the paper is on it.