How to Make 3-D Glasses Tutorial

Three-D glasses were invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1838 and have remained a part of entertainment media ever since. Comic books, television shows, cartoons and movies have all been created in 3-D, with new 3-D technologies allowing even greater amounts of realism to be added to 3-D features. Though 3-D glasses have undergone a number of changes as new technologies have been created, basic red-and-blue 3-D glasses (known as anaglyph glasses) are still used. Anaglyph 3-D glasses can be easily made at home for the viewing of 3-D movies, comics, websites and other 3-D material.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Card stock paper
• Red and blue cellophane or acetate
• Scissors
• Tape or glue
• Marker
• 3-D glasses template

1. Print a 3-D glasses template onto card stock paper. Should you wish to use your own glasses design, draw it onto the card stock and carefully position the lens holes so that you will be able to see through the glasses. Don't forget to draw the ear posts for your anaglyph glasses if creating the design yourself.

2. Cut out the 3-D glasses design. To cut out the lens holes, poke a hole through the center of the card stock, then cut carefully to the edge of the lens area. Cut around the lens design until all of the card in the lens area has been removed, then repeat the process with the other lens hole.

3. Place the sheets of cellophane or acetate on top of the anaglyph 3-D glasses frame, using a marker to trace outside of the lens hole so that you will be able to cut out the lenses. Make sure that you leave at least 1/4 inch around the outside of the lens hole so that you will be able to attach the lens to the frame. If the lens holes are different sizes or shapes, make sure that you trace the pattern for the left lens on the red cellophane or acetate and the pattern for the right lens on the blue.

4. Cut out the lenses, placing each one on the 3-D glasses frame over its respective lens hole to make sure that the lens will fill the hole completely.

5. Glue or tape each lens into place, making sure that the red lens will be on the left when the anaglyph 3-D glasses are worn and the blue lens will be on the right. Attach the ear posts, and allow time for the glue to dry before use if the lenses and posts were glued into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Should red-and-green 3-D glasses be needed instead of the red-and-blue variety, green cellophane can be substituted for the blue. Some 3-D images require the lens positions to be reversed; if an image doesn't seem to look right, try looking through the glasses in reverse to see if the 3-D requirements on the image are reversed.
• Be careful when using scissors to cut out the glasses frame and lens holes, especially if children are helping to make the 3-D glasses as an arts and crafts project.

References

• US Geological Survey--TerraWeb for Kids: "Make Your Own 3-D Glasses!"
• NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory: "Build Your Own 3-D Glasses"
• 3DGlasses.net: "3-D Glasses"