Supplies for Making Kaleidoscopes

Series Summary

A kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose, colored beads or other small colored objects. The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, reflecting off of the mirrors. Normally, there are two rectangular, lengthwise mirrors. As the tube is rotated, the moving of the colored objects presents the viewer with varying patterns. Any random pattern of objects shows up as a beautiful, symmetrical pattern because of the mirror's reflections.

In this free video series, our expert will teach you how to make your own kaleidoscopes from start to finish. Step-by-step video instructions will show you what supplies you need, how to cut a tube to length, and how to make kaleidoscope mirrors and lenses. From decoration to assembly and demonstration, this arts and crafts video series has it all. Impress your friends and family by making this classic toy that's great for kids!

Video Transcript

"Hey, I'm Ben Ganyo from Expert Village. Today, I'm going over how to make a kaleidoscope. And, here's some of the things you're going to need. You'll need a mailing tube. Some directions call for a PVC pipe, but we're going to use a mailing tube. It's easier to find, cheaper, easier to work with. Some markers. Some glass mirror. These ones are cut in squares. We'll also show you how to cut your own. We've got some transluscent beads. A marker, Exacto blade, some scissors and a hot glue gun. We're also going to use--what else have we got here--popscicle sticks, glass cutter (if you want to cut your own mirror), a transparency--gotta have that--and some tape and some old newspaper--gotta have some old newspaper. So, we'll go over those things and you can check out the list of the items you're going to need later. "