Supplies for Making a Kaleidoscope

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 craftsman 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 reflective paper to length, and how to make kaleidoscope patterns with beads. 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

"Today I'm going to show you how to make a homemade kaleidescope. This project is a lot of fun. Let me show the supplies you're going to need. We're going to be using some reflective contact paper. We're not going to have to peel off the back and use the sticky surface but we need that shiny reflective color so that when we make the kaleidescope we're going to put different surfaces, facets of the inside of the kaleidescope and that's going to cause the reflection one side to the other. So we're going to need that reflective paper. We're also going to need a piece of corrugated paper. It should be a strip of about six inches by six inches. And it's good to have a little extra so you can cut it and work with it. But we'll need a piece of corrugated paper. We're going to need some beads and sequins of all different colors and sizes. And this is going to be used to create the images inside the kaleidescope as it's turned around. We're going to glue those beads and sequins on top of this plastic lid that you see here. So we're going to need a plastic lid. And we're also going to need a skewer. A wooden skewer that's going to run along the length of the kaleidescope and hold the beads, the lid with the beads glued on them. And I'm going to be using some masking tape and a bead to put on the end of the skewer. I'm going to need glue. I'm using some rubber cement glue which I think works the best and I'll need a scissors to cut the paper. So these are the supplies that you'll need to create your homemade kaleidescope."