KALEIDOSCOPE
PHONE LENS
Making Time: 1.5 hours
Age Group: 13-100
Project Designer: Lizzie Hurst
Who needs fancy apps when you have some old cardboard boxes laying around? This is a version of an ordinary kaleidoscope design that uses aluminum foil and toilet paper tubes to create optical effects on your phone. Making cool videos afterwards is required!
BUT FIRST . . . Follow these steps to build your own kaleidoscope lens and filters using only tools and materials that you already have at home!
Project
Overview:
Prepare
Your Workspace:
Set up your work space. Clear a surface on a table top where you can work.
Make sure you have some scrap material covering your surface to keep it clean (magazines, newspaper, cardboard, plastic trash bag...)
Make sure to ask other people who are using the space if it’s OK for you to set up there!
Gather Supplies:
Gather MORE Supplies:
Gather MORE Supplies:
Optional supplies for colored filters:
If you don’t have them, you can still make a kaleidoscope!
NOW LET’S BEGIN
MAKING YOUR KALEIDOSCOPE
We will start by making the box that fits onto the top of your phone.
Step 1:
On a piece of cardboard that is at least 12” x 10”, draw out this shape using a marker and ruler. Lay your phone down onto the cardboard and draw around it to make sure your holder is the right size. Give yourself a little extra space - it’s better for it to fit too big than too small!
Your phone!
The thickness of your phone (plus a little extra)
This measurement should be about 2.5” or a little more.
Step 2:
Then, in box 1 trace the outline of a toilet paper roll. In box 2, draw a window (this will allow you to see and touch the phone screen)!
BOX 2
BOX 1
Step 3:
Cut out the shape so that it looks like this!
Step 4:
Then, score along the remaining marker lines. Scoring cardboard means to cut halfway through the cardboard with the tip of a sharp object in order to make it easy to fold.
It’s extremely important to use a straightedge while scoring if you want your score to be able to bend...
Step 5:
...Go slowly and carefully, making sure that your cutting tool is not going all the way through the cardboard, and that your hand is not in the pathway of the blade.
Step 6:
Then, cut out the window and the hole for the kaleidoscope.
To cut out the hole, I cut into the cardboard and then taped it up afterwards.
Step 7:
Next, we’ll build the kaleidoscope tube! That’s this part
The kaleidoscope tube will attach to the box you just made.
Start by grabbing your toilet paper roll, glue, and stapler.
Step 8:
Draw a line all the way around the bottom of the toilet paper roll, about ½” from the edge (which is about the width of your thumb).
TIP FOR AN EVEN LINE
I taped my marker to the table, and spun my toilet paper roll against a flat surface with the marker touching it...
Step 9:
Then, draw little teeth marks all along the line you just made. It should look like this!
The lines that I drew in red will need to be cut with scissors. Don’t cut along the black line - it’s just there to tell you how deep to cut!
The end result will look something like this.
Step 10:
Then, cut your toilet paper roll in half. You don’t need to be exact here!
You can save the half without the teeth on it for a future project.
It’ll look like this...
Step 11:
Using a stapler and/or tape and/or glue, connect the two parts together. Make the connection as strong as you can! I used both tape and a stapler.
These little “teeth” tabs will make it a lot easier to attach the toilet paper roll to the phone box!
Step 12:
The finished product should look like this!
INSERT VIDEO OF FOLDING
The next step is to fold the phone box into shape. Start by putting some glue onto this tab of the box.
The two end tabs will overlap like this, with glue in between them. Add tape to help hold them together!
Step 13:
Then, tape the rest of the box together.
Test it! Does it fit on your phone? What do you see when you turn on the camera? Does the cardboard tube line up with your camera lense correctly?
Step 14:
Next, we’ll build the kaleidoscope itself! That’s this part
The kaleidoscope will go inside the toilet paper roll.
Grab your tin foil and scrap cardboard to get started.
Step 15:
Start by drawing a rectangle on a piece of cardboard that is 3 ¾” by 4 ½”.
If you don’t have a ruler, you could try opening this page on a computer and tracing the measurements onto paper.
Important: pay attention to corrugation...
What is corrugation, you ask?
Cut the strip of cardboard with the corrugation going in this direction because it will bend much easier.
4 ½” side
Step 16:
Use a ruler to measure 1.25” from the edge, three times.
Each rectangle should be 4.5” x 1.25”
Step 17:
Cut out the cardboard rectangle, and score along each of the lines you just drew using a ruler.
After scoring, your rectangle will like this...
Step 18:
Trace the shape of your rectangle onto your tin foil and cut it out.
Step 19:
You should be able to fold your cardboard rectangle into a triangle like this. Note which side is the inside of the triangular tube and mark it with your pencil.
Spread glue onto the inside of the triangular tube.
Step 20:
Then, glue your tin foil onto the cardboard. It should look like this!
Step 21:
Fold the cardboard rectangle into a triangular tube, and tape it closed. The tinfoil should be on the inside.
This is your ‘scope!
Step 22:
The scope should fit inside the toilet paper roll and still be able to move a little bit from side to side. Test to make sure!
If the scope feels too loose inside the tube you can wrap it in bubble wrap or newspaper to cushion it and keep it from falling out.
If it’s too big and doesn’t fit, try making a new triangular tube made up of skinnier rectangles!
Step 23:
Double check that your scope fits on the phone just right.
Put the scope on your phone and test it one more time. What do you see when you turn on the camera? Does the triangular tube line up with your camera correctly?
It should look something like this….
Step 23:
Make any adjustments necessary! Don’t be disheartened if it’s not quite right. Trial and error is a really important part of the process of making something new.
The finished product should look like this!
The next step is to add colors or patterns to your kaleidoscope filter! Do you have ideas for unique ways to do this? Explore those ideas!
I added color using permanent markers and transparent plastic.
Step 24:
To make color filters for your kaleidoscope lens, find some flat transparent plastic in your recycling bin that is large enough to cover the end of your toilet paper roll.
I used an empty egg carton...
Step 25:
Then, I traced around the toilet paper roll onto the plastic and cut out a couple of pieces that were just a little bit bigger that the toilet paper roll…
Then, I colored the plastic using permanent marker! I chose a solid color but you could combine colors and make any kind of pattern you want to.
You could also use other transparent colored plastic or tape that you already have around your house.
Step 26:
I used a binder clip or a paper clip to hold the color filter over the inside of the toilet paper roll. You could also use tape!
The red permanent marker made all my images look kinda pink.
That’s pretty much it!
Experiment. What else can you do to create cool images using your filter lens?
Can you make and share a funny/interesting/absurd/meaningful photo or GIF using your device?
If possible, add some text that explains what the image is!
Good Job!
PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU MADE:
#beamanywhere