Light your poster lightbox with LED Christmas lights; their bulbs stay cool, keeping this project from becoming a fire hazard.
Make your favorite posters pop by illuminating them. Create a DIY light box for poster display for a fraction of the retail cost for light boxes this size. Fashion your light boxes from everyday wooden poster frames so that you can always change out the posters, rotating them by the seasons or to reflect your current interests. If you want to protect your posters, use a mat in front of the image and UV protective glass.
Instructions
1. Separate the pieces that were included with the wooden frames. Discard one frame's glass insert and backing piece or set them aside for a different project.
2. Create a 3-inch diameter hole in the center of one of the backing pieces.
3. Cut out two pine pieces that measure 3-inches wide and as long as the length of the frames. Cut out two more pine pieces that measure 3-inches wide and as long as the width of the frames. Discard any remaining pine.
4. Place the remaining glass piece flat onto your work surface. Line the back edges of your poster with overlapping clear tape and then carefully lay it face down on top of the glass, matching all edges and taping the image to the frame. Smooth out any ripples or imperfections.
5. Place one of the frames face down on your work surface. Line the recessed edge where the glass sits with strong, clear glue. Lay the glass on top of the glue with the back of the poster facing up; this means the glass side faces down. Wipe away any excess glue, and carefully check the front of the frame for excess glue as well.
6. Line the very edges of the face down frame with wood glue. Place the 3/4-inch side of the pine pieces on top of these glued edges, arranging the pieces by matching lengths; you should have just created a shallow, open-backed box. Hold the pieces in place until the glue dries enough to let go, and then allow them to further dry for at least a day.
7. Using the wood glue again, line the upward facing edges of the pine pieces which you earlier attached to the frame. Attach the hole containing backing piece to the free frame, using the holders on the back of the frame.
8. Lay this frame face down on top of the glued pine pieces, matching all edges. Make sure the hanging apparatus on the backing piece is oriented properly before attaching the frame; you've added a back to your shallow box.
9. Allow the wood glue to dry for at least a day before adding the lights. Plug your lights into the extension cord. Feed the lights through the hole in the back of the box and allow them to hang inside the box. Plug in the extension cord and hang your poster light box on a screw, preferably one directly attached to a stud beneath the wall to support the poster light box's extra weight.
Tags: pine pieces, face down, backing piece, pieces that, wood glue, your poster