Sometimes patterns are really easy to trace and sometimes, not so much. I made a tracing light box to make this part of making flannelboards easier.
Equipment needed:
a box (large enough to fit a lamp inside)
a sheet of glass (I used one from an old picture frame)
duct tape
box cutter
lamp with the shade removed
I was lucky to have a box that already had a side cut out and a seamless bottom. Depending on your box, you may have to turn your box on its side so you can use a seamless side to place your glass on and enter the lamp from the open top.
Cut a hole in the top slightly smaller than your piece of glass. Place the glass on top of the hole.
Tape the glass down. With duct tape, of course.
Put the lamp inside the box.
Turn on the lamp and lay your pattern and what you are going to trace it onto down on the glass. It’s clear as can be!The train patterns are from Melissa, the template queen, at Mel’s Desk.
Today’s Flannel Friday host is LibraryQuine at Loons and Quines. You can also find past and future roundups at So Tomorrow. For a visual round-up of all postings, check out Flannel Friday on Pinterest.
Andrea, I’m going to re-name my RSS feed from you to “Rovingfiddlehead INGENIOUS kidlit” — it should be your middle name!
You’ll find this and other great Flannel Board ideas on the Flannel friday roundup at loonsandquines.blogspot.com.
Hey! Thanks for the shout out, and thanks for this great idea! I will be able to stop relying on my sliding-glass door now, which is kind of a fail when I’m working late at night. Which is pretty much all the time. :)
My light box is a glass topped end table that I got on the cheap at IKEA… I was going to share, but it seems to be discontinued. It’s nice, though. When it’s not being a lightbox it’s being a side table.
A clear or frosted plastic storage bin works well, too. Then you don’t have to worry about the sharp edges of glass.
Andrea…WOW! That is such a cool idea! I know what project I will be working on next week at work. This will be really helpful. Thanks!
I saw that “ingenious” had been added to your blog name in the round-up. Now I know why! Lol
Great post! My library has lots of windows so I am often seen tracing something at one of them. This lamp box would probably be more efficient. ;-)
Totally AweSOME!!! The sliding glass door idea is good too. LOVE this. Can’t wait to explore around your blog, I haven’t visited before.
The best part of this post is picturing poor Melissa tracing on her sliding glass door at 2 a.m. and Andrea tracing on what appears to be her living room floor.
It is a great idea though! Well done. :)
Yes, Jessica’s glass-topped table definitely sounds like the most comfortable of all our techniques! My box is high enough that it’s pretty comfortable for me, but probably not when you’re pregnant :)
Haha! I’ve been learning to delegate more tasks to my “minions” as my husband calls the high school pages in my department! It’s a win-win. They get more interesting, varied tasks and I can sit my pregnant butt down more. :)
I learn something new every Flannel Friday! I never would have thought of using a light box OR a sliding glass door/window. Everyone deserves a thanks!
I love this idea! I usually use my computer screen to trace on, but this would probably make the IT department a lot happier.
LOL! Lisslalissar, I have never even thought about using a computer screen. Very clever! But I am sure you are right about your IT dept. Ours would have a FIT if they saw me doing that! ;-)
Great idea!! Love it.