If you are into light painting, you know that light tubes can create plenty of stunning effects. There are a few ways to make your own light tubes, and in this video, you’ll see a really cheap, yet effective one. Eric Paré and Kim Henry bring their passion for food and light painting together and create a glowing tube out of cake collar. It’s cheap, super-easy to make, and all the materials are available pretty much everywhere. So, let’s get to it.
Eric and Kim first made a tiny prototype from the collar they took off from a cake. You can buy the cake collar separately, of course, but if I were you – I’d still buy the cake, too. As for the other items, I think most of us already have them at home.
Here’s what you will need:
- A roll of cake collar
- Transparent tape
- Gaffer tape
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Flashlight
How to make:
Making of this light tube is as simple as it gets. Use the ruler to cut out three equal slices of cake collar. You can go with more or less, depending on the width of the collar. Tape the pieces together with transparent tape, and then roll it into a tube and tape again. Make sure that the flashlight fits the tube.
You can also go with wider acetate paper: just roll it into a tube and stick it.
When the tube is done, add some gaff tape along one side. This will prevent the light spills, but also add some reflection inside the tube because the gaff tape is white on the sticky side.
Finally, add the flashlight and attach it with some gaff tape. And your light tube is ready! See? Piece of cake. Here are some photos Eric and Kim made with this tube:
If you decide to make this tube, feel free to share your results in the comments. I know I’ve found a quick and easy DIY project for these cold, rainy days.
[Roll your own light-painting tube!! – Tube Stories 38 | Eric Paré]
