Changing Picture W/ Ambient Lighting

In this instructable, I will show you how to create a changing picture light box with ambient wall light!

You will need:

• A deep picture frame or light box
• Drill with about a 1/4" bit
• Parchment Paper
• 1 string of holiday lights (any color)
• 1" thick foam pad
• pencil
• water colors

First draw a picture in pencil on one sheet of parchment paper. I also crumbled this paper to make it look older. This will be the picture/artwork you want to see when the light is off.

next used the water colors to paint a picture on a second piece of parchment paper. This will be the added detail/artwork that will be seen when the light is turned on.

After both pieces of artwork are completed and dry, carefully line up both pieces of parchment paper and tape them together. Now set this aside for use later.

Now take the light box and drill multiple holes (randomly places) across the top and both sides.

Once you have the holes drilled, start adding layers to the light box.

layer 1 - Parchment paper taped artwork - make sure to face the pencil drawing outward or against the light box glass.

layer 2 - 1 inch foam pad. I thinned my foam pad out to create different lighting effects across the artwork.

layer 3 - add the holiday lights

now replace the backer board on the light box but make sure to leave the electrical plug for the lights outside of the box.

When the holiday lights are off you will see the pencil drawing.

When the lights are turned on you will see both the pencil drawing and the water color drawing merged together.

And when the room is dark and the light is turned on you will see an interesting pattern of lights shining through the holes and onto the wall creating a very cool ambient effect!