I have done a lot of applique and never needed a light box to trace the applique patterns. I use the back of a cookie sheet and tape white paper all over the the back surface. A piece of plywood or any hard surface would work. For some reason the white paper behind the pattern makes the black pattern lines show through well for tracing. If you are tracing on a fabric darker than the tone on tone neutrals I have used for applique background or fusibles, a light box would be necessary.