I have all of my supplies except, I don't have a light box. How much easier is it going to be if I purchase one. I can get a really nice one 1/2 off at Joanne's. It is still rather pricy and I would rather put that money toward an embroidery machine.
I don't have sunny windows. Our house is very shaded.
Thanks for any help.

Not sure what AOTH means, but for a light box some have said to put up your computer or tv on a blue or white screen and use the light from that. If you have a glass table you could put a light under it and use that as well. If it's a sunny day you could go outside and be a bit creative - a shed window, garage door, or house window from the outside in.

You could probably just take a piece of plexiglass and prop it up on something, then put a light of some kind under it, like a strip light, or one of those battery operated press lights. You could probably even use just a lamp you already have if you can figure out a place where you have enough space to put the lamp.

I still do it the way we did in kindergarden. Up against the window held by a piece of tape :) guess i'm old school LOL

There's very few blogs I follow but one of them had the cheapest way to make a light box using a piece of plexiglass from a hardware store, a tap light and a disposable foil roasting pan! ... here's the link ...http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/sear...el/light%20box

just in case it get's filtered out just google - sew many ways

then scroll down to where the labels are on the right and look for "light box" - the labels are in alphabetical order!

What is AOTH?

I think I just had a DUH moment or and ahha moment. I have a glass top coffee table. If I put my small, but very bright
ott light on the bottom shelf, it should work! Yeah.

Just figured out AOTH - Affair of the Heart!

AOTH is a beautiful applique quilt that many on this board are doing. It stands for Affairs of the Heart. The blocks and quilts these quilters are doing are amazing. I am really afraid that I can't compare. But, that isn't going to stop me. I just might not show anyone the outcome. LOL

Yep!

I just use a tote with a clear lid and put a battery powered light bar in it. It serves as a light box when I need it and a tote when I need to take supplies back and forth. You can get the light bars at HD and Walmarts for under 10 and the same for the tote; I get the one that is only about 5 to 6 in deep

ditto

Buy an inexpensive picture frame with set in glass or plexiglass - remove the back,buy a small walmart strip light..lay the light in a box that the frame will fit on top...it works great. I made a wooden shallow box to hold the light (attached with velcro). Less than $10.00

Like most people on the board, I use a make-shift light box. I bought a piece of plexiglass at Home Depot. I already had a folding OTT light that can be unfolded so that it lies out flat with the light facing upward. I discovered that two of the plastic shoe boxes, placed at either edge of the plexiglass, are the right height to hold it over the light. I like this set-up because it's very portable, and all I had to buy was the plexiglass. I do find that I sometimes have to move the light around under the plexiglass to get the best view, but that isn't a problem. Previously I tried using a window, but we don't have enough sunny days in Oregon.

I needed a light box last night...so I taped it on the outside of the window and used the light from inside the house =D

I use my glass-top coffee table regularly with a bright light underneath. I have even been able to trace onto black fabric that way. I think spending money on this is a real waste, I'd rather put the money toward something good--like fabric!

Great ideas! I know I can figure it out. Dunster, I like yours because I have everything. :)

Buy a CLEAR plastic storage box from the dollar store and a round push button light also from the dollar store and batteries for it. Cheap light box
Syl

I was going to suggest this, and I have also used my scanner bed too :D:D:D

Do you have a glass topped table anywhere in your home? If you do, you can place a lamp under the table, creating your own light box.

:oops: Oops, I should have read the entire thread before responding. Sorry for clogging up the topic. :oops:

I put a tap light under my plexiglass extension table to make a light box. works well.

If your dining room table seperates for a leaf to be inserted, you can seperate and lay a piece of plexi glass across it. Put a light on the floor.

This gives you plenty of room for support of fabric and supplies on the table top and you can sit in your chair to do the work.. saves the back..

Plexiglass on separated dining table, with light underneath works just fine for me. Cheap and no storage problem. Lamp goes back to it's normal place and the plexiglass behind a big piece of furniture.

Save for the embroidery machine!!! I love mine.

For years I gerry-rigged some kind of a light box when I needed one. Sometimes I would even lay my Ott light down flat and put a lucite ruler on it and struggle with keeping that all balanced and in place. Then I bought a real light box it was well worth the $$$. But then, I do a lot ( as in I prefer hand hand applique) of applique.

I bought one, two years ago ( or more), thinking it was a "must have" and have not used it at all. Perhaps you will be more productive than I, but it was a was of money (so far...).

Find a clear or white plastic storage box, turn it upside down, stick in a lamp or small light, and there you have it!

Thats a great idea!!! I have one that my husband made - its just some scrap plywood for the box and we put a iece of glass in it and somehow he rigged up a plug in light. but I like the idea of a battery operated light or the scanner - takes up alot less room lol :thumbup:

An old scanner will work great for a light box. Perfectly smooth glass surface and a very bright light. I found a flat scanner at the thrift store. It takes less storage room then a light box.

When I need a light box, I take the leaf out of my dinning room table, replace it with plex glass and put a lamp under the table. Works great. Save your $$$$$ for something more important like ...........FABRIC!!! :-D

Now, that is what I call using your head. I'm not sure if I still have my old flat bed lying around. I'll have to look. Thanks

ditto :thumbup:

I have tried the scanner, making my own using plexi, and using the window. The window is out since I cannot hold my arms up long anymore. I use a light box enough that it was well worth it to me to buy one. I got mine from jhittle a few years ago so I don't remember how much I paid. I guess it depends on how much you will use it if it is worth it to buy one.

I bypassed the lightbox and used dressmakers carbon.

I have a square glass table in my dining room, so I just put a lamp underneath it.

My DH made me a light box using an old box he took apart from something and fixed a light in it with a pull switch and put a piece of glass on top from an old picture frame.

After I wrote my response I went back and read more suggestions. So I've deleted what I'd written because everything I wrote had already been said by others (There really ISN'T anything new under the sun!) So all I can add is..... "Yeah, what she said!"
WHY can't we just be able to delete an entry??? Patrice??

I saw a site where they just used a clear bottomed plastic tote and put a light under that and made a light box. I wished I had found that before my DH made me a wooden, rather heavy to lift one.

That's what I do.

PRODUCT REVIEW OF LIGHT BOX
My husband purchased me a light box at $50. Within a short time the light didn't work and I couldn't find a bulb to fit in it, so I purchased a battery-powered under the counter light to go in it. Even now, it rattles around in it, I have to pop the top off of it to fiddle with the light to get it to work---Absolutely not worth it. It's not big enough to do anything large and with it's angle, it's hard to get everything lined up and hold in place while you get the other part traced. Plexi glass proped on the sides and just set a light of some sort under it would work better.

You can put a flashlight in one of those plastic thread boxes. That said, I have a lightbox, and I really like it.