You can build your own DIY smartphone projector with a few simple craft materials. This article explains what you need and how to put it all together.
What to Know
- You’ll need a few simple craft materials, including a shoebox, a large magnifying glass lens, and foamcore or stiff cardboard.Be sure your lens is not a fresnel lens (texture on one side, smooth on the other.) These don’t work as well.Before you start, write down the length, depth, and width of the shoebox.
What You Need to Make a Smartphone Projector
Get into one place each of the following:
- A shoebox, or a photo box from a crafting store.A smartphone or small tablet.Measuring tape.A large magnifier that will fit in one end of the box. The bigger the lens, the better, especially if you have a large wall you want to project on. Also, try to avoid lenses with handles, if possible, to save on cutting.Foamcore or stiff cardboard.A cutting tool such as an Xacto knife or box cutter.A flashlight.Masking tape or double-sided tape with a washable adhesive.A strong glue.A clean, white, smooth surface, like a tightly strung sheet or a blank wall that’s been cleaned.
Before you start, write down the length, depth, and width of the box and use that information in the next steps.
How to Make a Projector for Your Smartphone
- Use the glue to reinforce the flaps of the box. You’ll be cutting a large hole at one end so use plenty of glue. Press and hold if necessary on each flap to ensure the glue cures properly. Leave the glue to dry.
- Photo boxes, like the ones sold in craft stores, are more durable and will allow you to skip this step in many cases.
- Place the magnifier against one end of the box and sketch a complete circle around it.
- Place the lens so there’s an equal amount of space on all sides, using the measuring tape to confirm.
- Carefully cut the circle out with the utility blade, then place the lid on the box and use your cut-out to measure how much you need to remove from the lid by holding it over the hole and tracing around the edge.
- Alternately, just cut the panel of the box off, leaving a little extra.
- Use glue to securely seat the lens in the hole you’ve cut by placing the box upright with the hole facing down, and carefully running glue around the edge.
- After the glue dries, trim away any excess.
- Shine the flashlight around the edge looking for “light leaks,” places where the light shines through. Cover these with the tape.
- While the glue on the lens dries, build the brace for your smartphone or tablet. This will be a simple inverted T-shape made out of the foamcore or stiff cardboard.
- Measure the width and depth of the box and cut a piece of foam-core 1/8 of an inch smaller than the width of the box on each side.
- Cut another piece of foamcore that will fit inside the box vertically and glue it to create a right angle with the base, facing the lens. If you’re concerned about stability, use multiple pieces of foamcore to offer a stiffer resistance.
- Use the tape to secure your smartphone roughly in the middle of the vertical panel to make sure that it sticks with the screen facing out.
- Now that the glue is dry, you’re ready to watch. Place your box with the lens facing your projecting surface and dim the lights.
- Turn off screen rotation on your phone and turn the brightness and volume all the way up.
- Cast the audio to a Bluetooth speaker for better sound.
- Start the media you want to watch, then pause it.
- Turn your phone so the image is upside down, and tape it to the brace. Place the brace and phone in the box and move it back and forth until the image on the wall is as sharp as possible.
- Hit play, put the lid on the box, and enjoy!
Use the glue to reinforce the flaps of the box. You’ll be cutting a large hole at one end so use plenty of glue. Press and hold if necessary on each flap to ensure the glue cures properly. Leave the glue to dry.
Photo boxes, like the ones sold in craft stores, are more durable and will allow you to skip this step in many cases.
Place the magnifier against one end of the box and sketch a complete circle around it.
Place the lens so there’s an equal amount of space on all sides, using the measuring tape to confirm.
Carefully cut the circle out with the utility blade, then place the lid on the box and use your cut-out to measure how much you need to remove from the lid by holding it over the hole and tracing around the edge.
Alternately, just cut the panel of the box off, leaving a little extra.
Use glue to securely seat the lens in the hole you’ve cut by placing the box upright with the hole facing down, and carefully running glue around the edge.
After the glue dries, trim away any excess.
Shine the flashlight around the edge looking for “light leaks,” places where the light shines through. Cover these with the tape.
While the glue on the lens dries, build the brace for your smartphone or tablet. This will be a simple inverted T-shape made out of the foamcore or stiff cardboard.
Measure the width and depth of the box and cut a piece of foam-core 1/8 of an inch smaller than the width of the box on each side.
Cut another piece of foamcore that will fit inside the box vertically and glue it to create a right angle with the base, facing the lens. If you’re concerned about stability, use multiple pieces of foamcore to offer a stiffer resistance.
Use the tape to secure your smartphone roughly in the middle of the vertical panel to make sure that it sticks with the screen facing out.
Now that the glue is dry, you’re ready to watch. Place your box with the lens facing your projecting surface and dim the lights.
Turn off screen rotation on your phone and turn the brightness and volume all the way up.
Cast the audio to a Bluetooth speaker for better sound.
Start the media you want to watch, then pause it.
Turn your phone so the image is upside down, and tape it to the brace. Place the brace and phone in the box and move it back and forth until the image on the wall is as sharp as possible.
Hit play, put the lid on the box, and enjoy!
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