How to Make a Trace Art Projector Box

Remove the back from the photo frame. The glass of the frame will eventually serve as the drawing surface. As such, the back and any fill materials should be removed, leaving only the frame's structure and glass panel.

Running the corded light socket into the milk crate should be a simple matter of feeding the cord out through one of the holes in the milk crate. Then simply strap the light's cord to the crate's bottom with twist ties. Although any light could be used, a work light, the kind with a protective grill, can guard the light from direct contact with your table and direct the light upward toward the drawing surface.

Line the sides of the crate with cardboard or some other opaque material. This will keep light from shining out in all directions.

Tape a layer of wax paper to the top of the crate. This will help diffuse some of the light coming through the frame, keeping the glass surface from projecting a bright light directly into your eyes.

Affix the frame to the crate's top by gluing the photo frame to the crate's rim. The key is to have a photo frame with dimensions only slightly larger than the crate, allowing the two to fit together snugly.

Tape down your photo and a sheet of tracing paper, but tape only the top of your tracing paper. This will allow you to lift the tracing paper to better examine the design to be traced.