It may surprise you to learn that making solar eclipse glasses doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult.
The items you will need to make effective and safe eclipse sunglasses are probably lying around your house even as you read this, so getting prepared is simple.
Here’s what you need:
- An empty cereal box
- A sheet of white printer paper
- Tinfoil
- Scissors
- A safety pin
- Scotch tape
- A pen or pencil
What next?
- To begin, place the empty cereal box on top of the sheet of white paper right in the center of the page.
- Take your pen or pencil and trace the bottom of the cereal box on the paper, then cut out the rectangular shape you made on the paper.
- Next, use your Scotch tape to affix the cut-out paper to the inside of the bottom of the cereal box, then close the cereal box top.
- Use your scissors to cut out two square holes on the left and right sides of the bottom of the cereal box – this is where your eyes will view the eclipse from.
- Place your tinfoil over the outside of just one of the holes – either the left or the right will do fine. Be sure the foil is securely in place, as it will be protecting your eyes.
- Next, use your safety pin to create a very small hole in the aluminum foil you just taped to the outside of the end of the cereal box.
Tips on how to use your homemade DIY eclipse viewer
To use your newly crafted solar eclipse viewing glasses, you will need to stand outside in such a way that the sun is at your back and you can easily see the shadow you are casting on the ground in front of you. Before looking up, ensure that you’re holding the eclipse viewer’s aluminum foil up so that it is reflecting the eclipse. You’ll notice as you view the eclipse through the box that the sun will appear to be shrinking until it disappears onto the white paper on the inside of the box. If you notice this, then you know you’re doing it right!
Not the DIY type? No sweat – solar eclipse glasses aren’t expensive
When it comes to buying ready-made plastic solar eclipse glasses, you want to make sure the manufacturer made them with your eye safety in mind. That’s why we at Gadget Nerds recommend eclipse sunglasses that have a CE and ISO Certification.
You may think that having these certifications will mean that you have to spend a fortune on solar and lunar eclipse glasses—but that’s just not the case! In fact, the plastic eclipse glasses brought to you by Rainbow Symphony have both certifications, plus, they offer complete coverage with a wraparound goggle design that keeps your eyes safe no matter which direction you’re looking.
What’s more, Rainbow Symphony eclipse glasses offer five or greater optical density, creating a beautiful orange-hued sun, making them visually accurate. Rainbow Symphony eclipse shades also filter out 100 percent of the harmful UV rays, 100% of harmful infrared, and more than 99.99 percent of the intense light that would otherwise be hitting your cornea, causing severe eye damage from viewing a solar eclipse. All of these amazing advantages and these wrap-around solar eclipse glasses run for next to nothing.
