How to Make a Strobe Gel Box

Measure the perimeter of your strobe flash head by wrapping your tape measure around it. Measure the end with the light set into it as close to the edge as possible. Make a note of the measurement.

Lay the cardboard down on a flat surface. Use poster board, a cereal box or similar weight cardboard.. Cut out a rectangular strip of cardboard that is the same length as the perimeter of the flash plus one additional inch. The rectangle should be 2 inches wide.

Wrap the strip of cardboard around the head of the strobe in the same place that you measured it. Align the strip so that the extra one inch of cardboard overlaps on top of the flash unit and does not hang off of the side. Crease the corners of the cardboard with your pointer finger and thumb to form a rectangular box the same shape as your strobe with two short sides and two long sides.

Remove the strip from your strobe light and gently unfold it until it is flat and the creases are still visible. Cut a slit into the two short sides of the strip from crease to crease about 1/2-inch from the edge to create a slot for the gel filters to slide into.

Fold the strip back to the shape of the strobe. Apply a small amount of glue to the 1-inch overlap and glue it to the strip to form a box the same size as the strobe. Pinch together for a couple minutes until the glue dries.

Spray paint the strobe gel box flat black. Set aside until the paint is thoroughly dried. Slide the gel box onto the end of your strobe light with the slots that were cut for the gel filters hanging off of the edge of the strobe. Slide the desired color gel filter into the slots and use as needed.