How to Build a Wood Pinhole Camera

Prepare the Box

• 1

  Choose a wooden cigar box made with tongue and groove joints and an overlapping lid.

• 2

  Paint the box black, both inside and out.

• 3

  Seal all the joints, inside the box, with black electrical tape. This ensures that no light will leak into the closed box.

• 4

  Cut a strip of black construction paper about an inch wide and long enough to wrap around all four sides of the box.

• 5

  Tape the cut strip of paper along the inside of the opening of the bottom of the box so that about a 1/2 inch projects above the edge. This "flange" prevents any stray light from entering the box along the seam between the lid and the body of the box.

Make the Pinhole

• 6

  Using the awl, make a round hole, about 1/4 inch across in the center of the bottom of the box.

• 7

  Sandwich a 2 inch square of black construction paper between two pieces of shirt cardboard. Pierce with the needle.

• 8

  Lift the cardboard and paper sandwich up and continue twisting the needle into the pinhole up to the midway point of the needle. The cardboard and the twisting motion help ensure a smooth pinhole.

• 9

  Tape the paper square over the awl hole in the bottom of the box so that the pinhole is centered over the larger awl hole.

• 10

  Make a shutter of a piece of black construction paper, hinged with tape above the pinhole. Hold the shutter closed with more tape before and after exposing the film.