It might look like a cardboard box, but it is actually a function camera!

Step 1: Step 1: Gather Materials

All you are going to need for this project is a cardboard box (preferably a shoe box), some black tape (I used electrical tape), scissors, and any aluminium can.

Step 2: Step 2: Light Proof the Box

This is a fairly simple yet extremely important step. Tape over any parts of the box that light might be able to enter through. The lid on my shoe box blocked the light perfectly, but if yours does not, you can go around the top edge of the box with tape. This is important so that your photo paper does not get exposed to any unwanted light.

Step 3: Step 3: Making the Opening

After your box is light proofed, you with need to make a small opening at the front of the box so some light can get through to project the image on to your photo paper. Measure the halfway point on the front of the box and mark it. On that spot, cut a whole (about an inch wide) and mark the area on the inner opposite wall of the box so you know where to line up the photo paper.

Step 4: Step 4: Refining the Opening

The area that we originally cut out will let to much light in. We can fix this by cutting a piece out of an aluminium can and making a pinhole in it. This is fairly simple, all you need to do is cut a piece of aluminium from the can larger than the hole you made in the box. After you have your square of aluminium, find a pin or thumb tack to poke a hole in it.

Step 5: Step 5: Attaching the Aluminium

Attaching the piece of can to the box is even easier than it was to make it. All you need to do is line the edges of the piece of can with tape, line up the pinhole and the marking you made on the other side, and stick the piece there.

Step 6: Step 6: Making the Shutter

Now for the final step, the shutter. The shutter is important so that the photo paper is not over exposed. For my shutter, I put a piece of tape over the pinhole, then covered that tape with more tape to make sure no light got through. To keep the shutter in place, I got a large piece of tape and put a smaller piece of tape in the middle, and put that unit under the pinhole so the shutter could be tucked under it.