SAD Box Inspired (keep Ur Soul Warm With a Light Box)

I always sleep more, and feel down in the winter. I saw this on lifehacker so I decided to make my own. I have two purposes for the box, one is for the hopeful improvement of my mood during winter, second being an alarm clock of sorts. Maybe I could fool myself into thinking the sun is up in my basement apartment.

Stuff you will need:

1.) a box, possibly a piece of wood ($20)
2.) fixtures ($3 ea $45 total)
3.) wire ($2)
4.) plug ($8)
5.) drill & cylindrical drill bit ($9)
6.) aluminum foil (or silver spray paint) (?)
7.) small screws or nails ($2)
8.) CFL-lightbulbs (I chose a mixture of colors) ($50)
9.) plex-glass (-)
10.) sandpaper (-)

Step 1: Assemble the Box Housing

This step is pretty easy, just make sure your box is the size you want. The hardest part for me was actually simply finding the box I wanted to use. Everything seemed to be the wrong dimensions, I was lucky I thought of the idea when I was staring at this shelf that wasn't the right depth. I decided I was going to turn the shelves sideways and it would work because the back would be the interior for wiring. Then I figured out that the shelves wouldn't work, so I went back out to buy a piece of wood to fit in the center. Make sure the light bulbs fit entirely inside the box before locating the divider. There's also going to be a lot of extra parts.

Step 2: Drilling the Pattern on the Wall

Design your pattern and drill it out with the cylindrical drill bit. Things to consider when designing your pattern are the area you have, the electrical connections you've chosen, and not having the bulbs clash with each other.

Step 3: Line the Box With Foil

I chose spray paint, it happened to be snowing the very day I chose to paint the box. If it's your driveway or garage, you may not want to paint on the cement because it will color it silver. I accidentally painted this persons truck silver. I found that the paint doesn't stick to the slick surface so I lined it with masking tape to ensure it wasn't going to run. The masking tape will probably crack after some time so if you have some sandpaper it would be a better option to sand the slick surfaces rough. Aluminum foil also probably has better reflective abilities.

Step 4: Connect All the Wiring

Please ensure that all the bulbs are connected in parallel! Test the unit without bulbs to check if you accidentally wired wrong. Also, put all the bulbs into sockets and test before closing off the wiring.

Step 5: Attach the Plex Glass and the Back

I actually didn't get the Plexiglas, but I meant to put sandpaper on it to give it a better look. It is kinda necessary for safety if you have kids or something, but I don't so I went without. Since I did have the backboard for the shelf I tacked it on to hide the wiring. I have had 2 close calls almost breaking light bulbs so I'm going to get that plex and put it on next week.

Step 6: Set Timer

I learned long ago to test out an alarm clock before using it to ensure that it works the way you think it does. It is awesome, and hard to look at. I wouldn't stare at the bulbs because they'll hurt your eye's and give you a headache.