Tennis Can LED Lantern

I created this lantern while wandering around in the dark with an LED touch light and a can of tennis balls (which I'm known to juggle with on occasion).  It generates a nice radiant light when sitting on a table, and can be turned on and off by shaking it so the tennis ball taps the face of the light.

Step 1 Everything you need to build a tennis can lantern

To build this lantern you won't need to use any tools beyond some electrical tape.

Items Required:
1 empty plastic tennis ball container
1 tennis ball (or similarly sized ball)
1 LED touch light approximately 6.8 to 7 cm in diameter.  These usually cost about $4 for a pack of three.
1 length of electrical tape (if necessary)

Comments

[ROOKIE49]

HOW ABOUT VELCO THE LIGHT TO THE LID AND ADD SOME TIN FOIL TO INTENSIFY THE LIGHT! GREAT IDEA

[JoshuaSmock]

or remove the fuzz off the tennis ball and spray it w/ chrome spray paint

[junits15]

shhh....

[Doctor What]

That's convenient!  This would work well during emergencies.  If you know where it is at all times, then you could easily find it because of the size, and wouldn't have to fumble around with buttons, etc.

I know from experience.  Finding a flashlight when we had a fire outside was impossible.  It took me at least two or three minutes (too long), to find a flashlight, considering the lights were out.  Everything turned out okay, but it was a little frightening.  If this were there, it would have made everything better!

[ElectroFox]

Doctor, you should have simply lifted the shade and used the ambient light generated by the fire, my good man... Shades of Consumerisim!!! Wouldst thou prefer that a Union-Backed, High-Pension-Having, Working-4-the-Man, City-Worker heft a torch to help 'Ye to escape the fire?

Surely thou jesteth me... All due respect notwithstanding...

[Doctor What]

BTW, here is the forum topic for it:

Click Here!

[Doctor What]

But sir!  I was in the basement!  And the fire was ground level!  And the windows that you speak of, do not exist in a basement!

[ElectroFox]

Touche' good Doctor!

[VazHelsing]

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[Ingulit]

What?

[ivan_s]

 good idea..interesant

[Agent739]

That is a great Idea.I like that.

[Darth Sensate]

Would wax paper lining the tube diffuse the lighting nicely?

[Patented]

Hahaa thats so nice im gonna try it I have one of these lights !!

[zascecs]

Great idea using the tennis ball as a 'switch.' 

[Mr. Retro]

That's awesome, and a terrific idea.  When I saw the video the first thing I thought was wow! That would be an awesome magic trick to see lights mysteriously come from your hands, or something like that.  The idea of tapping the light with something other than the hand has limitless possibilities, and this instructable is a great idea.

[Sunbanks]

That's such a smart idea! 

[scrutables]

charming! very cool effect for something so simple. you could maybe also use one of those balls that lights up when you bounce it for a really trippy effect :)

[Tool Using Animal]

Clever.