Introduction: Dirt Cheap Home Theater
-AFTER A YEAR OF INACTIVITY I'M BACK-
Have you ever wanted to watch a video on your phone but couldn't because holding it makes your arm tired? Well, make this cardboard home theater! It doesn't cost much to make at all, and you can lay down and watch your favorite GreatScott videos!
Step 1: The Box
Get a box at least 12 by 12 by 12 inches.
Or, if you don't feel like measuring, get a box you can do this with:
Step 2: Other Tools
Pretty straightforward. You need a sharpie, a razor, duck tape, and scissors
Step 3: Cut Flaps Off of Box
Pick a side and cut the flaps off of the cardboard box. This is so that you can put your head in and watch.
The box doesn't have to be perfectly cut, but it should be so that you can watch without any light coming in from the bottom
Step 4: Measure Out Your Phone
I have an iPhone 6, and the screen is about 4.2 by 2.4 inches (give or take). However, if you don't use an iPhone 6, measure your screen with a ruler and mark it on the box. Then, cut the hole using the box razor. Do this carefully, as you'd want the hole to exactly fit the size of your screen
Step 5: Measure Out Your Neck
Ok, the steps are kinda weird but they work
1) use your hand and grab your neck to measure out the length and width of your neck.
2) After measuring length and width, mark them on the box horizontally and vertically (look at pics)
3) make an oval with the measurements on your hand using the sharpie
4) cut out the oval thing and test it on your neck. I had to adjust the length of the oval because of my darn adams apple
5) use duck tape to prevent any cardboard chafing
Step 6: The Annoying Inner Flaps
Use duck tape to keep these little buggers out of the way
Step 7: I Had To...
Gotta keep the projects in the MLP theme guys. Can't be inconsistent with the title of my instructables :)
Step 8: Enjoy Ur Box
Congrats! you went from having a box to having a box with an elliptical and rectangular hole cut in it! Use it to watch videos all day long and pretend your mom isn't hovering above you wondering why you didn't take out the the trash!
Kudos to keets for mentioning this: you may need to poke some air holes with your razor blade if you have trouble breathing. I don't have a problem, but I'm not everyone. Thanks keets :)

Participated in the
Cardboard Contest 2017
28 Comments
3 years ago
I think I will vote for you this is genius but so simple
Reply 3 years ago
Thanks man! Appreciate it
3 years ago
Can you use this in public without people looking at you strange? Good job!
Reply 3 years ago
Well, I wouldn't know because I can't see them when I use it!
Reply 3 years ago
Lol block out the haters
Reply 3 years ago
exactly!
3 years ago
The only issue with this is that this was not your original idea. I made instructions on this website for this identical project about a year ago. Seriously not cool cool not to mention illegal in some circumstances... just compare the titles! If it truly was a mistake I understand, but either way, take it down. Here is the link for proof: https://www.instructables.com/id/1-Personal-Theater/
Thanks
Reply 3 years ago
Or he could mention a source that he got the idea from if it wasn't his original idea. The problem with the internet is very rarely does some think of something original any more. :( I have great ideas, but then go online and they've already been done! Lol. I think it may be the same in this circumstance. He thought of this idea on his own, posted it, and it just happens to already be done. Se la vie. I don't think he copied yours, for example, and then maliciously put it up. :) Many blessings to you both.
Reply 3 years ago
Holy crap, just hang on for one second people. I get the idea that it wasn't hard to come up with. The thing that really irked me was the title. I named mine $1 Personal Theater. He named his Dirt Cheap Theater. That is what lead me to believe that he had copied. Sorry for causing this much of a deal. Jeez.
BTW, this is the most comments I've ever got on anything
Reply 3 years ago
you got a lot of comments on this because you were saying i plagerized you. There are only so many ways to say "inexpensive home theater". Itd be like kanye suing a compass company for using "west".
All the same, why dont we help each other out by liking and following each other? Im down for making a friend
Reply 3 years ago
Alright, I can see ur point. The really funny thing about this is that when I made it, it didn't get featured. XD I am all for your solution. Sorry about this whole misunderstanding. Will the whole community chill now?
Reply 3 years ago
I'm cool with it XD. Tbh I'm glad we have a community that dislikes plagiarism.
Oh, a good way to get featured is to make instructables and enter them into contests immediately. I made this for the cardboard contest, and it got featured because everyone checks out the contests to vote and whatnot. However, I could enter this into a future contest such as a arts and crafts contest too.
Reply 3 years ago
Good tip. Thanks a lot, really. I am also pleased to find that people hate on plagiarism this much. Sorry about the whole thing
Reply 3 years ago
Like someone else said, two people can come up with the same idea without getting the idea from the other one. He/she came up with the same idea as you, so good for them. (no offence, but this one is better put together than yours)
Reply 3 years ago
This one was posted in 2015...And it's just the first one I found, brosef. https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-0-E...
Hope that helps ;D
Reply 3 years ago
On top of that, several other people have also made this project before you...
Reply 3 years ago
sorry if it looks like I plagiarized you, but think of it this way:
There are seven billion people in the world. A cardboard box with two holes isn't that hard to come up with. People think independently, and come up with stuff independently.
However, if we're really going to play the plagerism card, I saw your instructable was made in 2016. I could easily say you plagerized off of any one of these sources:
http://mashable.com/2015/06/02/japan-cardboard-the...
http://www.mobilephones.com/articles/create-a-smar...
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Tablet-Theater/?ALLSTEPS
3 years ago
so simple and great! Voted! Love the intro pic
Reply 3 years ago
Tanks bro!
3 years ago
Great minds think alike. I just favorited you both. That's settled. Moving on.