Marquee lights are back in fashion whether its letters, words or cute shapes, you can find them in any decor store. I always wanted one, but I could only find small ones for some reason.

I am a fan of all unicorn, rainbows and glitter things. Who isn’t? right?

I made my marquee light in the shape of a rainbow.

Since I wanted it to be cheap, I reused some cardboard boxes my neighbors threw out.

You can also make it from foam board or MDF if you rather.

Step 1: Materials

A box of cardboard (the size should be bigger the light you are interested to make)

Craft knife

Scissors

Masking tape

Marker

Ruler / measuring tape

Double sided tape

Hot glue gun and sticks

Primer spray paint

3 Big white Construction Paper (big enough to fir the base of the rainbow)

Glue stick

Rainbow acrylic colors

Paintbrush

Rainbow glitter

Skewer

String lights

Batteries

Step 2: Cutting a Rainbow Shape:

Print out the rainbow attached here.

Use masking tape to attach the rainbow parts and cut around the rainbow shape using scissors.

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Step 3: Cardboard Base

Place the rainbow on the cardboard and use it as a stencil, using the marker to mark the outline of the rainbow on the cardboard.

Use a craft knife to cut out the rainbow base. Be carful not to bend the cardboard.

Step 4: Cardboard Sides

Measure 7 cm wide cardboard strips using a ruler or measuring tape. Cut out the strips with the craft knife.

Step 5: Assembling the Cardboard Parts

Use double sided tape to attach the cardboard sides to the cardboard rainbow base.

Tape them together leaving about a third of the width from the edge of the strip on one side and 2/3 of the width on the other side.

for better understanding, look at the pictures above.

Seal the edges using hot glue to make sure there are no gaps between the rainbow and the sides.

Step 6: Prime the Cardboard

Use the primer spray paint to paint the entire side of the cardboard that'll be painted.

Step 7: Cutting the Construction Paper

Cut the same rainbow shape out of the construction paper.

Cut strips that will fit both sides of the cardboard sides that is shown. (the wide ones should be a 7 cm wide strips and the thinner ones are approximately 4-5 cm but make sure you measure).

I had to make 3 strips of each but that will be depending the length of your construction paper.

Step 8: Covering the Cardboard With Construction Paper: Rainbow

Use glue stick to glue the rainbow construction paper to the rainbow cardboard.

All painting will go on that side of the rainbow cardboard, so that construction paper makes sure our painting's background will be clean and white.

Step 9: Covering the Cardboard With Construction Paper: Sides

Use double sided tape to attach the construction paper strips to both sides of the cardboard sides, As shown in the picture above.

Cut the excess edges of the paper sides using scissors.

Step 10: Painting:

Use a pen and draw the clouds's outline.

Use any rainbow paint you like and the paintbrush to paint the rainbow as you wish, I went for a classic rainbow using red, orange, yellow, green, teal, light blue, indigo and purple (the pink wasn't the original plan, but I ended up finishing all other colors and I still had a little white shown) .

Paint the outline of the clouds with any color you like.

Step 11: Glitter Edges

Use double sided tape to cover all edges of the rainbow's sides. The reason I haven’t used any other glue is that my cardboard had big holes that any glue I'd try to apply over it, would leak into the holes.

Sprinkle the rainbow glitter over the edges until it is fully coated.

Pour the excess glitter in a bag or the sink.