Homemade Kaleidoscopes

two potato-chip canisters and plastic caps
spray cleaning solution-paper towels
craft knife
butyrate plastic-matte board-masking tape
clear tape
dime
ruler
pencil
gift-wrapping paper,
Con-Tact® paper,
fabric, etc.
spray adhesive
craft glue
bubble wrap
corrugated cardboard
1. Remove the potato chips from their containers. You'll just need one canister for the kaleidoscope, but you'll need the plastic cap from the second can. Remove the bottom of the canister with a can opener. Leave the metal rim in place to help hold the cap on. Clean the inside of the canister with spray cleaner and paper towels to remove the grease.

2. Decorate the outside of the canister by covering it with gift-wrapping paper, Con-Tact paper or fabric. Use spray adhesive to hold the covering in place if necessary

3. Make the eyepiece by placing a dime in the center of one plastic end. Trace around it, and cut out the hole with a craft knife

4. Cut a circular piece of butyrate plastic to fit inside the plastic end. Tape it to the backside of the plastic end. Glue the plastic end in place on the bottom of the canister, using craft glue. The rim is a little smaller than the top of the can.

5. Apply spray adhesive to a 6" by 9" piece of white matte board. Glue a piece of butyrate plastic to the matte board. Cut the matte board into three 2" by 9" pieces.

6. Place the three strips side by side, lengthwise, plastic side down, approximately 1/16" apart. Place three pieces of masking tape across the back of all three pieces to hold them together.

7. Fold the two outer strips up toward the center, forming a three-dimensional triangle with the plastic on the inside. Tape the joint. This will form the mirror assembly to go inside the kaleidoscope.

8. Wrap the mirror assembly in bubble wrap, wind masking tape around the bubble wrap, and place the mirror assembly inside the canister.

9. Cut a circle of butyrate plastic the diameter of the canister, and place it on top of the mirror assembly.

10. Cut a narrow strip of corrugated cardboard the circumference of the inside of the canister and the width of the distance between the plastic circle on top of the mirror assembly and the top rim of the canister. Place it inside the canister on top of the plastic circle.

11. Place a few colored beads on the plastic circle.

12. Snap on the plastic end from a second canister of potato chips. (Source: HGTV.com)