Getty A total solar eclipse can be seen in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway, on March 20, 2015.
Viewing the solar eclipse is a rare opportunity. The contiguous United States hasn’t been treated to a solar eclipse since 1979. Many people are having a hard time finding solar eclipse glasses at retailers anymore due to the rush to buy them. However, there are many solar eclipse DIY projects that will allow you to view the eclipse.
Below you will find some instructional videos for some fun projects. First, an important reminder: Never, ever look at a solar eclipse with the naked eye and without proper eye protection. According to NASA, the “only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as ‘eclipse glasses’…or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight.” However, many DIY projects do not require you to look directly at the sun to enjoy the rare spectacle of a solar eclipse.
GettyA total solar eclipse can be seen in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway, on March 20, 2015.
One of the most common solar eclipse DIY projects is a solar eclipse viewer, box or pinhole projector (the words are used somewhat interchangeably.) Most of these projects involve only a few household supplies. You will need a box (videos below show instructions for cereal boxes, shoeboxes, and other cardboard boxes). You will need something sharp (a nail, tack, or the like). You will need scissors (or a pocketknife). You will need a white sheet of paper. You’ll also need tape. Many of the instructions also call for tin foil. NASA recommends the pinhole projection method.
According to NASA, you could just use your hands! “Cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other, creating a waffle pattern. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse. Or just look at the shadow of a leafy tree during the partial eclipse; you’ll see the ground dappled with crescent Suns projected by the tiny spaces between the leaves.”
GettyA total solar eclipse can be seen in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway, on March 20, 2015.
If you would rather use the solar eclipse as an opportunity to make a DIY arts and crafts project though, the videos below provide some cool ideas, including with a cereal box.
In addition to videos for those kinds of projects, you can also find videos below for some other solar eclipse-related craft ideas, including how to make a solar eclipse model. If you’re like us, craft projects come easier when you can actually see the steps instead of just reading about them.
Here are videos of some fun projects you can make: