Lightboxes - self-lit art

Lightbox with/without power

Part of the glory of stained glass panels is the 'magic' added by daylight pouring through, but what if you don't have a suitable spot in your house - or want to take the piece with you when you move?

That's where lightboxes come in. A piece of glass art can be framed and lit from within a boxed frame.

These pieces can then be displayed on a sideboard, or shelf, or on a wall, within reach of a power supply.

When I first made these, thin fluorescent tubes were the only option, but in order to avoid 'hot spots' where the lightbulb is too near the back piece of glass this makes the frame around 12cm deep. This gives the benefit of making the box self-supporting on a shelf or sideboard.

However, if you want a thinner piece to display on a wall, today's LED lights make this possible.