DIY Eclipse Glasses: How to Make It At Home?

Solar eclipses must be observed with eclipse glasses.

You can’t look at the sun with naked eyes as it’s dangerous and can cause permanent damage to your eyes.

But, it can be very difficult to find one right before the event.  As most stores run out of the eclipse glasses pretty quickly.

And even if you manage to find one, the price might be astronomically high.

Have no worry.

These eclipse glasses can be easily made at home. And what’s more, you can make it with the things that you may already have at your home.

Read on to learn how you can make DIY eclipse glasses at home with these simple steps.

Tools Required to Make Eclipse Glasses

• A large piece of cardstock
• A roll of tape
• A solar filter
• Scissors
• Pen

1. Make Sure That Your Solar Filter Is Safe To Use

You’ll find a wind range of solar filters available on the market. In fact, you can get them even on the Amazon.

But there’s a catch, not all of the brands are verified by NASA. Most of them are simply incapable of protecting your eyes from the sun.

Thus, for the sake of you and your loved ones, you should always stick to brands approved by NASA.

Another the thing that I’d like to warn you against is that:

You will find various household alternatives promoted in popular YouTube videos for safe solar viewing. DON’T listen to them.

Most of them have been proven unsafe and dangerous.

You shouldn’t believe every random YouTuber you find on the internet as their only priority is YouTube views.

Your safety means nothing to them.

Therefore, check out your sources before you decide to use a household alternative.

And make sure that the solar films you are buying are ISO certified.

2. Develop Your Frames

First, lay the cardstock on a flat surface. Then, draw an outline of the handlebars and the lenses with a pen. You can use a printed template for accuracy.

Once your paper is ready, cut out the frames using a scissor.

The frames should contain one rectangular piece with cut-outs for eyes and two distinct handles for your ears.

3. Install the Solar Filter Lenses

Afterward, take the measurements carefully and cut the solar film in a way that it covers the entire holes of your glasses.

Make sure that you don’t cut the solar films too close to the actual size. For you should have an overlap so as to prevent the light from leaking through the edge of the eye holes.

Be careful not to puncture or scrape the solar film, as any sort of distortion can reduce its ability to protect your eyes.

4. Tape the Lenses on the Inside of the Frame

After you have placed the solar lenses correctly, you need to seal it with a roll of tape.

In addition, you’d like to tape the earpieces as well.

5. Give the Eclipse Glasses a Trial Run

Before putting the eclipse glasses into action, it’s important that you ascertain the safety of your glasses first.

In order to conduct the safety check, get into a dark room and put your glasses on. Then tell a friend of yours to flash a light in the direction of your eyes.

If light, no matter how small the amount is, manages to come through, then your glasses are useless and you need to discard them.

For, you shouldn’t be able to see anything except the sun itself through a safe solar filter.

Here is an Alternative for Eclipse Glasses

Eclipse Cereal Box Viewer

Tools Required

• A cereal box
• Aluminium foil
• A nail
• Scissors
• Tape

Step 1: First, you will need to empty a cereal box. Then trace a line around the bottom of the box on a piece of paper and cut it out. Afterward, using a glue or tape attach it to the inside bottom of your box.

Step 2: After closing the cereal box, cut an inch or two off both top sides of the cereal box.

Step 3: Next, cover one hole with aluminium foil and secure it with the tape. Afterward, using a small pin poke a hole right into the centre of the aluminium foil.

Step 4: When watching the solar eclipse, you will turn your back to the sun and look through the large hole on the lid of the cereal box, while allowing the sunlight to enter through the aluminium foil hole.

Consequently, you will be able to watch the eclipse happening at the bottom of your cereal box.

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Alternatives That You Should Avoid

• Ordinary sunglasses
• Polarized filters
• Smoked glass
• X-ray film
• Chip bags
• DVDs

Precautions You Need to Take

• Inspect your solar filter before use. Don’t use scratched or damages glasses.
• Children need to be supervised while using eclipse glasses
• Don’t remove the glasses while you are looking at the sun. After watching the eclipse, turn away and then remove your solar filters.
• Never use a camera, binocular or telescope to look at the sun while wearing solar filters. The solar filter can get damaged by the concentrated solar rays. And if the solar rays enter your eyes, it could cause serious and permanent injury.
• If you wear glasses, there’s no need to take them off. You can put your eclipse glasses on over them.

Conclusion

As you can see, making eclipse glasses is quite easy. But while making it at home, make sure that all the safety precautions are taken.

It’s worth repeating that your solar filter must be ISO certified. Otherwise, the experiment may prove hazardous for your health.

You can also employ the alternative method of the cereal box, which is the safest way to watch the solar eclipse.

No matter which one you decide to use, let us know about your decision. We value your feedback greatly.