How to make your own 

flashlight!

(This idea came from a training but I don't know who came up with it originally. If you know please email me so I can credit them properly!)

Materials

2 film canisters (one black, one white) with lids

2 small screws

1 bulb cut from Christmas lights with 2 one inch wires left attached

1 9-volt battery

Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Place the two film canisters together so the lids are together-this is the way the lids need to be fastened so that it will work

2. Use the screws to fasten the lids together so that the tops of the lids meet (use a corkscrew to pre-hole the lids)

3. The screws should be placed side by side but not touching (they must each meet one terminal of the battery)

4. Put the battery in the black canister (terminal end up) and put the double lid on.

5. The pointy ends of the screws should be sticking up through the white lid.

6. Strip the insulation from the light's wires and wrap one wire around each screw.

7. Do not allow the wires to touch each other! If they do they will create a short-circuit! (A good science lesson but not what we are aiming for!)

8. Put the white film canister on to its lid with the bulb inside. Turning the lid of the black canister acts as a switch and lines up the screws with the battery terminals.

If your flashlight only works when upside down, put a little folded paper under the battery to raise it closer to the screws. Have fun with your surprisingly bright home-made flashlight!

By the way: making the flashlight fulfills part of the requirements for the Life skills badge and the Exploring My Horizons program!