DIY Alcove lightbox

If you ever wanted to spice up your home with soft and ambient light fixtures then let woodwork hobbyist Menno help you out! In this video he shows how he made a lightbox fixture for his father’s garage.

Materials he used.

• Two planks of wood about 3 inches thick
• A larger plank big enough to house the light bulbs with ample clearing
• A LED light set
• Wood primer and water repellent coating

What he did.

1. Measure the site of installation. Make sure that your planks are longer or as long as the installation site.
2. Drill pilot holes on the side planks. This will help in screwing the planks onto the bigger one later.
3. Apply some wood glue on the side planks. This will help secure the planks in place along with the screws.
4. Finish the wood with primer and water repellent coating. This is especially important if you plan to install the fixture in an outdoor location. In the video, Menno uses a power tool to buff the wood but it’s nothing a little elbow grease can’t solve.
5. Determine the distance between your lights. This will depend on the number of lights you want to install, but for Menno’s case he used three lights spaced evenly.
6. Once you have measured where to place your lights, bore holes just enough for your light fixtures.
7. Install and fix electric wiring, followed by the actual lights.
8. Lodge the wooden planks into the installation site. This will depend on where you install yours but luckily for Menno the planks sat flush in between the columns of the garage. You may need to shave off a few inches if your planks have a bit more clearance.
9. Apply sealant and water repellent coating.

Menno completed this project in one day, given of course that he had tools and all the materials on hand. However, it’s a pretty simple job for something that could make your home look so much better! Why don’t you give yourself a try?