For many people, a kaleidoscope is a charming reminder of grade school science classes, where science was fun and simple. Kaleidoscopes make you see the world in a whole new different light, using principles from physics and optics to make you see funky, psychedelic, radical images that will confuse, amaze, and surprise you.

Any grade school student can make a kaleidoscope in record time, but most of us forget how to make one. It doesn’t have to be for your child’s class science project; you can make a kaleidoscope just for you to have fun on a boring day, or if you want to be inspired with a whole new way of literally looking at things.

What is a Kaleidoscope?

A kaleidoscope is a small instrument used as a toy, and often as an instructional aid to explain reflection and the behavior of light. The word “kaleidoscope” is derived from a Greek phrase that means “to look at beautiful things.” Kaleidoscopes use the physical principles of reflection to give the viewer very interesting and enchanting patterns from ordinary objects like beads, buttons, coins, grains, or even tracings.

The first kaleidoscopes were used by the ancient Greeks, although the Scottish scientist Sir David Brewster patented it in 1817 following his experiments a year before on the behavior of light. The kaleidoscope was originally intended to be a tool for scientific experiments and studies, yet the novelty value of the tool kicked off when it became a popular toy. Charles Bush, an American entrepreneur, made the kaleidoscope popular in the United States. Today, many enthusiasts create all sorts of kaleidoscopes to make interesting visual patterns using the amazing properties of light.

Tools

To make a kaleidoscope, you need the following tools:

• A PVC pipe the length of a potato chip canister (in a pinch, you can also use a potato chip canister; just don’t use the cardboard tubes from toilet paper or rolls of paper towels)
• Three pieces of mirror, cut lengthwise.
• Tape (duct tape or electrical tape works fine, but do not use masking tape or Scotch tape)
• Foam, or bits of weatherstripping
• Two clear disks (glass, Lexan, or plastic work well)
• A strip of cardboard one inch wide
• Glue
• Beads, small marbles, small buttons, shells, or other small objects
• Wrapping paper

Steps

1. Cut the pipe to your desired length. A tube seven to eight inches long is perfect for a good kaleidoscope. If you’re using a potato chip canister, remove the metal cap at the bottom end of the tube. Make sure that the edges of the pipe or canister are smooth so that they will not injure your eye when you use the kaleidoscope.
2. Cut the mirrors a little less than the length of the pipe. To save yourself time, you can buy mirrors ready for use in kaleidoscopes from an arts and crafts store. When cutting the mirrors, make sure not to injure yourself or to shatter the mirrors; a utility knife, diamond cutter, or a tile-cutting blade is perfect for this task.
3. Join the mirrors together to form a triangle, with the shiny sides inside. You don’t have to make an equilateral triangle; you can experiment with different angles and lengths of a triangle to get a different effect. When joining the mirrors together, tape the angles and sides securely. You may need the help of a friend to perform this task.
4. Attach weatherstripping or foam to the back of each side of the mirror. Gently and carefully slide the mirror assembly into the pipe. Make sure the mirrors are absolutely secure.
5. To build the object piece, glue one edge of the cardboard strip around the edge of one of the transparent disks. Fill the “tray” with small objects, and glue the other disk to the other edge of the cardboard.
6. Attach the object piece to the tube assembly. Wrap the tube with wrapping paper or other artful materials to make it look pretty. Perfect, now you have a kaleidoscope!

How a Kaleidoscope Works

Hold up the kaleidoscope to a light source, with the object piece facing away from you. Look inside the kaleidoscope as you would a conventional telescope. You should see some interesting patterns made by light, beads, and reflections from the mirror.

Kaleidoscopes work through a phenomenon called mirror-image symmetry. When an object is reflected by a mirror, it is divided into several axes of symmetry depending on the angle of the mirror. With each mirror in the kaleidoscope reflecting images from the object piece and each other, the axes of symmetry are divided in many different ways, that you see all sorts of different images when you rotate the kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope Tricks

• Try filling the object piece with a small amount of water or heavy, clear oil. The objects will move around very slowly and give you a funky, cool effect.
• Experiment with different angles of mirrors, or try using two or four mirrors inside the object tube to get a very different effect.
• Getting photographs from a kaleidoscope is tricky, but you’ll need a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera to best accomplish the task. Taking a picture from the viewing end of the kaleidoscope takes a bit of practice, but with enough time and effort, you can get it done. (Tips on how to take good photos)
• One way to get different effects from the kaleidoscope is to view it against different forms and colors of light. Different colors and types of light give extra cool effects to the images you see through a kaleidoscope.

Whether it’s a school project or just a way to pass the time, a kaleidoscope is a great way to view things and objects in a whole new light. With these tips to help you make your own kaleidoscope, your view of the world always changes in beautiful and enchanting ways, with just the turn of a mirrored tube. If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll surely be interested in learning how to make a science project.

Here’s a cool image seen from a commercial kaleidoscope:

Watch The Video

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