DIY: How to Create a Simple Homemade Softbox for $20 or Less

Light modifiers don’t come cheap, especially softboxes. But, if you have enough DIY talent, some patience, and $20 bucks to spare, you’re only an hour or so away from having a custom-made softbox of your own.

The above how-to video, created by YouTube makeup tutorial artist Dorothy Jean Thompson, shows you how easy it can be to put together a fairly simple softbox using supplies you probably have lying around the house.

And even if they aren’t lying around the house, they’re easily attainable from your local hardware store for a minimal investment. All you need is a lampshade, duct tape, nylon or white fabric, a CF bulb, clamp light and a box cutter. If you have some velcro lying around, you can use that too, but it’s not 100% necessary.

We’ve featured some DIY softboxes before, but this is definitely one of the simplest we’ve seen. Granted, the quality won’t be nearly as high as a purchased softbox, but it will get the job done while you save up for the real thing.