How to make your own flashlight at home

Today, there are many types of flashlights on the market – with models such as shaking, hand cranking, twisting, press-to-open and many more. If you don’t like these flashlights or don’t want to spend a lot of money on unnecessary luxuries, you can make your own flashlight out of toilet paper rolls and other basic materials you already have at home.

Table of Contents

Use the simple and quick method

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Prepare material. Clear out an area to work on and call on kids and family members to see if you can make a flashlight with your bare hands. You will need:

Toilet paper core (thin cardboard rolled into a small tube)
2 EASY type batteries
Tape (insulating tape can also be used)
A piece of wire about 12.5cm long (if using speaker wire, you should choose a copper type)
2.2-volt bulb (you can choose another bulb, but efficiency will depend on the type. The bulbs in the Christmas string can also be used.)

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Stick the wire to the negative ( – ) terminal of the battery. Make sure the power cord is taped tight and not misaligned or your light bulb will flicker.

You can use foil instead of the wire, but it’s not very efficient and difficult to manipulate.

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Seal the bottom end of the toilet paper core/cardboard roll tightly. That way, the light won’t leak out and become dimmer – rendering the flashlight inefficient.

If you haven’t had a chance to use black insulating tape yet, now is the time to use it.

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Attach the battery with one end of the cord attached below to the toilet paper core. Thus, one end of the wire touches the tape at the bottom of the paper roll, the other end will be pulled out.

If the cord is not long enough to reach the edge of the battery, you need to cut the paper roll short.

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Attach the second battery with the negative terminal facing down. The negative pole of this battery will touch the positive pole of the battery below. This connection allows current to flow from the bottom to the top, causing the bulb to glow.

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Mount the bulb above the second battery. You can rest assured that there is a correct direct connection between the two surfaces (in short, as long as the bulb is securely attached). Make sure you can still see the bottom half of the bulb.

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Make the light bulb glow. Pull the wire end to touch the silver part of the light bulb. If the bulb doesn’t light up after a few tries, see the tips below for troubleshooting. If the light bulb glows, you have successfully made a flashlight that can be turned on/off.

Apply another method

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Prepare material. This is the time to get to work and express your creativity. You will need:

2 type D batteries (separate)
2 insulated copper wire No. 22 12.5cm long (remove the 2.5cm long insulation at each end)
Cardboard tube 10cm . long
3 volt bulb type PR6 or number 222
2 brass clamps
Cardboard paper 2.5×7.5cm
Staple
Tape
Small paper cups

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Attach a copper clip to one end of each wire. Bend the clamp so that it can wrap around the wire. Stab the ends of the clamp into the wall of the cardboard tube, and the wire will be pulled out to the ends of the paper tube. The round end of the clamp rests on the surface of the paper tube. This will be the part that helps you turn on / off the light.

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Stick two type D batteries together. Make sure the positive pole of one battery touches the negative pole of the other. Pins are glued lengthwise, not horizontally. After gluing, you will place the battery in the paper tube.

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Stick the wire to the negative terminal of the battery. The cathode is the flat top of the battery. You can use paper tape to stick it.

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Cut a small hole in the cardboard. Pull the wire through that small hole to place it on the positive terminal of the battery and wrap the wire around the light bulb. Place the end of the bulb in the hole so that it is secured with the cardboard.

Apply tape around the light bulb mounting location on the cardboard to secure it to the wire. The light bulb will now start flashing.

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Cut a hole to fit the bulb in the bottom of the paper cup. Insert the light bulb into that hole and tape the cup to the piece of cardboard.

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Attach the eye of the soda can between the ends of the brass clip. Electricity will be generated when the eyelet touches the two clamps, helping the bulb to glow. When the eyelet is removed, the light bulb goes out. So it worked!

You can use a paper clip instead of the eye of a soda can!

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Completed.

Advice

Do you want the flashlight to look more unique? Draw a picture on a piece of paper and stick it around the toilet paper/cardboard tube. For example, the face of a demon. Or, you can glue one end of a paper tube with paper tape and draw a shape on it.
If the light does not light up, try the following check:
- Did the light bulb burn out?
- Is that a 2.2 volt bulb?
- Are the parts connected to each other?
- Does the battery still have power?
- Is the battery inserted in the correct position?

Warning

Be careful as the power cord can get quite hot.
Children should only do this activity with adult supervision

Things you need

Simple and fast method

Cores of toilet paper or thin cardboard rolled into small tubes
2 EASY type batteries
Adhesive tape (it is more effective to use industrial tape with high adhesion)
12.5cm long power cord (if using speaker wire, you should choose copper core)
Workbench or area
2.2-volt bulb (you can choose another bulb, but the effectiveness will vary. The bulbs in the Christmas string are also very effective.)

Other methods

2 type D batteries (separate)
2 insulated copper wire No. 22 12.5cm long (remove the 2.5cm long insulation at each end)
Cardboard tube about 10cm
3 volt bulb type PR6 or number 222
2 brass clamps
Cardboard paper 2.5×7.5cm
Staple
Tape
Small paper cups

Steps