How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema

Use a small-scale conveyor belt to create a cinematic experience! 

  1. Crate box – or Small cardboard box
  2. X-acto knife – optional
  3. Toilet paper tubes (2)
  4. Dowels (2)
  5. Pencil
  6. Scissors
  7. Hot glue/ Hot glue gun
  8. Pushpin
  9. Hole punch – optional
  10. Paper
  11. Double-sided tape
  12. Paperclip
  13. Printables – Background image & Still image

STEP 1

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 1
Gather your materials and download the printables!

STEP 2

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 2
Cut the top off of the box.

STEP 3

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 3
Using the pushpin, make two holes on either side of the long sides of the box about 6” apart. Widen the holes with a pair of scissors until the dowel fits loosely into them.

STEP 4

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 4
Trace the end of a toilet paper tube onto a piece of heavy weight paper 4 times. Then, cut each circle out. 

STEP 5

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 5
Make a hole in the center of each of the circles large enough for the dowel to fit snugly into. 

STEP 6

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 6 1
Hot glue the circles onto the ends of each of the tubes. When dry, gently push one dowel through each tube.

STEP 7

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 7
Hot glue the dowel to the either end of the cardboard tube so that both the dowel and the tube rotate together as one. 

STEP 8

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 8
Insert each end of both dowels into the holes opposite each other on the box. 

STEP 9

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 9
Wrap the background image printable around the tubes and stick the ends of the paper together with double-sided tape. The paper should be pulled as tight as possible. 

STEP 10

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 10
Straighten the paperclip. Stick the still image printable onto the paperclip using double-sided tape.

STEP 11

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 11
Poke the paperclip up through the bottom middle of the box. 

STEP 12

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 12
Bend the paperclip so that it stays in place where you want it. You may need to hot glue it in place. 

STEP 13

How to Make Conveyor Belt Cinema 13
Now you’re ready to watch your movie! Simply turn the dowels in one direction. To watch your movie “backwards,” turn them in the other direction! When you’ve got the hang of it, try making your own background and image! 
Ali Kaya

Author

Ali Kaya

This is Ali. Bespectacled and mustachioed father, math blogger, and soccer player. I also do consult for global math and science startups.

Similar DIY's