Welcome to 80’s week! In case you missed it, we’re spending a whole week crafting to the ’80’s with some friends (you can check out the entire post list of 80’s crafts here) and having the time of our lives. 😉 I thought the best way to start off this throwback theme week was to send everyone back a few decades with some time-travel-y, technicolor vision. Wicked bonus? It’s a great way to upcycle a used cereal box!
To make your own 80s-style shutter shades you’ll need:
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- A cereal box, or piece of thin cardboard
- Scissors or an X-Acto knife
- Acrylic or other water-based paint & a brush
- Glue or tape
- Our 80’s Shades Template with 3 different design options
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Colored Transparency Sheets
- Washi or Duct Tape (You can use this instead of paint)
- Cut shapes or other embellishments
- Glitter (Totally radical – but use at your own risk 😉 )
This is an awesome way to have fun with some to-be-recycled bits & pieces you may have around the house, so fire up your imagination and channel your innermost eighties shade-wearing self!
Cardboard 80’s Style Shutter Shade Sunglasses Instructions:
- Print our 80’s Shades template and cut out
Print out our shades template on a cereal box (if your printer can handle it!) or pieces of scrap 8.5 x 11 paper (be sure to choose “borderless printing” in your print options) and cut it out. There are 3 different options for designs, so pick your poison and cut along the lines with scissors or an X-Acto knife.
- Trace the template pieces on to a cereal box and cut out
Lay the template onto your cereal box pieces & trace around it. I actually found out (and this was REALLY exciting) that I could put the cereal box side RIGHT through my printer – if you’re able to do that as well, you can skip the entire stencil-making step and simply cut the side of a cereal box down to fit through your printer.
- Cut out all pieces
Cut out your glasses with scissors and an X-Acto knife.
- Prime pieces with gesso or white paint
This is an optional step – I wanted our colors to look EXTRA bold, so I painted all of our pieces with a thin layer of gesso (white acrylic paint would work too) first. It takes about 15 minutes to dry, and I thought it was worth the step.
- Paint with assorted colors
These need some radical colors – maybe even patterns! You can paint your glasses one color, choose a couple, paint the sides a different color, or create a pattern! We used paint, but you can also cover your pieces with duct/washi tape or patterned paper. Neons, pastels, animal prints, metallics
and geometric shapes were ALL super hot in the eighties.
- Add transparent “lenses”
This is the perfect time to add a super cool colored “lens” to your glasses. Cut out a strip of transparency, trim to fit your glasses and glue to the back – now you’re ready to see in technicolor!
- Assemble glasses with glue
Make sure your glasses are going to be the right size to fit on your head! If they’re too long you can trim a bit off the square sides – if they’re too short, you can cut a couple of rectangle “extension” pieces out of your cereal box and glue them on! Glue or tape the sides of your glasses to the main eyepiece once you’re sure they’ll be a perfect fit.
- Add finishing details
The
1980’s were ALLLLL about excess, so if you want to add glitter, scribble it up, or glue some extra shapes onto your shades, go for it, Ace! Geometric shapes were really popular, but if there was ever a decade that would encourage you to go all out and TOTALLY make it your own, it was the eighties!
Once you’ve finished, turn on your favorite 80’s playlist, slip on your shades, give yourself the once-over in and 2 thumbs up and invite your friends over for a dance party (okay, that’s what I did – you don’t have to, but it’s kind of just what happens once you put the glasses on…) 😉
TOTALLY TUBULAR 80’s TIP: Wanna go all-in on the eighties theme? You can make any your own 3-D glasses by gluing (1) red & (1) blue transparency piece to the left and right eyehole of your glasses!
For another summery recycled cardboard project, turn recycled supplies into your own DIY mini food trucks! Or use bubble wrap to make a colorful cereal box chameleon stick puppet.
