DIY diffusion for Low Budget Productions

You don’t need a bunch of expensive equipment to diffuse light. In fact, you may not need any “equipment” at all. Household products can be used to produce DIY diffusers that effectively diffuse light without diffusing your budget. Check out the tips below to create DIY diffusion for low budget productions.

You likely already have several diffused light sources around the house. Additionally, you most certainly have various products such as wax paper, shower curtains or blinds that could be used to diffuse light.

We’re showing you how to use household products and low-budget items that you can generally find laying around, to your advantage. Light diffusion doesn’t have to be complicated, have fun with it and give these techniques a try.

Wax Paper Light Diffuser

The first budget-friendly DIY diffusion option is to gather up some wax paper and clamp it to your light. The wax paper can withstand extreme temperatures so it won’t burn your set down but it will diffuse the light! This won’t work for large sets but it can provide some essential light diffusion in a smaller area.

China Lanterns

Maybe you have these around the house, or maybe not. If you don’t have them around from a previous party or event, they really aren’t expensive to purchase.

China lanterns a very similar to a lampshade but they are made from paper or cloth and can be purchased in a wide range of sizes as well as various shapes. The globes can diffuse light in various ways making for a romantic backdrop.

A Frosted Shower Curtain

For a few dollars at most, you can purchase a frosted shower curtain that can be used to diffuse large areas of light. You likely have a shower curtain at home that you could use. These provide versatile light diffusion for larger-scale sets even with very low budgets.

Umbrellas

Diffusing light with an umbrella allows for a versatile effective. These can also be used to reflect light. Umbrellas in silver, gold or white work best for light diffusion and for light reflection on low budget productions. Can’t find a silver umbrella? Wrap it in aluminum foil to make it reflect.

Blind Panels

Blinds are sold for very low cost and can be used to diffuse light in various ways. Use your imagination and let the blinds produce diffused light. If you don’t have foldable blinds at home, purchase them direct from IKEA or consider purchasing something similar online.

T-Shirts

You can diffuse light with the clothes or bedding you have around the house. An old t-shirt provides diffusion that can withstand pretty extensive heat while a sheet provides a larger diffusion option for areas that are not easily diffused with clothing.

Garbage Bags

Make sure you keep the bag a safe distance away from the light source so as to prevent fire hazard. However, garbage bags provide a simple DIY diffuser that can be used to reduce light in large areas with virtually no added cost.

DIY Softbox Diffuser

You can build a softbox out of various materials that you likely have around the house. A lampshade and a t-shirt can be used to produce a softbox.

Simply cover the shade with a t-shirt to diffuse the light. Another option, use a cheap cooler to create a lightweight box that can withstand heat. Cover the front with a shirt or piece of cloth to diffuse the light.

DIY Diffusion for LED Lights

You have a strong advantage if you’re working with LED lights. You won’t have to worry about heat so you can use just about anything to diffuse the light. Consider using a shirt, piece of paper, lightweight plastic or any other material to diffuse the light.

Try out these techniques for DIY diffusion for low-budget productions and let us know what works best for you.