It took me 3 years before I started to sell tubes, and for those who have been with me since the beginning, you know how important it is for me to promote DIY solutions. My tubes are very expensive to ship in some part of the world and creating your own can be a good economical alternative, but there’s more than this. I highly recommend you to try to make your own so you can play with different visuals and maybe come up with your own style with the tubes as a starting base. 

1- DIY products on lightpainting.store

2- Where to get DIY tubes elsewhere

At your hardware store, look for “tube guards” or “tube protectors”. Please note that the links below are for “alternative” ways of making / using tubes. This is not what I’m using, but it can be a good way to start. The get the tubes that I’m using (the ones that are used to create these images), please visit lightpainting.store.

• USA / Canada:

  • TAP Plastic,

  • Amazon,

  • Home Depot http://bit.ly/1UJt7AY

• France: 

  • www.lumhouse.fr/la-boutique/accessoires/filtre-gaine-de-couleur-pour-neon/gaine-couleur-pour-tube-neon-t8

  • www.musicstore.com/fr_FR/EUR/Eurolite-Tube-couleur-149-cm-bleu-pour-tube-n-on-T-8/art-LIG0007173-000

  • www.plexiglas-shop.com/fr/Produits/RO0A070GT-10-00-7-00-2000-01-X.html

• UK: 

  • www.covershield.co.uk/lampcovers.html

  • clearplastictube.co.uk

  • http://transformationtubes.co.uk

  • https://www.bltdirect.com/fluorescent-tube-sleeves

  • cleartecpackaging.co.uk

• Germany: 

  • www.steinigke.de/de/mpn51104522-eurolite-farbrohr-fuer-t12-neonroehre1195cm-gelb.html

  • www.leuchtmittel-verkauf.de/en/Fluorescent-lamps/Accessories-3887_4761.html

• Brazil: 

  • www.jdp.com.br/html/protetores_de_lampada.html

  • jdp.com.br

• Italy: https://bit.ly/2HFTWL7 (half tubes)

• Nederlands: http://buzz-shop.nl

• India (kind of...): http://bit.ly/2nQVUxK ... see also http://bit.ly/2u1Cl93 and http://bit.ly/2K9lw0r

• South Africa: http://bit.ly/2zvvQvq

3- Video tutorials

Add texture to your tubes

DIY Holographic feathers to put on top of the tube (check out also part 1 here: https://youtu.be/CF5RfzFL_Yw)

Ok last one :) In this video, we’re building a tube out of barely nothing! Our plane tickets were 4 pages and that’s all we needed. This is absolutely not a recommended option, but it can give you some ideas.