DIY Bounce Card for $3

I got bored and decided to make my own bounce card. I find the better bounce card by Peter Greg to be too expensive for just a piece of foam and an elastic band. Even the flip-it bounce card is $24.95 plus shipping is too much IMO. So I decided to go shopping around locally to see what I could find, and this is what I came up with.

Here's a list of things you'll need.

1. White foam paper. You can make around 6 of them with 1 sheet (picked mine up at a local Michael's hobby shop for $2).
   
2. Velcro straps (found a pack of 6 for $1 at a local Dollarama dollar store).
   
3. Scissors (should have some lying around the house).
   
4. Pen or pencil (how could you live without one?)
   
5. Ruler (unless you want to estimate and can draw perfectly straight lines free hand)
   
6. Black duct tape (not necessary, but nice to have.)

1. Take your foam paper and create a card the same size as the one directed by Peter Gregg in his video. I believe it was something like 6.5" x 3". I was too lazy to watch the video, so I just made estimate guesses for mine.
   
   Here's the outline:
   http://img505.imagesha​ck.us/img505/6323/mg72​98cm6.jpg
   
   It should look something like this when you finish cutting it out:
   http://img505.imagesha​ck.us/img505/92/mg7299​av8.jpg
   
2. Mark 0.5" (I did mine a bit too big) into the bottom of the card on both the left side and the right side. Then draw a line connecting the top left corner to the mark you just made. Repeat for the right side.
   
   It's should look something like this:
   http://img267.imagesha​ck.us/img267/7992/mg73​00tw4.jpg
   
3. Cut off at the lines you just made. Your card should now look like a trapezoid.
   
4. Mark with a pen some holes on the bottom left and right side of your card about the same width as the velcro straps you bought. Then cut it out using scissors or an exacto knife.
   
   It should look something like this (don't mind the sloppyness):
   http://img341.imagesha​ck.us/img341/4338/mg73​03hw4.jpg
   
5. Feed the velcro into the holes you just created.
   
   It should look like this when you're done:
   http://img266.imagesha​ck.us/img266/6466/mg73​04tg6.jpg
   
6. Before continuing to this step. Try fitting it onto your flash and adjust the velcro as needed. Turn the bounce card around to the other side. Put some black duct tape (I used blue because it was all I could find at home) on it and cut it to the size of the bounce card. This step isn't necessary but the tape helps stop the velcro from moving which may cut the bounce card over time. It also makes it look more professional IMO.
   
   When you're done the back should look something like this, except black:
   http://img266.imagesha​ck.us/img266/4295/mg73​06ji1.jpg
   
7. Strap it onto your flash and viola. A great bonce card for under $5.
   
   http://img520.imagesha​ck.us/img520/7046/mg73​07yf7.jpg

nice idea and write-up, thanks!

I still love my joe demb flipit. When you want to use direct flash its takes a matter of once second to flip it backwards out of the way.

That same exact foam material from a craft store is what I use to make a snoot. Sticky velcro from the dollar store and your set.

Always neat to see creative bounce cards though.

rc13k wrote in post #6573758

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Strap it onto your flash and viola. A great bonce card for under $5.
   
   http://img520.imagesha​ck.us/img520/7046/mg73​07yf7.jpg

With the flash turned that way with your better bounce card, are you losing a lot of light when bounced? I see an advantage by using with the flash turned that way and it's much easier to shoot a portrait.

Well you only really need it to reflect some light forward so you won't have too many shadows on the subject. You could turn it the other way I guess. Regardless, you shouldn't have the subject too far away where even the bounced light won't reach them.

rc13k wrote in post #6574322
Well you only really need it to reflect some light forward so you won't have too many shadows on the subject. You could turn it the other way I guess. Regardless, you shouldn't have the subject too far away where even the bounced light won't reach them.

I'd rather keep it the way you have it so I won't have to "twist" the card if I want to shoot in portrait orientation, ya know? So I was wondering if the way you have it strapped to your flash while shooting a horizontal/landscape shot, is there a difference in flash power since it's not as wide as it would be if you had it strapped the other way.

Not sure if I'm making any sense. Oh well.

I actually don't notice a difference. Not sure if anyone else does.

rc13k wrote in post #6574358
I actually don't notice a difference. Not sure if anyone else does.

SWEET!