Gel electrophoresis is one of the most important tools used in molecular biology and has facilitated the entire field of genetic engineering by enabling the separation of nucleic acids and proteins. However, commercial electrophoresis kits can cost up to $800 for each setup, which is cost prohibitive for most classroom budgets. This article describes a cost-friendly approach in which students build their own electrophoresis chamber out of simple, inexpensive materials and use this apparatus to separate molecules of colored dyes. (Contains 3 figures.)