Do you want to watch or video chat on your phone without having to use your hands? Then one method involves securing it using a convenient phone stand. As such, you should learn what makes a good phone stand and how to make a phone stand yourself.
One way to make a phone stand is to use two pieces of cardboard and cut and fold them into a triangle shape with a ledge. You can also do the same with regular paper and wood. However, the best way to get a durable phone stand is to purchase a reputable one, for example, the ShelfyStand Triangle.
Although we now know how to make a phone stand to some extent, there are a lot of instructions that you must follow with each method. To help you make a phone stand that you'll love, let's look into different types of stands and alternative ways you could make or get one.
Picture from Klára Vernarcová in Unsplash
How to Make a Phone Stand (In Detail)
When you make homemade phone stands, you need to consider three main factors: the price of the materials, the sturdiness of the frame, and what kind of tools you need to use to make a phone stand. In this section, we'll look through one expensive and two cheap methods. One affordable method is to make a cardboard stand.
Cardboard Phone Stand
The first stand we'll look at is a cardboard phone stand, which is easy to make, and you only need four items: a piece of cardboard the size of half of an A4 paper, a ruler, a pen or pencil, and cardboard scissors with long blades. The materials should cost you no more than $30, with a good pair of cardboard scissors costing around $25.
Picture from Karolina Grabowska
One thing to consider before making one is that while cardboard stands are durable, the material can end up wilting over time. Additionally, if you spill water on a cardboard stand, it can render it completely unusable, meaning you'll have to purchase new materials to make a phone stand again using cardboard.
To make a cell phone stand using cardboard, gather your materials and place them on a flat surface. If you want your stand to look a certain way or feature specific designs, this is the time to get a pen or crayons and make any changes you want.
Take a pen or pencil and measure out a piece of cardboard that's around 19 x 8 cm. Use a pair of scissors to cut the right size of cardboard. If you have a larger phone, you can cut out a larger shape.
To custom the stand to fit your needs, use a ruler to measure your phone and add at least 1.5 cm to the size of the cardboard piece.
Next, you should have a piece of cardboard with two sides longer than the others. Make a line in the middle of the cardboard between the two edges that are closer together. Next, use a ruler to measure 2 cm from each edge and create two lines (parallel to the line in the middle of the board).
You'll need a robust pair of cardboard scissors for this step since you'll start cutting from the middle of the two lines. Cut two thin and long lines where the marks on the edges should be while leaving around 1 cm on each side.
Measure another piece of cardboard that can fit in the slit, around 6 cm long. Fold the long cardboard in the middle and stand it, so both sides are on a surface. Place the new board through one slit on one edge of the cardboard, then place it through the other. The action should create a triangle shape.
Now, you can stand your phone on the edge of the smaller cardboard you pushed through the slit. If you want to learn how to make a phone stand more stable, fold the edge of that cardboard so that it touches the bottom, meaning you have an additional support layer.
Wooden Phone Stand
To make a phone stand using wood, you will need several different items: two pieces of wood around 1 cm thick each, a hand saw, a clamp, a vise, a tape measure, a ruler, and a coping saw.
Using wood is by far the most complex and costly process on this list, with all the materials costing around $100+ depending on the quality of the tools you have and whether you need to purchase any new ones.
The first step in how to make a phone stand using wood involves retrieving one long piece of wood that's about 12 x 5 cm. From one edge, measure out 6 cm precisely and create a line through the middle of that section, so you have two pieces of wood, each being 6 cm in length.
Next, take your tape measure and mark 3 cm from one edge on one piece of wood. You will now need to measure another 1 cm horizontally and then another 3cm parallel to the original 3 cm line, so you have a small rectangle with one side on the edge of the wood. Repeat the process with the other piece of wood.
Place the wood into a clamp and cut all the different sections with a hand saw. Start with separating the piece of wood in two and then cut the four 3 cm lines on both wooden boards.
You should now have two pieces of wood with four lines cut into one edge of each wood.
Picture from cottonbro
Next, take the coping saw and cut out a small rectangle. Two sides of the rectangle should be the two lines you cut. Repeat the process of cutting with the other piece of wood.
Lastly, sand down all places you cut so they do not cause any splinters. Since you have two pieces of wood with the same type of cut, you can connect the two to form the shape of a painting stand.
One piece of wood should be pointing upwards at an 80° angle, whereas the other should be at a 30° angle, providing a ledge where you can place the bottom of your phone. Now you know how to make a phone stand using wood.
Paper Origami Phone Stand
The paper origami phone stand only requires a few common materials: paper, tape, a ruler, a pencil, and something to hold the shape together, such as a glue stick or tape. Many people tend to customize their paper origami phone stands using felt tips, colored paper, and more to help better match the decoration in their room.
Picture from Faris Mohammed in Unsplash
To make a phone stand using paper origami, start with laying out an A4 piece of paper on a flat surface and make sure that you place it in a landscape form.
Next, take the two bottom corners of the paper (the corner facing your torso) and fold them so that the action creates a line in the middle of the paper. Open the paper again so that it is flat on the surface.
The second step involves retaking the corner pieces and folding them, so they reach the middle, creating two sections in the bottom half of the paper. Do the same with the top two corners, so there are four even sections on the paper.
The third step involves retaking the bottom folds and folding them into the middle. Do the same with the top section. After you have a piece of paper with eight sections holding its shape, you can fold the paper from one end to the other. Make sure that you are folding horizontally.
Next, take a ruler and pen and measure around 2cm from the middle fold; it should now be in the shape of a half ruler. Fold that section so that it creates another crease. Unfold it and then fold it again from the bottom so that there are two creases in that section. At this point, your paper should be in a sort-of sharp J shape.
Open up the paper again so it is in a full ruler shape, and fold one end to the outer crease in the middle. Repeat the process with the other end. Take a glue stick and put glue on the middle crease so you can stick the bottom together.
Lastly, make a triangle shape with the two ends by taking one end and inserting it into the fold on the other end. Now you know how to make a stand for your phone using paper.
Best Alternative
Don't want to make a phone stand yourself? That's fair, it can be pretty annoying, and it'll take time to secure all the suitable materials depending on your chosen method. So, your next best alternative is to buy a high-quality phone stand yourself. However, there are different phone stands with different levels of quality, good or bad.
In this section, let's look into one of the best phone stands available on the market. After thorough research and testing, we've concluded that the most efficient and the best-looking phone stand you can purchase is the ShelfyStand Triangle from Gadget Crate.
ShelfyStand Triangle Features
The product has been weighted for the highest stability level and is even great for placing on top of metal surfaces since it has a strong magnet to attach to metal. It is even equipped with silicone feet to better grip onto flat surfaces, on top of being small enough for you to be able to transport it in your bag conveniently.
The silicone feet of the ShelfyStand Triangle is also convenient if you want to place your phone on a more slippery surface. It grips onto the surface well, and your phone will still be stable even if the surface itself is a little shaky.
It has several viewing angles where you can see different views of your phone at 20°, 30°, and 50°. As such, it is much more convenient to place yourself in a comfortable position to watch, make a video call, follow instructions as you cook, and more.
Durability
In terms of durability, the ShelfyStand Triangle is robust enough to last long periods. In addition, it's also strong enough for you to carry around in a handbag every day. Due to the light yet strong material, the stand can also bear the weight of heavy electronics like tablets without showing any strain.
Many of the methods above that describe how to make a phone stand yourself use materials that are not durable, such as paper and cardboard. The homemade stands can quickly fall apart through a small amount of water splash. Even the homemade wooden frame can receive water damage and thus become ineffective.
As a result, the ShelfyStand Triangle makes for the best type of stand in terms of durability. Unlike the other homemade frames, it doesn't bend excessively, so you can take it with you on trips without worrying that you'll damage its structure.
Visual Aspects
Regarding the visual advantages of the ShelfyStand Triangle, it comes in a beautiful white color that can match any modern layout. It's also incredibly lightweight and boasts a sleek design, enabling you to enjoy using your phone hands-free without any distractions.
Rather than learning how to make a phone stand yourself, where results can vary based on your artistic capability or the make of the material you use, purchasing the ShelfyStand Triangle would result in a much more attractive stand.
Customer Reviews
Due to its popularity, the ShelfyStand Triangle has seen multiple reviews from different customers. The common consensus regarding the product is that it is highly convenient and works as a desk phone to keep your phone in place and give it a designated area whenever you're ready to put it down.
Many speak for the fact that it also works well as a tablet stand and a phone stand, thus vastly improving its usability far more than any homemade phone stand. Multiple people have also said that the ShelfyStand Triangle is excellent for children to use, enabling them to watch without the hassle of using their hands.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many different methods to help you learn how to make a phone stand at home. However, the most secure and convenient way to get a phone stand would be to get a pre-made one from a reputable brand. The ShelfyStand Triangle is one alternative that would adequately protect your phone.
