Do you like saving money and DIY projects? We’ll teach you how to make a homemade tripod for phones with easy-to-follow steps and tips.
We’ll show you exactly what you’ll need for this project and how to make the best use of your time.
We’ll go over a few different types of DIY tripods and a free bonus design for a drawing phone camera stand!
By the end of this guide, you’ll be confident and ready to take on one of these fun projects. You could involve your kids or friends and maybe even start a fun side business. It’s all up to you.
Let’s jump into the guide!
How to Make a Homemade Tripod for Phones in 10 Minutes
Here you’ll find different options that suit different technical skills and budgets. We’ll go over some super-easy DIY tripods and some slightly higher-level ones if you’re looking for something that lasts.
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to take these projects on. They’re cheap and simple to work through. It might be fun to get a partner to bounce ideas off of and make these designs your own.
Feel free to add your own effects and designs to ours. Who know… you might come up with something way more impressive than what we’re showing you here.
Let’s go!
How to Make a Tripod – Easy and Simple Method
Here’s a setup a DIY phone stand that’ll take you a few minutes to complete. It uses everyday household supplies and costs next to nothing.
While it’s not technically a tripod (in the sense that it doesn’t have 3 legs), it’s the easiest and fastest way to get your phone stable without needing to buy a tripod.
Here are the supplies you’ll need before getting started:
- Rigid plastic cap – these are the caps on bug spray and other aerosol cans
- Pair of strong scissors
- 500ml empty plastic bottle
- Knife for cutting out the head of the spray cap
- Elastic bands
Gather these supplies together and let’s move on to the next steps.
Step 1: Preparing the Spray Cap
Get the spray cap we mentioned in the supplies list. If you’re still struggling to find one, you can use the cap of an aerosol can – as long as it is larger than 7cm in diameter. Any smaller and you’ll struggle to hold the phone.
Place the cap so that the open side is facing up and it’s sitting on its head.
Use the scissors to make a vertical cut down the side of the cap. This cut should go from the rim toward the head. I find that cutting halfway down the length of the cap is best.
Make another cut around 1cm away from the first cut. Keep it the same length.
The goal here is to make a flap to support the phone.
Step 2: Making the Second Cut
Repeat the cut from Step 1 on the opposite side of the spray cap. Make sure you keep the lengths of the cuts the same, or your phone will sit at an angle.
If you’ve done this right, you should have two flaps on opposite sides of the cap.
Take one flap in each hand and push them outward, away from the cap. Try to bend them out as far as you can. The goal here is to permanently bend them so that they point out of the cap at an angle.
Step 3: Finalizing the Phone Holder
The cap with the two bent flaps is what’s going to hold your phone in place. The final step is the cut out a circle in the head of the cap.
Take a knife and cut a circular hole in the head of the cap. The hole should be the same size as the head of the 500ml water bottle you have.
Cut the cap from the outside in so that you don’t have any jagged pieces of plastic offsetting the balance of the cap.
Step 4: Connecting the Cap to the Water Bottle
Take the 500ml water bottle from the previous step and fill it with water. I prefer to stop between 50-70% of the way. This gives the bottle a better balance and makes it less likely to topple over.
Take the plastic cap without the cutout in it. Place it over the mouth of the water bottle (with the lid removed).
The cap should still be facing up (the open side facing up and away from the water bottle.
Step 5: Final Touches
Screw the lid of the water bottle back onto the mouth. This will secure the spray cap onto the water bottle.
Bend the two flaps one last time to make sure they’re sitting at around a 30-degree angle.
The next step is to slot your phone into the slot created by the two flaps. There should be enough of a lip to stop your phone from tilting forwards or backward.
Use the elastic bands to wrap around the flaps if the finish is too uneven.
Test the tripod stand out by putting your phone in the slot and shooting a video.
It should be far more stable than the handheld alternative. If it’s too shaky, you’ll need to adjust the water levels in the water bottle until you’re happy with it.
You should try to use a water bottle with a wider base if you want the best possible balance.
If you want a DIY tall tripod, you can use a taller water bottle.
Read Also: Best Magnetic Phone Charger in 2020 – Reviews & Comparison
DIY Phone Tripod for Drawing
We’ll be learning how to make a tripod with PVC pipe for recording your drawing and design work. You’ll need a few supplies before you get started, so here they are:
- At least 2m or PVC pipe
- 3 PVC elbow connectors
- 2 PVC T-shape connectors
- 2 PVC end pieces or stoppers
- Plastic or PVC saw
Admittedly, this design isn’t fully DIY. We’re going to be using the top part of an old phone tripod. This is the bit that the phone is put into. It’s made of plastic and has two rubber pads; one of the sides is extendable to fit different phone sizes.
Here are the steps you should follow to build this phone tripod for filming drawing videos.
Step 1: Cutting the PVC Pipe
Using the PVC cutter, cut the PVC pipe up into the below segments. Make sure you stick to the measurements or scale all of them up depending on the final size you’re looking for.
Here they are:
- 2 x 11” pieces of PVC pipe
- 2 x 10” pieces
- 1 x 13” piece
- 1 x 3” piece
If you have any PVC piping left over, you can cut a longer 18” or 25” piece. You can use this longer piece to adjust the height of the setup by quickly replacing the relevant piece.
Step 2: Putting the Pieces Together
This step is quick and easy. It won’t take you long to do.
First, place connect a 10” piece to an 11” piece using the PVC elbow connector. Do this again for the other 10” and 11” pieces.
Next, connect the two 10” pieces (the ones that you’ve just joined to the 11” pieces) to opposite sides of a T-shape connector.
Place the PVC caps or stoppers onto the ends of the 11” pieces we connected earlier.
Put the 13” pipe into the top hole of the T-shaped connector we’ve just used. Attach the final PVC elbow connector to the top of the 13” pipe. You can replace this 13” pipe with a longer or shorter pipe depending on the height you’re going for.
Step 3: Preparing the Phone Holder
You’ll need a screw and a marking pen for this step. In the remaining T-shaped piece, mark a hole in the center (when viewed through the body of the T-shaped connector.
This is where you’ll drill a hole to fit the screw. Drill from inside the hole. You want the threads of the screw to come out (making a sort of distorted “+” sign).
Step 4: Connecting the DIY Overhead Phone Mount
Take the extendable phone holder off the old tripod unit. It’s just a matter of unscrewing it.
Go ahead and screw the holder onto the threads coming out of the T-shaped connector. Make sure the phone will be facing down once it’s in the holder.
All that’s left now is to connect the T-piece that’s holding the phone connector to the 3” piece of PVC pipe. Now connect that 3” piece to the elbow at the top of the vertical pipe.
Now you’re ready to start drawing and recording. Remember that you can change the height of the camera by changing the vertical pipe out with a longer piece.
Final Thoughts
That’s it! Test out your DIY work and see if you need to make any changes. If you haven’t got started yet, you should have the knowledge and confidence to get started.
Take what you’ve learned here on how to make a homemade tripod for phones and drawing, and get started on your setup. It’s a fun and rewarding project – plus you get to save some money along the way!
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