Since we’re still in the travel high season, I thought I’d share another tip to make your trips more comfortable. This little Adirondack chair phone stand is quick to make and collapsible. You’ll be happy to know it will also fit right into your in-flight organizer (see that post here).
No more holding your phone for hours on a long flight. Just put this chair phone stand together at your seat, pop it on the tray table, and your hands are once again free (for knitting, of course!). All you need are a few simple supplies.
Here’s what you need
- Wooden, spring-type clothespins (4)
- 1/4″ wooden dowel (12″ long)
- Saw with small teeth (hack saw, coping saw, model-building saw)
- Sandpaper (fine grit)
- Wood glue
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Ruler
If you want to upcycle a bit for this project, you can always use chopsticks or old knitting needles, instead of a wooden dowel. Anything will work as long as the diameter is about 1/4″.
Once you have your supplies, making an Adirondack chair phone stand is really simple. Most of the time you’ll actually be waiting for the glue to dry.
Here’s how to make a chair phone stand
Step 1
First, apply a thin layer of glue to each side of two clothespins. Like this:
Let the glue sit for a moment so it penetrates the wood a bit and gets a little tacky.
Next, press the glue-sides of the two clothespins together:
Make sure they’re aligned, but don’t worry too much since you’ll make it perfect when you clamp. Wipe off any excess glue with a damp cloth. Then, wrap tape around the middle to clamp them together while the glue sets:
Wrap the tape tightly, but not so tightly that all of the glue squeezes out. This is also the time to make any tiny adjustments in alignment. Next, do the same with the other two clothespins. Let the glued and clamped clothespins sit for 24 hours. This will allow the glue to cure fully before the next step.
Step 2
The next day, or the next time you have a moment, remove the tape from both sets of clothespins. Then, glue and clamp these two sets together, just like you did in Step 1:
Of course you need to wait another 24 hours for the glue to set on this join.
It’s kind of funny that this five-minute project actually takes three days, right? The good news is: there’s only one more step. You can do this step at any time in the process.
Step 3
Here is where you cut the dowel into 3″ lengths to make the seat of your chair phone stand. Yes, that is all you need to do for Step 3:
While the chair will work with only two 3″ pieces of dowel, it looks better with four. Also, having extras is great in case you drop one and can’t reach it during the flight.
Last, sand any rough edges:
Now you’re ready to assemble your Adirondack chair phone stand.
Assembling your chair phone stand
Assembling your chair phone stand is easy. Simply squeeze each clothespin, one at a time, and fit a dowel in the round part at the bottom. Leave about 1″ of dowel at the back of the chair. Pressure from the clothespin springs will keep the dowels in place. Here’s what your chair will look like from the front:
and from the back:
It’s even possible to adjust the angle of repose for your phone! If you want the chair phone stand to be more upright, just twist and push the dowels a little further towards the back. Then the chair goes from this:
To this:
Transportation and storage
You are definitely going to want some sort of bag or case to keep everything together. Just ask anyone who has ever tried to knit on a plane. They’ll tell you that little wooden sticks have a habit of running off on their own.
If you don’t already have a small bag to use, then you can make one by following this Creatorvox post. A finished size of about 3 3/4″ wide by 4 1/2″ long is perfect. I made mine from this festive scrap fabric:
It kind of reminds me of the beach. That’s always good on a long flight. The drawstrings keep the bag closed tightly so nothing falls out. It’s also nice and flat, and easy to pack.
When I’m not traveling, I store my chair phone stand in my in-flight organizer. That way I never forget it, even on a short flight.
I hope you enjoy making this travel chair for your phone. Safe travels!
As always, feel free to ask questions or leave comments. Don’t forget to subscribe to Creatorvox to get new posts right in your email. You can also follow Creatorvox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more tips and tricks between posts. Thanks for reading, and happy making!