Easy Phone Holder

The goal of this project is to reuse a pallet and turn it into some kind of useful tool. I decided to make a phone stand as a gift. The following is how it turned out and how you could do the same yourself!

Supplies:

• 1 pallet board
• Stain

Tools:

• Pin Nailer (Pin Nails)
• Sandpaper
• Miter Saw
• Jigsaw/Tablesaw
• Stain Brush
• Tape Measure
• Marking Instrument (Pencil/Marker)

Pallet Disassembly Tools:

• Hackzall/Sawzall (Blades)
• Hammer
• Nail Punch

Check out my instructable on pallets: A Beginners Guide to Pallets

For more great ideas on how to use pallets, check out these instructables:

• Elegant Pallet Shoebench
• Diy Workbench From Scraps and Pallets
• Elegant Pallet Box
• Easy Pallet Phone Holder
• Easy Storage Carpet Ball Table (coming soon!)

The most important thing to do before beginning any project is to collect materials. For this project, only one slat is necessary.

Don't forget to punch out the nails from your slat. It really saves time later in the process.

The amount of prep needed before you really begin your project varies greatly depending on what kind of shape the slat is in. I suggest doing a thorough sanding with 40 grit and 60 grit. If necessary, 80 grit also does a pretty good job.

Keep in mind that some pallets are colored blue. This can usually be fixed by giving a thorough sanding.

After sanding, I cut the slat to the following dimensions:

• 5 1/4 inches long
• 3 inches wide

I think that this is just about the right size for this project. Repeat this step so that you have two pieces that are the same size. It is very important that both of your pieces are exactly the same size as each other. They must be perfectly symmetrical.

Don't forget that the design can and should vary depending on the size of the phone.

The measurements for this particular phone (including the case) is 7/16 of an inch.

• Set your miter saw to cut at 22.5 degrees. Pic #1
• Mark one of your pieces of wood 1 1/4 inches up from the short edge. Pic #2
• Using the miter saw, cut the piece of wood. Pic #3-5
• Make one more cut on the side with more wood to make a gap 7/16 of an inch wide (remember that the measurement will vary depending on the size of your phone and case). Also, don't forget that the edges of the top two pieces should still line up perfectly with the bottom piece. Pic #6-8

Now is the time to align all three pieces together. The first pieces to fasten are the bottom piece and the longest top piece.

• Begin by thoroughly covering the bottom of the top piece with wood glue. When the top piece and bottom piece are pressed together, the glue should leak out.
• After applying the glue, place a clamp on the center of the top piece.
• Next, put four pin nails into the top piece (one in each corner).

Repeat this process for the shorter top piece.

After you have cut both of your pieces, sand the wood with 80 grit sandpaper. Progress through the grits until you come to 220.

Personally, I used 40 grit and 80 grit for my rough sanding, then 120 and 220 grit to finish off.

I chose this particular stain color because I already had it. Also, I did not put any protective coating or polycrylic on top of the stain.