A DIY Notebook Stand

Aluminum Notebook Stand

• 1

  Bend the strips of aluminum into "L" shapes. The exact length of the aluminum depends on the length of your laptop's keyboard section. The length of the keyboard plus another 6 inches will be enough to build this stand. Aluminum is pliable enough that you can bend it by hand. Use a door frame or an outward facing corner and bend the aluminum around it to create an exact 90-degree angle (place the bend 6 inches from the end of each strip). Curl up the ends on the longer arms the same way. This short segment needs to be only about an inch high as its purpose is to prevent the laptop from sliding off the stand.

• 2

  Drill a hole 1 inch from the top of short arm on each aluminum strip. The shorter arms will be the back of the notebook stand, so the pivot for opening and closing it needs to be placed there.

• 3

  Cover the ends of the aluminum with electrical tape. Build up the tape on both sides of the holes a bit to create a buffer that will prevent the arms from spreading too far apart.

• 4

  Screw the arms together. Loosen the nut when you want to collapse the notebook holder, and screw it in tightly when it's in the open position. When open, the angle at the pivot should form a 90-degree angle so that the stand is able to stand upright on its own. Your laptop should be able to fit into the holder at an angle, held up at the back by resting on the joined arms.

Eco-Friendly Notebook Stand

• 5

  Draw two wedge shapes onto a flattened-out heavy-duty cardboard box. The wedge should be the same length as your notebook with a lip at the bottom to hold your laptop in place. The angle of the top edge of the wedge should be the angle you want your laptop supported at. Make sure that the area you're drawing on isn't bent or deformed in any way since this will weaken the stand.

• 6

  Draw a rectangular strip the same width as your laptop plus an extra 2 inches (the strip needs to extend beyond the edges of the laptop). The strip should be 2 inches wide.

• 7

  Cut out all three shapes with a box cutter. Mark 1 inch from each end of the rectangular strip, and cut a 1-inch groove inwards that's the same thickness as the cardboard (the different pieces of the stand will lock together at these points). Cut a similar groove on the bottom of each wedge piece 2 inches from the back.

• 8

  Assemble the pieces together. The rectangular strip acts as a support for the wedges so that they're able to stand upright. If the bottom of the wedge doesn't rest completely on the table, cut the grooves a little deeper. Glue the pieces together for added support.