How to Build a Temporary Moveable Divider

Measure the height between your floor and ceiling. This is the maximum height that your moveable dividers can be. However, they can certainly be shorter, depending on your personal taste and other factors, such as the vertical space available in the spot where you plan to store the dividers when not in use, for example, a closet or basement.

Choose the material you want to use for your divider. Some possible materials are plywood; plywood and canvas or another cloth; plastic sheets; and Plexiglas. Consider the intended use for your divider and how much you have to spend on materials. For instance, if you plan to use them to hold various meetings in the same space simultaneously, you’ll want them to be of solid construction so as to block noise. On the other hand, if the divider’s intended goal is simply to keep some things out of view, fabric panels stretched over a rectangular frame would do just fine.

Design your divider for your needs. Draw it on paper, specifying exact measurements. You might choose to do one large panel or you might choose to do several tall, narrow panels that connect with hinges. The latter may be useful if your divider needs to be folded for storing, or if it will need to divide a rounded area.

Cut out the building materials of choice to your specifications from the previous step. Add hinges between panels if using tall, narrow panels connected to one another. Finish the material by sanding and/or painting if applicable.

Create rods about a foot in length from the same material used for the divider. If you chose to use a combination of materials, for example, wood and cloth, cut these rods out of the more rigid building material, for example, wood. Attach two of these to the bottom, right and left edges of your divider in a perpendicular arrangement. Depending on how wide your divider is, you may want to add some more for support along the bottom edge, a couple of feet apart.

Screw in roller wheels at each end of your rods. That way, when you turn your divider right-side up, it will be stable, with wheels running along both sides of the bottom edge.