DIY Fork Phone Stand

Hello crafters! Welcome to my Instructables class!

After looking for inspiration on Pinterest and other projects people have done where they give a new use to certain items, I stumbled upon images of metal utensils that were being used as phone stands, cups, even as vases. This gave me the idea to create stands that provide to be useful at home.

The reason why I thought of a phone stand is that it could benefit people in several different ways. For example, when face timing people, you could prop it in the stand next to your bed, on the table, even at your desk. It could also be useful when watching a video or using it as an external tool when working. These stands, if done with the right proportions, could even be made to prop books, textbooks, the options really are endless. I could even make a stand for my glasses since I tend to lose them most of the time.

Don’t feel intimidated! These phone stands are ridiculously easy and simple to make. They require two. That’s right, TWO materials to make and take less than 10 minutes to be done.

1. A fork
2. Pliers

The rest is up to you.

Other materials are considered optional and are for decoration purposes. I will be providing three different examples of different ways you can customize your own phone stand. I was actually able to get it right the first time, so I don’t doubt you will too. In this instructable, I will be sharing my process, as well as include some tips I learned along the way to get the desired result. Enjoy!

The essential materials

• 1 Fork
• 1 set of pliers

The decorational materials (optional)

• 1 Spray/regular paint
• 1 Twine string
• 6-8 Pipe cleaners (mostly used for crafts)
• 1 Liquid Glue
• 1 pair of scissors

Using the pliers, try to bend the two outer tines toward the back of the fork, one by one, until you get as close as you can to a 90-degree angle. In order to achieve this, try to insert the pliers as close to the root of the fork as possible. This is going to require some strength.

TIP: This craft is not meant to be perfect, but try to get both tines to be as similar as possible and as close to that 90-degree angle. If you have slippery or sweaty palms, I suggest using gloves or anything that might help you get a grip.

Using the pliers, try to bend the two inner tines of the fork together on the opposite direction, (towards the front of the fork). This pair too should be bent as close to the root of the fork as possible and should achieve that 90-degree angle.

SAME TIP AS LAST TIME: This craft is not meant to be perfect, but try to get both tines to be as similar as possible and as close to that 90-degree angle. If you have slippery or sweaty palms, I suggest using gloves or anything that might help you get a grip.

Using the table (or whatever flat surface you are working on), set the fork upside down (vertically) and use the force from your hands to push the fork down to bend all 4 tines in their corresponding direction even more. By doing this, you will also be able to look at the fork and determine if any adjustments need to be made (if the tines need to be bent more or less). You can also compare and determine if you believe they fit the previous criteria (as parallel and close to the 90-degree angle as possible).

TIP: When doing the previous two steps, sometimes the outer tines of the fork started bending inward in the process, so make sure they are straight. This can be fixed with pliers or with your own hands as well. Don’t be afraid to use your hands, they are your most valuable and reliable tool!

Bend the neck of the fork away from the outer tines of the fork. In other words, toward the front of the fork. Try to bend the neck as close as you can to a 90-degree angle.

TIP: I preferred to use both of my hands, since bending this part of the fork is more challenging due to the fact it is thicker than the tines of the fork. If you have strong enough pliers or tools, be my guest and use them as an alternative.

Going back to the pliers, you are going to be using them to bend a slight curve to a little more than the tips of the outer tines of the fork. These curves are what will be holding your phone. They should be bent around a 75-degree angle.

TIP: If you are unsure as to how much you should be bending, use the video and photo as references. Think of the curves like those you see on the end of Santa’s sleigh.

The bending portion of this craft is done! If you are confused as to why the stand doesn’t stand on its own, don’t worry. The phone stand ironically relies on the weight of the phone to do its job. If all of the previous steps were done correctly, then the stand should be fully functioning. If for any reason there is something wrong, review the previous steps and make sure no mistakes were made. Also, feel free to make adjustments if needed in order to make the phone stand work.

Congratulations! The craft has officially been completed. This step is completely optional. You can either leave the phone stand as it is or can customize it any way you would like. Think of this as decorating a cookie or a cupcake. Some people like it bare and others like to add a little flare. This is where you can let your creativity flow. However, if you would like to customize your creation but don’t know how, I will be providing you with three different examples of things you could do.

For this example, you are going to be using pipe cleaners.

This is a removable option.

1. Choose the color(s) of your choice.
2. Start from the root of the fork and bend to create a small hook and start wrapping the fork with the pipe cleaner.
3. When you run out of the pipe cleaner, grab another one, create an X with the tips and twist them together to bind them.
4. Continue steps 2 and 3 until you reach the end of the handle.

PREFERENCE: Leave the tines alone to ensure they grip the phone or wrap the entire fork with the pipe cleaners.

WARNING: The tips of pipe cleaners are prickly, so make sure they are secured well and bend them so they don’t prick.

For this example, you are going to be using twine.

This is a removable option.

1. Choose the color(s) of your choice.
2. Start from the end of the handle.
   • Make a loop and create a tight knot
   • Use a hot glue gun or regular glue to stick the end of the twine to the fork
3. Wrap the twine until you reach the root of the fork.
4. Crisscross the twine between the two inner tines of the fork and make a knot. Cut the excess twine.

PREFERENCE: Leave the tines alone to ensure they grip the phone or wrap twine as well.

For this example, you are going to be using spray/regular paint.

This is NOT a removable option.

1. Choose the color(s) of your choice.
2. Self-explanatory.
   • Spray paint: paint the fork as you would any other object. Do this outside, follow the instructions on the can, and place it on a surface you don’t mind will stain (preferably on a tarp or trash bag). After it dries, move the fork to paint the sides that were missed, add as many coats as you would like.
   • Regular paint: This can be done inside or outside. Make sure the surface is covered. Paint the entire fork, leave it to dry. Add as many coats as you would like.

Congratulations! You have successfully repurposed a fork into a fully functioning phone stand with a gravity-defying design! I hope you have enjoyed this quick and easy project! See you soon for more!