DIY Tabletop Easel and Wall Decor From Cardboard

When making a paper quilling project, I often feel uncomfortable and back pain that may be caused by my flat table. I think I should get an easel to get my posture right, but the easel on market are quite pricey for me. So I decided to make my own easel from cardboard, it's easy to make, low cost, and multifunction (I used it as a wall decoration as well to save some space).

1. cardboard
2. cutter
3. scissors
4. hot glue/super glue
5. vinyl sticker (for decoration)
6. 2 (two) sticks (wooden stick or cut from a plastic hanger)

I make the mainboard in the size of 32 x 27 x 5.5 cm and because my cardboard is quite thin, I double the board. Then use tape to connect the edges. Make 4 holes for the easel's legs on the edge as you can see in the picture.

I cut the cardboard in the size of 30x2.5 cm for the upper leg, and make it double. I covered the leg with brown shipping tape to make them neater and don't forget to make some holes on the legs.

Prepare a wooden stick or stick from the hanger, insert it to the hole in the mainboard and insert the upper leg as you can see in the picture. Glue the stick on the outer part of the mainboard to make it stay in place (use hot glue and super glue). Give some space between the side of the mainboard and the upper leg (space is for the lower legs). Cut some short strips of cardboard and glue them to the stick to make the upper leg stay in place.

Insert another stick to the lower hole of the legs (no need to glue or secure this stick).

I cut the cardboard in the size of 27x2.5 cm for the lower leg, and make it double. I also covered them with brown shipping tape.

Cut two short sticks from wooden/plastic hanger, insert them into the lower hole of the mainboard. Glue the stick on the outer part of the mainboard to make it stay in place (use hot glue and super glue). Attach the lower leg to the stick and secure them by gluing a little piece of cardboard to the tip of the short stick.

now the easel is almost ready. When you want to use it, insert the stick of the upper leg into the free hole of the lower legs.

As I mention before, I want to make this easel as a wall decoration as well, so I need to make it looks pretty. So I decided to print a design on a vinyl sticker and apply it on a duplex board (the surface of the cardboard that I used is quite wrinkly and might affect the appearance of the vinyl sticker)

Cut some rectangles from the cardboard and stack them together to make the barrier of the easel (red mark on the 4th picture). Glue it on the mainboard, and then glue the decorative duplex board above it. I used a super glue to make sure they are strongly attached to the mainboard.

Now you have your own tabletop easel that you can turn into a wall decoration! Honestly it's such a space saver, I don't need to make space to store the easel, I just need to hang it on my wall. Super easy!

If you also make this project, let me know! :D