Cheap, Quick & Easy Phone Holder to Tripod!

I seemed to be using my phone more and more as a camera and video camera......so it was time to create an holder to hold my phone and be able to attach it to my tripod......here are the results. The first picture is the holder attached to my mini tripod.

Materials & Tools

Felt (any colour)
Aluminium channel (wide enough for your phone to slide in)
Wood glue
Steel wool (to polish the aluminium)

Drill (with drill bits)
Scroll saw (or hack saw)
Metal ruler
Ballpoint pen
Posidrive (Philips head screwdriver)
Screw (one that matches the screw on your tripod)

First Mark Up Your Aluminium Channel and Cut!

Take your phone and place it inside the aluminium channel. Mark the length of your phone on the side and using a metal ruler mark off 45^olines from these points (see pictures for clarification). Cut along the diagonal lines with a hack or scroll saw (or dremel if you have one).

Fold Channel & Cut to Size

Now fold at the cuts. Trim off excess aluminium, round corners and smooth any rough edges. You will find even though I have cut the aluminium short it holds the phone very firmly!

Drill Hole and Insert Screw

Mark the centre of your phone frame and drill a pilot hole. Then match a drill to your tripod screw and drill. Lastly take the screw and place on the edge of the hole and using a little force drive the screw into the hole with your posidrive (philips head screwdriver). This is fairly easy as aluminium is quite soft!

Lining the Channel So As Not to Scratch Your Phone!

I took a piece of scrap felt and cut to size. Using copius amounts of wood glue on the felt, glued it into the channel. I used the phone to push the felt into the channel and then used the steel ruler to push the felt all the way into the corners. Trim the felt with a sharp knife (after the glue has dried). The glue will hold the felt firmly to the metal, I have done this many times on other projects.

Polish the Aluminium

Holder with felt finished steel wool.jpg

I used steel wool to polish the aluminium. Then screwed the holder onto my tripod, voila! No more shaky video or photos! Enjoy! I have made a few of these, they are very easy to make.....and quick. Here is another one (slightly different design) on my home made steady cam!