Mobile Phone Stand

Suggested age for this project: 9-15 years old

Overview

Have you ever watched somebody, like me, struggle with trying to munch on a snack and use their mobile phone at the same time? Or perhaps you know somebody who needs to keep an eye on their phone while they do something else, such as a drawing project that requires a video or instructions. Do you want to make a fun and functional gift for your parent, grandparent our perhaps yourself? How about a mobile phone holder made with some BAM! Tape™ masking tape and a paper cup or box? This is a great low budget project for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or even for a school craft fair. For this project, I used a short paper cup left over from a party. It is stable enough to hold the phone up and it is made with a heavy paper so it won’t fall apart. This is an opportunity to look in the recycling and see if there is anything you can repurpose into a phone holder. Think like an Engineer, and experiment with some designs!

Materials

You will need a sturdy flat surface, such as a desk, to work on.
Heavy paper cup or small box. Be sure that it has a large enough flat surface to ﬁt a hole for the phone, and has the stability to hold the phone up without tipping over.
Colorful Masking Tape (BAM! Tape™ has great colors)
Craft knife, such as Exacto, or pointy scissors
Marker or pencil
Mobile phone (You will need to trace it for the pattern. If you can’t use the phone, then measure the length and width of the bottom end.)

Let's Make It!

Step 1: Mark the hole

Place the cup, bottom side up, on a sturdy flat surface. Hold the phone with the bottom edge on the bottom surface of the cup. Trace around the bottom with a marker or pencil.

Step 2: Cut the hole

Using your craft knife, carefully cut along the lines of your tracing, going all the way. Use your phone to check the size of the hole and adjust as needed.

Step 3: Tape the top of the phone stand

Using your colored masking tape, tape the top of the phone stand in whatever colors and patterns you like. Try to keep the tape flat and neat. You can layer the tape to create stripes or other patterns.

Step 4: Cut the hole…again!

Once you have the top tape, ﬁnd the hole under the tape; look from under the cup if you have trouble.

Use your craft knife to cut a line lengthwise down the middle of the hole.

Now cut along each side of the hole.

Tuck the tape edges under the edge toward the inside of the cup and press ﬁrmly to stick it.

Step 5: Make a Phone Support

Here is where you can really test your engineering skills. Put your phone in the hole and determine if it needs a little support in the back to keep it upright in the holder. If your phone leans back too far, the cup will tip. Take about 18 inches of tape and roll it up, or you can just wad it up. Tape the roll right next to the hole, securing it by tucking one end of the tape through the hole and sticking it to the inside of the bottom of the cup. Now put the phone in the hole, it should sit up fairly straight with just enough of an angle so that it is easy to read.

Step 6: Finish taping the phone stand

Use your making tape to wrap the cup and decorate it.

Keep your tape as smooth as possible so that you end up with neat look.

Be creative and coordinate colors, create stripes or even shapes if you want to get out some scissors and do some cutting.

Step 6 Put the phone in the stand

Once you ﬁnish decorating, your phone stand is ready to use.

Simply slide the bottom of the phone through the hole, leaving it up high enough so that you can use any buttons on the bottom.

Be sure that your stand is stable before you let go of your phone.

Step 7: Put Your Phone On The Stand

Once you ﬁnish decorating, your phone stand is ready to use.

Simply slide the bottom of the phone through the hole, leaving it up high enough so that you can use any buttons on the bottom.

Be sure that your stand is stable before you let go of your phone.

Wrap Up

This is such a fun and useful project. I hope that it inspired you as both an engineer and artist! Most families have more than one phone in the house, so I challenge you to look around the house and ﬁnd other things, besides a cup, that can be repurposed in this way so that everybody can have one handy!

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