For anyone with an interest in arts and crafts, making a homemade easel can be a satisfying and enjoyable undertaking. Building your own easel is a great way to give your art space a personalized touch, whether you’re an aspiring artist or looking to inspire your kids with a creative activity. You can make an easel that is ideal for your needs with only a few simple supplies and tools.
This do-it-yourself project gives you a useful way to hold your canvas or paper while also giving you an opportunity to learn by doing. It’s an excellent family activity that fosters creativity and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, creating something from scratch can be immensely fulfilling and a wonderful way to develop a sense of success.
We’ll take you through the easy steps of making your own easel in this guide, from choosing supplies to assembling everything. By the time it’s all done, you’ll have a personalized and useful easel that improves your workspace and adds a bit of handmade charm to your artwork.
Making your own easel is a satisfying do-it-yourself project that blends artistic vision with useful craftsmanship. You can adapt an easel for family activities or children’s art projects to suit your unique requirements and tastes by building one at home. This tutorial will lead you through the easy steps and supplies required to build a robust, practical easel that encourages artistic expression and makes a great addition to any home.
- Materials and tools
- Tabletop
- Floor
- Tripod
- Clapperboard
- Double-sided
- Etude box
- Video on the topic
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- How to make an easel for drawing / DIY
Materials and tools
- a drawing or a simple hand sketch, according to which you will make the design;
- hammer/screwdriver;
- nails/screws;
- hacksaw.
Resources:
- dry wood – plywood, solid wood, pine;
- slats.
Every size is based on your preference. Take into account the user’s height as well as the canvas’s dimensions.
Tabletop
It’s easy and won’t take long to make a tabletop easel for your home with your hands. It has a simple design.
Four slats are required for manufacturing: two the same length, one one centimeter shorter, and a slat for the crossbar in addition to slats for the frame or a solid piece of plywood with the appropriate dimensions.
Cut two identical slats at a 15 to 20 degree angle, then fasten them to a short stick with a bolt and wing nut. This is required in order to obtain the stand’s shape. We place the crossbar over the glue or nails, and move the one that is shorter to the side. It turns out to be a mini-tripod for use on a table.
The easel is prepared. Make a plywood base for it, or a stretcher, if you’d like.
Floor
Has a wide range of manufacturing types and variations. They can all be made by yourself. The benefits include being foldable, portable, having two sides, and more.
Tripod
A different term is lyre. Ideal for sketching and painting on a thick foundation. Making use of a foldable option will help conserve space. A customized wood sheet for the underside of the drawings can be made.
Here, a lot more slats and connecting pieces are required: four two-meter slats (2 x 4.5 cm), as well as numerous slats for planks (2 x 3 cm). Purchase bolts and anchors to ensure the folding element functions.
The structure can be assembled similarly to a tabletop easel. However, a structure with plank reinforcement at the top, middle, and bottom is appropriate for increased stability. To the lower bar, add a shelf for the base and written accessories. Fasten the rear leg to the middle crossbar of the door hinge. Add the middle bar from the middle above the main canvas to the necessary distance if you plan to work with large formats.
Clapperboard
In order to construct a basic folding easel-clapperboard, door hinges must be added to the primary list of materials. We will consequently receive a handy, transportable easel. It’s crucial to consider the dimensions so that you can carry it easily.
The following wooden blank measurements are required: 4 pieces of 1200x50x20 mm, 4 pieces of 560x50x20 mm, and 2 pieces of 600x100x12 mm. We then put our easel together on a level surface. If you don’t check the angle of our clapperboard when installing the hinges, the easel will swing and the legs will be crooked. The screws are tightened until the heads pierce deeply into the wood. Use a thin drill bit to pre-drill holes beneath the screws in order to speed up the process and prevent wood chips.
Sandpaper or self-adhesive film can be used to treat surfaces.
Double-sided
An excellent choice for a kid. Even if you can make it resemble a clapperboard, there’s a chance the child will feel uneasy and their legs may converge. The legs and surfaces are fixed with a homemade easel. This is easily accomplished at home with wooden crossbars running the length of the easel’s legs.
Decorating a children’s easel can add variety. It’s also a good idea to make one side metal so the child can play with magnets, letters, colored dots, and other objects, and leave the other side wooden for games and drawing.
Etude box
It’s also easy to assemble a portable wooden etude box for self-drawing. For ease of use and comfort, the approximate dimensions are 30×40 cm. It is preferable to use plywood for the side walls but wood for the base and lid. To connect the elements, you’ll also need wooden blocks or slats, though you can do this without them. You’ll need a metal support with bolts to secure the lid. You must create a lid on a base using paint and brushes if you intend to store paper or cardboard inside the lid.
The base can be made multipurpose by creating paint borders out of slats. A hook is necessary for a portable suitcase; you can make one with wire and a nail or purchase one already constructed. The handle can be thrown over the shoulder or kept short for the arm. You can borrow all of this from used suitcases, bags, and briefcases. An artist would love to receive something like this.
| Step | Description |
| 1. Gather Materials | Collect wood, screws, hinges, and paint. You’ll need a saw, drill, and sandpaper as well. |
| 2. Cut the Wood | Measure and cut the wood into the desired sizes for the easel legs, base, and canvas holder. |
| 3. Assemble the Frame | Use screws to attach the legs to the base, ensuring it’s sturdy. Attach the canvas holder to the top of the legs. |
| 4. Add Hinges | Install hinges where necessary to allow adjustments in the easel’s angle. |
| 5. Sand and Paint | Sand the entire easel to smooth out rough edges and paint it to your liking. |
| 6. Final Adjustments | Check that all parts are secure and adjust the easel as needed for stability and functionality. |
Constructing a DIY easel is a fulfilling endeavor that infuses your home with creativity and functionality. You’ll get the satisfaction of creating it yourself in addition to having a reliable and useful easel. With this do-it-yourself method, you can alter the easel to suit your own requirements and tastes, which makes it a wonderful complement to any art area.
You may have faced difficulties or picked up new skills along the way, both of which can be very beneficial. Every stage, from material selection to final assembly, adds to a finished product that is exclusively yours. A homemade easel can be the ideal support for your creative endeavors, whether you’re an artist or just trying to improve your workspace.
Savor the fruits of your labor and feel proud of yourself for making something useful and unique. In addition to being a useful tool, your homemade easel is a demonstration of your ability and commitment. Accept your new work of art and allow it to serve as an inspiration for many more in the future.
