It turns out, you can create a dock for your smartphone with something as simple as a single paper clip. Here are three do-it-yourself smartphone docks that won’t cost you any time or extra money.
Create a Paper Clip Stand
For this dock you’ll need a large, metal paper clip. This trick works by folding the paper clip wire at various points so that it perfectly displays a smartphone while supporting the weight of the device. To do this, first unfold the paper clip entirely so you have a single long wire. Then take this wire and fold it in half. You won’t be able to get both halves parallel to each other but that’s a good thing for this project. Now take the two ends from both halves and fold them up at a 90-degree angle. Lastly, grab about 1.5 centimeters of the tips of the paper clip and fold that up again at a 90-degree angle. At this point, the middle section of the paper clip should lay flat on the ground while the first folds and third folds stand up. You’re done. Just place your smartphone in your new paper clip stand and you’re solid. Tip: If you find that your paper clip doesn’t support the weight of your smartphone, push the triangular portion in a bit more.
Use Your Old Cassette Tape Case
You remember miniDV and cassette tapes don’t you? Well if you happen to still have some lying around, you’re in luck. The square plastic cases that your casette tapes would come can actually double as a cool smartphone stand. All you have to do is just remove the cassette or miniDV tape, then open the case and leave it inside out. (There’s a point in which it can’t open any further because of the back plastic.) From there, place the case on a flat service and slide your phone right in where you normally insert the tape. Note: This particular method doesn’t work with all phones, particularly newer and larger ones. Make sure your smartphone fits inside the cassette tape case.
Two Binder Clips and a Card
This final stand is the sturdiest and most likely to support a more diverse collection of smartphones. You’ll need two binder clips and either a business card or old credit card you aren’t using. Clip the two binder clips to each side of the card keeping in mind the length of your smartphone. Then the smartphone should lay horizontally between the two top loops of the binder clips. You may need to continue readjusting how far apart the two clips are until your smartphone fits. When you finally get it to fit without toppling over, you’ll find that it’s a pretty creative workspace solution. It’s also the best dock out of the three to double as a showcase, perhaps for a nice photo slideshow.
Do You DIY?
These are all basic solutions for smartphone docks and stands and may not be the most elegant options, but they take almost no time to assemble and include items you probably already own. So treat yourself to some DIY goodness.
