Quick answer: The fastest DIY tablet stand is a piece of corrugated cardboard folded into a triangle with a lip cut along the front edge; it takes ten minutes and holds a tablet at a 20 to 30 degree drawing angle. For something sturdier, a one-by-four pine board cut into three pieces and screwed into an angled wedge lasts for years. For a stand that works at the kitchen table and in a bag, a sewn beanbag wedge filled with rice or poly pellets adapts to any surface. Step-by-step instructions for all three, plus two quick hacks, follow below.
Drawing on a tablet lying flat on a desk is the fastest way to a sore neck and a cramped wrist. A stand fixes both, and you do not have to buy one. Learning how to make diy tablet stand options from cardboard, wood, or fabric gives you a stand sized exactly to your tablet, angled exactly how you draw, for almost nothing.
This guide walks through five builds, from a ten-minute cardboard version to a wooden stand that can hold a heavy pen display. Each has a materials list, numbered steps, and the angle it produces. If, after reading, you decide a purpose-built adjustable stand is worth it, the best tablet stands for digital painting roundup compares current options for artists.
First, Decide on Your Drawing Angle
Store-bought stands advertise angle ranges because the right angle depends on the task:
- 15 to 25 degrees: Drawing and painting with the tablet on a desk. Low enough that your forearm rests on the desk, steep enough that you are not hunching.
- 30 to 45 degrees: Reading references, watching tutorials, or sketching with the tablet held closer to upright. Too steep for long painting sessions because your arm hangs.
- 60 degrees or more: Video calls and display only. Not a drawing angle.
For a dedicated painting stand, aim for about 20 degrees. For a general stand you will also use for reference images, build in two positions: roughly 20 and 40 degrees. The wood and cardboard builds below both include a way to do that.
Also measure your tablet before cutting anything: width, height, and thickness including any case. Write the numbers down. Every dimension below is given relative to those measurements so the instructions work for a 10-inch tablet or a 16-inch pen display alike.
Build 1: Ten-Minute Cardboard Triangle Stand
Best for: testing what angle you like before building something permanent, or a stand for a lightweight tablet.
Materials
- One piece of double-wall corrugated cardboard (a shipping box side), at least as wide as your tablet and about three times as tall
- Box cutter or heavy scissors
- Ruler and pencil
- Packing tape or hot glue
- Optional: a strip of non-slip shelf liner or felt
Steps
- Cut the blank. Cut a rectangle as wide as your tablet plus one inch. The height should be: tablet height + desired back support height + base depth. For a 10-inch-tall tablet at 20 degrees, 10 + 4 + 8 = 22 inches works.
- Mark three fold lines. From the bottom edge, mark at 8 inches (base), then at 12 inches (back support), then the rest is the front panel the tablet rests on. Score each line lightly with the box cutter on the outside of the fold so the cardboard bends cleanly without cracking.
- Cut the lip. At the very bottom front edge of the panel the tablet will lean on, cut and fold up a 3/4-inch strip along the full width. This lip stops the tablet from sliding off. Reinforce it with a second strip of cardboard glued behind it.
- Fold into a triangle. Bring the top edge down and tape it to the base so the back support and front panel form a wedge. Adjust the position of the tape to change the angle: taping closer to the front steepens it.
- Cut a cable notch. Snip a 1-inch notch in the lip where the charging port falls so the cable passes through.
- Add grip. Glue shelf liner or felt to the lip and the underside of the base so neither the tablet nor the stand slides.
- Test and adjust. Set the tablet on it, draw a few strokes, and move the tape if the angle feels wrong. Once you like it, hot glue the joint permanently.
Double-wall cardboard holds a tablet up to about 1.5 pounds reliably. For heavier devices, glue two layers together or move to wood.
Build 2: Wooden Wedge Stand From a Single Board
Best for: a permanent desk stand that can hold a heavy pen display.
Materials
- One 1×4 pine board, 3 feet long (actual dimensions 3/4 by 3-1/2 inches)
- Four 1-1/4 inch wood screws
- Wood glue
- Saw (hand saw or miter saw)
- Drill with a countersink or small pilot bit
- Sandpaper, 120 and 220 grit
- Self-adhesive cork or rubber feet
- Optional: a 1/4-inch dowel or a strip of quarter-round molding for the lip
Steps
- Cut three pieces. Cut the board into: a base as wide as your tablet minus 2 inches; two identical side triangles. For the triangles, cut two 7-inch lengths, then cut each diagonally from one top corner to the opposite bottom corner. The resulting right triangles give roughly 27 degrees when the long leg is the base and about 63 when stood on the short leg. For a shallower 20 degree angle, cut 9-inch lengths instead.
- Sand everything. Smooth the cut edges with 120 grit, then 220. Round over any corner the tablet will contact.
- Glue the base to the triangles. Stand the triangles on their long legs, parallel, spaced to the width of the base. Apply wood glue along the hypotenuse of each triangle and lay the base across them so it sits on the slopes. The base is now the sloped panel your tablet rests on. Clamp or weight for 30 minutes.
- Screw it together. Drill pilot holes through the base into each triangle, two per side, and drive the screws. Countersink so the heads sit flush.
- Add the lip. Glue a dowel or quarter-round along the bottom front edge of the sloped base. Leave a 1-inch gap at the center for the charging cable, or cut a notch.
- Add feet. Stick cork or rubber feet under each triangle to protect the desk and stop sliding.
- Finish. A coat of wax, oil, or clear water-based polyurethane keeps the pine from picking up pencil marks. Let it cure 24 hours before use.
Because the triangles have two usable legs, flipping the whole stand onto the short leg gives a steep reading angle. Add a second lip to the opposite edge of the base if you want both positions to hold the tablet securely.
Build 3: How to Sew a Tablet Stand (Beanbag Wedge)
Best for: drawing on a couch, bed, or lap; carrying in a bag; uneven surfaces.
Materials
- Two fabric rectangles, each tablet width + 2 inches by 14 inches (canvas, denim, or upholstery weight works best)
- One fabric strip, 4 inches by the perimeter length (about 2 × (tablet width + 2) + 28 inches)
- Thread, pins, sewing machine or hand needle
- Filling: about 3 to 4 cups of dry rice, dried beans, or poly pellets
- Optional: 6 inches of elastic or a strip of non-slip fabric
Steps
- Cut a wedge shape. Take one rectangle and mark a trapezoid: full width along the bottom, tapering to about 60 percent width at the top. Cut both rectangles to this shape so you have two matching trapezoids.
- Pin the side strip. Pin the 4-inch strip around the edge of one trapezoid, right sides together, leaving a 3-inch opening along the bottom edge.
- Sew the first side. Stitch with a half-inch seam allowance all the way around except the opening.
- Attach the second trapezoid. Pin the second trapezoid to the other edge of the strip, right sides together, matching corners. Sew all the way around, again leaving the opening aligned with the first.
- Turn and fill. Turn the bag right side out through the opening. Fill with rice or pellets to about two-thirds full so it stays squishy and molds to the tablet.
- Close the opening. Hand-sew with a ladder stitch or machine-stitch close to the edge.
- Add a grip lip. Sew a strip of non-slip fabric or a folded elastic loop along the bottom front face. The tablet edge sits against this.
Rice is cheap but can attract moisture; poly pellets are lighter and washable. If you ever want to launder the cover, add a zipper instead of sewing the opening shut.
Build 4: How to Use a Tablet Cover to Stand It Up
Many folio covers already stand a tablet up, but at angles meant for typing or watching video, not drawing. Two adjustments make them work for art:
- Low-angle fold. Instead of folding the cover into its designed triangle, fold the front panel completely behind the tablet and prop only the bottom edge on a rolled towel or a book 1 to 2 inches thick. The cover protects the back; the book sets the angle.
- Reverse wedge. Fold the cover into its triangle, lay the tablet on the desk, and slide the folded cover under the top edge of the tablet with the triangle’s long side down. This gives a 15 to 20 degree drawing slope that most covers do not offer natively. A strip of non-slip liner between the cover and tablet keeps it from creeping.
Covers with magnetic folds slip under the sideways force of drawing more than hinge-style ones. If yours does, the beanbag build above solves the problem permanently.
Build 5: Binder Clip and Ring Binder Hacks
For a stand you need in the next sixty seconds:
- Ring binder: A 1-inch three-ring binder, closed and laid flat with the spine toward you, is a 10 to 15 degree wedge. Open it slightly and the angle increases. Add a rubber band around the bottom edge as a lip.
- Two large binder clips: Clip two 2-inch binder clips to a thin book or rigid board along the bottom edge. Fold the clip handles back so they stand up; the tablet rests against the handles and the board tilts on the clip bodies.
- Plate stand or picture easel: A wire plate display stand holds a small tablet at a steep angle. Bend the front feet back to lower it.
Comparison of the Five Builds
| Build | Time | Cost | Angle | Max tablet weight | Portable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard triangle | 10 min | Free | Adjustable before gluing, 15 to 45 | About 1.5 lb | Yes, but fragile |
| Wooden wedge | 1 to 2 hours plus finish drying | Low | Fixed, two positions (about 20 to 27 and 63) | Pen displays and heavy tablets | No |
| Sewn beanbag | 45 min | Low | Variable, molds to tablet | About 3 lb | Yes |
| Cover adjustment | 1 min | Free | 15 to 20 with a book or reversed fold | Whatever the cover holds | Yes |
| Binder or clip hack | 1 min | Free | 10 to 30 | Light tablets only | Yes |
Making Any Stand Better for Drawing
Stop the tablet from sliding
Drawing pressure pushes the tablet downward and sideways. Non-slip shelf liner is the cheapest fix; cut a strip for the lip and a patch for where the tablet’s back touches the stand. Silicone bumpers meant for cabinet doors also work.
Manage the cable
Every build should have a notch or gap for the charging cable at the bottom edge. If your port is on the side, offset the notch or leave the lip short on that side.
Add a palm rest
Your drawing hand needs somewhere to go. Cut the wooden base 3 inches longer than the tablet height so the bottom edge extends past the tablet, or place a flat book in front of the stand at the same height as the tablet’s bottom edge.
Allow for heat
Tablets vent through the back. Do not let a fabric stand cover the entire rear surface during long sessions. The beanbag build naturally leaves the top portion exposed; cardboard and wood touch only along the slope.
Make it adjustable later
The wooden build can be upgraded with a piano hinge between the base and a flat back panel, plus a dowel that drops into a series of holes to set angle. That is roughly how adjustable commercial stands work, and it is a reasonable second project once you know which angles you use.
Common Mistakes
- Building too steep. Most first-timers copy a laptop stand angle and end up at 40 degrees. Draw on the cardboard version first and find your real angle before cutting wood.
- Forgetting the thickness of a case. A lip sized to a bare tablet will not catch a tablet in a rugged case. Measure with the case on.
- Skipping the lip entirely. Friction alone is not enough once you press a stylus against the screen.
- Using single-wall cardboard. It folds under a tablet within a day. Use double-wall or laminate two layers.
- Overfilling the beanbag. A rock-hard wedge does not conform to anything. Two-thirds full is the sweet spot.
- Finishing wood with an oil-based product right before use. Some finishes stay tacky for days and will mark a tablet back. Water-based polyurethane or wax cures faster.
FAQs
How do you make a tablet stand out of cardboard?
Cut a rectangle of double-wall cardboard about three times the height of your tablet, score two fold lines to create a base and a back support, fold it into a triangle, tape the top edge to the base, and cut a small lip along the front to stop the tablet sliding. Adjust the tape position to change the angle.
What angle should a tablet stand be for drawing?
Roughly 15 to 25 degrees for painting with the tablet on a desk, so your forearm stays supported. Steeper angles around 30 to 45 degrees suit viewing references but tire your arm during long drawing sessions.
How do you sew a tablet stand?
Cut two matching trapezoids and a long side strip from heavy fabric, sew them into a wedge-shaped bag leaving a small opening, turn it right side out, fill about two-thirds with rice or poly pellets, and close the opening. Add a non-slip strip along the bottom front as a lip.
How do you use a tablet cover to stand it up for drawing?
Fold the cover flat behind the tablet and prop the top edge on a book 1 to 2 inches thick, or fold the cover into its triangle and slide it under the tablet’s top edge with the long side down. Either gives a shallow drawing slope most covers lack.
Can a DIY stand hold a heavy pen display?
A wooden wedge built from 1×4 pine with glued and screwed joints can hold large pen displays. Cardboard and beanbag stands are limited to lighter tablets, roughly 1.5 to 3 pounds.
Is a homemade tablet stand as good as a bought one?
For a fixed angle, yes. Where commercial stands win is quick adjustability, folding for travel, and precise angle settings. If you change angles often or travel with the tablet, a bought stand may be worth it.
Next Step
Start with the cardboard triangle tonight. It costs nothing and tells you the one thing you cannot guess: the angle your arm actually wants. Then build the wooden or sewn version at that angle, or, if you realize you want to switch angles several times a session and fold the stand into a bag, look over the adjustable stands made for digital painters and pick one that locks at the angles you have now identified.
