You don't need to spend $40 or even $50 on a fancy smartphone dock when you probably have all the tools you need to create a dock that surrounds you. Even then, you're probably telling yourself that you're not about to sit down for 30 minutes and try to put together something that looks like a dock with a pile of wood. You don't have to either.
ContentsCreate a paperclip holderUse your old cassette caseTwo clipboards and a mapDoing your homework?Turns out you can make a docking station for your smartphone with something as simple as a single paper clip. Here are three do-it-yourself smartphone docking stations that won't cost you extra time or money.
For this dock, you will need a large metal paper clip. This trick works by bending the paperclip wire at different points so that it perfectly displays a smartphone while supporting the weight of the device.
To do this, first fully unfold the paperclip so that you have one long wire. Then take this thread and fold it in half. You won't be able to get the two halves parallel to each other, but that's great for this project. Now take the two ends of the two halves and bend them at a 90 degree angle. Finally, grab about 1.5 centimeters from the tips of the paper clip and bend it again at a 90 degree angle. At this point, the middle part of the paperclip should lie flat on the ground while the first and third folds stand up.
You have finished. Simply place your smartphone in your new paper clip holder and you're solid.
Tip: If you find that your paper clip does not support the weight of your smartphone, push the triangular part a little more.
You remember miniDV and cassettes, right? Well, if you still have some lying around, you're in luck. The square plastic cases that would come with your cassette tapes can actually double as a smartphone holder. All you have to do is remove the tape or miniDV tape, then open the case and leave it upside down. (There is a time when it can no longer open because of the back plastic.)
From there, place the case on a flat surface and slide your phone in to where you normally insert the band.
Note: This particular method does not work with all phones, especially newer and larger ones. Make sure your smartphone fits inside the cassette case.
This final stand is the sturdiest and most likely to support a more diverse collection of smartphones. You will need two clipboards and a business card or an old credit card that you no longer use. Attach the two binder clips to each side of the card taking into account the length of your smartphone. Then the smartphone should rest horizontally between the two upper loops of the binding clips.
You may need to keep readjusting the distance between the two clips until your smartphone adjusts. When you finally manage to fit it without tipping over, you'll find it to be quite a creative workspace solution. It's also the best dock of the three to serve as a showcase, perhaps for a nice photo slideshow.
These are all basic solutions for docking stations and smartphone holders and might not be the most stylish options, but they take almost no time to put together and include things you probably already have. . So treat yourself to some DIY.
