In this instructable, we'll make a smartphone cardboard camera stand to place on shelf's, tables or closets to take more professional photo's or video's without movement blur or shaky video's. It's easy, cheap and about 2-3 hours work. It depends how handy you are.

Things to need:

Cardboard
Superglue
Cardboard knife
Smartphone

Have fun and happy crafting!

Step 1: Dimensions

Because not all smartphones are alike. The chances are highly likely that yours won't be suitable in this exact cardboard model. I based myself on the One+ 2, which is kinda a big phone and the camera is centered. Try to measure your phone and draw it on a paper scale 1:1 and don't forget to draw the position of the camera as well. This will be important that you don't block your view of the camera.

Important: Pay attention to your volume buttons, because these will become the trigger of your camera.

Step 2: Stationary Ground

We'll start with the base cardboard.

This will provide stability and the ability of your smartphone being able to rotate for adjusting angle. The images will provide the most information you need in order to recreate. If you have a different length of smartphone, you can always shorten it, but don't forget the add about 0.5 to 1 cm in length, otherwise the rotating part will prevent the standing up part to rotate.

Step 3: Rotating Smartphone Case

The second part is a bit more trickier. You can think about incasing your smartphone with the cardboard and adding 2 pivot points on the side for the holes in the base. Try to place your cardboard waves horizontally. It's possible to do it vertically but that will make it harder to make the pivot points. Open up the cardboard that the screen right after you bent all the side flaps and the ground. Removing this big piece of cardboard will make it weaker, and will high likely bend on the wrong place.

End up with glue-ing the sides together. As you might have noticed, I removed more flaps than I started with. Because this is a dubbel waved cardboard, it was strong enough to hold with less flaps, making it easier to put together.

And to end it, 'roll' up the pivot points to make them slightly bigger than the holes you made in the baseplate. This will provide friction making lock systems for the rotation unnecessary.

Step 4: And You're Done!

Now all you have to do is put the 2 pieces together, add your smartphone and open up your favorite camera app! Most apps provide 5-10 second delays and being able to trigger it by pressing one of your volume buttons.

With the delay, you can make group foto's again without holding your hand awkwardly and having a close-up of your face with your friends in the background.