Simple business card iPhone / iPod stand

This is a simple stand made from an standard business card. It allows you to watch videos on your device (iPhone, iPod, PMP, other) without having to hold it up at a comfortable angle. It folds flat and can be keep it in your wallet. It is easy to make and replace.

Note: Due to the simple design, I hope that I have not copied anyone who has done this earlier. I've done some quick checks of this site and Google and haven't found anything exactly as this.

Step 1: Instructions

You will need some standard size business cards, scissors (or a knife) and a ruler.

I've tried other designs (with locking tabs, etc) but this first design was the best. Feel free to customize it to your liking.

Comments

[sourcasm]

I upgraded further by adding 4 binder clips.
2 for the rear flaps and 2 for the front flaps.
Now it works with even weak pieces of paper like cheap visiting cards.
Thanks

[sonytony]

Quick, cheap and works well enough. Thanks!!

To accommodate my Galaxy Note in landscape mode with a silicone TPU cover, I changed the measures 10mm and 15mm from the long side to 15mm and 23mm respectively. This makes the base cuts around 4mm deeper, the base a little more stable and the flaps smaller.

[srikanthkarra]

Nice hack.
I'm happy making one for my iPod Touch.
Thanks.

[cas6767]

I've been making these at work they are awesome thank! A little addition I made was to take another two business card and fold on about a centimeter from the end and slip it between the iphone and the stand with the folded piece pointing towards the speaker side. Then I took another card and folded the corners to of one side to the center so that it curves and then place that between the phone and the other card. THis seems to create a nice baffle to add a little directional improvement to the speakers. I'll take a picture some time and add it when I get a chance.

[mheltz09]

nice,good job!!it helps...

[reuben213]

Me too! The stand works well but I've had to mod it because when I charge it on the stand in landscape mode it topple's over
Oh, I also sent this from my iPod

[redcars101]

I will try this, I have an iPod 4g with no stand so I will try this one! oh and this was sent from my iPod :D

[dfwsupergeek]

This is really cool, and works very well! Thanks!
As an addition to this, I made one quickly with a standard business card, then, to make it more stable, I set it in a mini-altoids tin. It fits perfectly!
Great Instructable!

[jimjar]

Thanks for that design delerium. I thought it looked a bit like an elephant, so I tweked and augmented it a little and made this: The Ele-Vator SmartStand (my new business card) http://snurl.com/elestand

[gogglepoofs]

haha i like it especially the trunk part

[kaelby]

I'm going to try it out with some of the thin plastic which make up ice cream containers; easier to fold than plastic cards and last longer than one made from paper.

[ajjardin]

Wow, this is a good instructable. i wanna stack up on business cards now. i saw another card holder using cork but this one is alot better. thanks for sharing.

Allan Jardin

[Zrowny]

Hey thank you so much for this! I use this all the time and in face have made a template to print on perforated sheets of thicker paper. (I forgot where i bought them, probably staples or office depot). If I could attach it to my comment I would but I uploaded it to mediafire for anyone who wants it. Here it is.

[seckel]

 Hey, I liked this Indi!  Particularly as i leave business cards around at local establishments.  I created a template to keep in my wallet so I can make a perfect stand wherever I go.  Mark at the notches and the holes, cut and fold.  No need to buy stands anymore.  Pull out the template, grab a competitors card and make a stand!

[schwieb]

Best stand ever!  and it fits in my wallet, so I always have one with me!

[jasebo]

This worked exactly the way I was hoping, with the exception that it wasn't very stable. So I just doubled up, using a second business card - stapling it in the two flaps that hold up my iPhone and in the centre section.

Then I have a lovely portable iPhone holder that fits in my wallet, and will be my iPhone stand for watching movies on long flights.

Thanks for posting this :-)

[waffle168]

Nice! A project that can be done in the office! Thanks.

[AJTheSecond]

This worked out great! I had a card from a golf club that had a neat print on it and I estimated the lengths. FYI if you have standard business cards they are 2” x 3.5” or ~51mm x ~89mm. the 1/3 mark of the short side of your business card is ~17mm. I used a box knife and when I marked the folds, I marked on the back and pushed really hard with the pen so that it scored the card. This made the folding really easy. I searched for “Business Card Holder” and “Business Card Stand” and didn’t find this until I went through another website. This works great as a business card stand.

[computer_guy]

wow. how simple can you get? :P nice job.

[alchemic]

Very nice! I made a plastic one using your template and an iTunes gift card.

[themacwizard]

This one is really cool.

http://www.moviewedge.com/

I've been using mine for a while now and it holds my iPhone in place on even the bumpiest of flights and even on my dashboard so my niece can watch movies in the car. I like to leave my iPhone in it to charge at night, too. Gives me easy access to the clock whenever I need it.

[ibend]

iBend

The iBend just launched today and it is the thinnest (10/1000" / 250um) thick and weighs in at less than 1 gram. It is also extremely stable. Check the video out on the site where you can spin it without it falling not to mention over 32,000 miles of flight tests in turbulence without it falling once! Oh, and you get 2 in a pack for less than 5 bucks. Take a look at www.myibend.com

[daverthal]

that has got to be the biggest wallet I've ever seen in my life! It puts George Castanza's to shame :)

[cnchbald]

I have designed this folding stand to fit in your wallet and put it into production as the BullRest and the BatRest. Take a look at www.bullrest.com.

[dudeguy1234]

"The iPhone becomes more erect" :D

[cnchbald]

Very erect.

[cnchbald]

And here is a new one, the BatRest, which accomodates the curves of the iPhone 3G. see www.seskimo.com.

[cnchbald]

Sorry. I forgot to put the Seskimo link in right. [http:://www.seskimo.com www.seskimo.com]

[hewsthat]

I added a small lip to the base in order to keep the ipod from sliding forward kinda like the original stand that came with it. A bit more work and cutting but a bit more stable.

[dudeguy1234]

I had the same idea!

[phmanzano]

ah, very nice! It works fine. I'll print it on the back of my business cards to propagate the fun.

[vinodkl]

Sweet !!. Worked like a charm :). Thanks.

[drillwolfe]

Ha I totally just got really board at work and with the use of my own business card and a ruler and razor blade I just created one. Good Idea!!!!

[JAPrufrock]

Mine went through the dryer and got hashed. Made a new one out of galvanized steel strapping. Be sure to finish the edges with file and emery cloth to prevent scratches. Photos shown below (actually took me longer to post this darned thing than to make it in the first place):

[riorve]

Great Idea thank you very much, it's work great on my iphone 3G.

[flash1322]

thanks I made it out of a playing card its sort of unstable and you can't plug your headphones in with an ipod nano

[Th3H4rRy]

first one I made was a little unstable. But i am using thicker and larger card now :D Thanks for this great instructable

[loribach]

I found a stand on ebay and gave it to my dad and he hasn't stopped using it. it's pretty clever and he always takes it when he travels. It's called MiniStand, here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/iPhone-iPod-Stand-Holder-MiniStand_W0QQitemZ190236947598QQihZ009QQcategoryZ48680QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[windy01]

great idea! i love it. it suddenly occurd to me this portable iphone dock charger, recently launced.

[denona]

wow thanks this work great with my new nano! :)