I decided to make a headphone stand and iPhone dock in one, and for a while couldn't decide on a material to make it out of. Then I thought of cardboard, and it seemed like a interesting idea. I came up with a design to put the dock on the front end of the headphone stand while also not affecting how the headphones rest on the stand.
*Side-Note: The Tech HQ in this instructable is custom fit to Beats Studio 2.0 headphones and an iPhone 5C with a case. If you plan on making this, dimensions may need to be adjusted to fit your phone and headphones.
Step 1: Materials
To make this, you will need: 1. 3 Boxes/sheets of cardboard
2. Box Cutter Knife
3. FibaTape
4. Spackling
5. Liquid Nails Adhesive
6. Plastic Spreader/Squeegee
7. XACTO Knife
8. Silver and Matte Black Spray Paint
9. Charging Cord
Step 2: Cutting a Base Shape
To start, you will want to cut out multiple 6'x12' sections for the headphone stand portion of the Tech HQ
Step 3: Gluing the Base Shape
Glue all the 6'x12' sections together. Glue the straightest 6 inch sides directly lined up with each other and do the same with the straightest 12 inch sides. Keep gluing until the sides are 3.5 inches wide
Step 4: Draw on Your Design
Find the correct dimensions for your headphones. Create a somewhat round design like this one the will hold your headphones well, but won't stretch them out too much. Leave extra room at the bottom for the dock to attach.
Step 5: Cut Out the Headphone Stand
Next you will need to cut out the design. Cut along your drawn line one layer at a time. You will probably be able to use the box cutter for the first few layers, but eventually you may need to use an XACTO knife.
Step 6: Smooth the Edges
Tape over the rough sides of the cardboard with the FibaTape. This will provide a base for your spackling. Once it is all taped you can start spreading the putty evenly along the sides. Use the plastic smoother if needed. Keep spreading until it is entirely covered and leave to dry.
Step 7: Glue Together the Dock
Cut out 5'x6' sheets of cardboard and glue together like you did in Step 3. Glue together until it is roughly 2 inches tall.
Step 8: Cut Out the Dock
Cut the dock into a 5'x4' piece. Place your phone on the center of the block facing one of the 5' ends. If your phone is wider than 5' then you need a new phone. Trace around the bottom and cut out 2 layers of cardboard deep. In the center, cut or drill a hole through to the bottom big enough for your charger cord to fit through. Lastly, cut an inlet for the cord on the bottom that goes out the back.
Step 9: Smooth Out the Dock
Do the same thing from Step 6 on the sides of the dock.
Step 10: Connect the Two
Take a wooden skewer and push the pointed end into the bottom right corner of the dock about an inch and a half. Mark with a pencil how far in it was, then cut at the same distance from the line on the other side. Then stick the dull end in the pre-existing hole. Do this on all four corners. Then, line it up and put the stand and dock together.
Step 11: Spray Paint
You can paint it whichever color you want, but this is how I painted mine. I started off by painting the front and back faces matte black along with the top of the dock. I left them out to dry for a while, then, I taped over all of the black and painted all of the remaining white parts silver.
Step 12: Adding the Cord
Push the part of the charger that goes in your phone through the hole. You may have to plug in your phone and set it down to find the best height for the charger. Once that height has been found, hot glue it at that height. Then, at the bottom glue the wire in the cut out inlet. Before plugging in your phone, make sure all the glue, top and bottom, is dry. Also make sure the metal part is clean and doesn't have glue residue on it. Lastly, enjoy your Tech HQ.
