DIY Cookbook & Tablet Stand - Copper & Wood

A couple weeks ago I posted my DIY Inspirations for this project and now I bring you my version - DIY Cookbook and Tablet Stand. As I mentioned in the last post, I really like the look of the copper pipe so I knew from the start that I wanted to do something using that also. My favourite was the stand created by I Spy DIY (see the DIY Inspirations post), so I set out to design one similar to that with my own spin put on it, of course! Let's take a look.

So with on my version of a copper pipe cookbook stand, I've designed it to be adjustable so it fits books of different thickness (see the video for demo), and will hold the pages open as you follow your recipes in your cookbooks. It's also been designed to be nice and sturdy and solid in the back, too, so that it will hold together even after lots of use.

Not only will it hold your cookbooks for you, but it can hold your tablet or your smartphone -- that's what the two little knobs in front are for -- if you like to use those to follow recipes. It's great for online recipes so you don't have to print them out. I keep a lot of recipes I find online in a bookmarked folder in my browser for easy access.

So, now, are you as excited about making this as I am to be showing you how? I really am very excited about this, I think it's one of my favourite DIY projects I've shown you all to date! Before we get to the video I have a list of materials you'll need below. The video will help you put them all together, and if you want to paint yours the same as mine, you can find those directions further down the post.

SUPPLIES YOU'LL NEED

- 3' x 1/2" Copper Pipe*

- 4 Copper 1/2" Cap Fittings

- 4 Copper 90 Degree 1/2" Elbow Fittings

- 2 Copper 1/2" Tee Fittings

- 9-1/4" x 13" Wood Board

- Adjustable Tube Cutter

- Elmer's ProBond Advanced Glue
- Pencil

- Sandpaper

- Drill

- 5/8" Drill Bit

- Paint or Wood Sealer

- Painters Tape or Masking Tape - if you paint it

*You will need to cut a total of 10 pieces from this pipe in the following lengths:

- (1) x 6-1/8"

- (1) x 6"

- (2) x 3"

- (2) x 1-1/2"

- (2) x 1"

- (2) x 1/2"

PAINTING YOUR BOARD

You can paint your board however you'd like but if you choose not to paint it I do recommend at least sealing the wood with a clear coat or wood sealer. I wanted a bit of a copper accent along with a white wash on mine. I found 2 great options for copper paint that were very close to the look of real copper.

Top, Bottom: Krylon Metallic Copper Spray Paint  |  Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paint

I know either of these two paints will look great since I tested both. I had a hard time to decide for sure, only I didn't like the look of the brush strokes for this application, so I ended up changing my mind and going with the spray paint.

1 | For a white stained wood look I decided to do a white wash of paint to both sides of my board. To do that I used my favourite craft acrylic paint, Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Acrylic (not a sponsor, I just LOVE them). You'll also need a container and a sponge brush.

2 | Add a dollop of your white paint to your container with a bit of water -- you want it to be the consistency of a wood stain -- and mix them together.

3 | Paint your board with your mixture using your sponge brush. I did both sides, making sure one was dry before flipping it over, and all edges. I applied 3 coats everywhere to get the look I was going for.

4 | Tape off your design with painters tape or masking tape. If you're using spray paint you'll also need to cover all areas that you don't want to get spray paint on with paper, but tape off your design first so you will have nice crisp edges.

5 | Paint the section(s) you want painted. Here I'm applying the Martha Stewart acrylic paint from the bottle, but I ended up changing my mind and painted over it with the spray paint. The color was nice, but I just didn't like the brush stoke look for this project. Let your paint dry.

6 | Once your paint is dry, remove your tape to reveal your neatly painted board. Ta-daaaa!

Okay, now you have all the details! Go make yours and have fun!!

Happy Cooking!
Sam