Learn how to build your own DIY Tabletop Easel in this tutorial. Free build plans to make your own easy artist easel.

Last Christmas we started making gifts for our children for Christmas. Last year we made a Car Garage for our youngest's die-cast cars, a

We decided on an overall size of 14" tall x 17" wide x 2-¾" high to allow for typical sheets of paper and drawing books to fit on the tabletop easel, and have ample storage inside.

Tools

• Wagner Flexio 3500 Sprayer (for stain and polycrylic finish) 
• Table Saw
• Mitre Saw 
• Orbital Sander
• Clamps
• Chisel 
• Drill & Impact
• Drill bits 
• Drying Stands

Materials

In regards to materials we had some left over solid maple from a previous project, so I decided to use it for our DIY Tabletop Easel (because who doesn't like maple right?). The maple material I was using was about ½" thick. Depending on the material available to you could substitute ¾" material (like a pine select board from hardwares stores) and adjust measurements/dimensions accordingly or plane the material down. 

• ½-in x 16-in x 5-ft of Maple (Approx.)
• 2 x 1" Narrow Hinge
• 2 x Latch
• 1 x T-hinge 
• Wood Glue
• painters tape
• Sanding Discs (60/120/220)
• Natural Min-wax Stain 
• Polycrylic Protective Wood Finish 

Free Build Plans for an Art Easel

We knew there would be some people wanted to build an art easel, so we drew up some plans with all of the tools, measurements, and hardware you need.

Plans are free to our e-mail subscribers. Enter your e-mail below to download the free build plans.

Cutting

First step was to cut the materials to size, Check out the build plans for all the exact dimensions. I used our table saw and

Once all the pieces were cut I gave everything a light sand using 120 grit sand paper and our

Once the glue set I removed any excess glue away with a

Next I used some of my scrap wood to make a stand to hold the top of our DIY Tabletop Easel up. I glued a small piece of wood to hold the stand at various positions to change the angle of the top board. 

I also made a tray on the left side of the box to hold pencils, paint brushes and misc art supplies. 

Adding Hardware

I added

For the leg, I used a

To secure DIY Tabletop Easel top while not being used, I added two

I grabbed our new

Once the stain dried I used the sprayer again to apply the

With the top coat dry I re-installed all the hardware. When working with the smaller screws I like to use hand tools. I find that power tools can easily strip out the holes making the connections loose.

Our Finished Tabletop Art Easel

Here's how our art easel turned out! It's such a great piece for kids or adults. We're really for our daughter to see this on Christmas morning. It's a great piece that can be put at multiple angles, can be used for multiple hobbies, and can help store some of your supplies.

DIY Tabletop Easel Budget

• 16" wide x 5' long x ½" thick piece of Maple: approx. $80 (could substitute pine to lower costs)
• Latch: $8
• Narrow Hinges: $6
• T-Hinge: $5
• Stain: $20
• Polycrylic: $30

Total Cost: $150 (assuming you need to buy all supplies, if you have stains/finishes or extra wood you could use your costs would be significantly less)

Video of DIY Art Easel Build

Here is a video of us planning, building, and revealing the DIY Tabletop Easel as well as two other gifts for our children for Christmas.

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How to Build a DIY Tabletop Easel

Yield: DIY Tabletop Easel

Prep Time: 2 hours

Active Time: 2 hours

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Estimated Cost: 150

Build a DIY Tabletop Easel for the artist in your family. This quick and easy project makes a beautiful Art Easel.

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Materials

• ½-in x 16-in x 5-ft of Maple (Approx.)
• 2 x Latch
• 1 x T-hinge 
• 1" Narrow Hinge
• Wood Glue
• painters tape
• Sanding Discs (60/120/220)
• Natural Min-wax Stain 
• Polycrylic Protective Wood Finish 

Tools

• 3500 Sprayer (for stain and polycrylic finish) 
• Table Saw
• Mitre Saw 
• Orbital Sander
• Clamps
• Chisel 
• Drill & Impact
• Drill bits 
• Drying Stands

Instructions

1. Cut material to size
2. Assemble/GlueBox
3. AddingHardware
4. Spray Finishes
5. Re-Assemble
   

Notes

see blog post for full details and build plans