Tablets and smartphones are modern gadgets that are difficult to live without today. However, their popularity has increased so much that they are replacing traditional toys with inexorable force and arousing great interest among young children. For a preschool child, a homemade device would be an ideal option for games. How to make a tablet out of paper, and what materials will be needed for such a craft?
Paper tablet: preparation of material
To make a paper analogue of a tablet, you will need a modest set of materials, tools and very little effort. So, for the craft you need to prepare:
- scotch;
- glue;
- paper;
- felt-tip pens or pencils;
- scissors;
- cardboard;
- decorative elements;
- colored paper;
- magnet and paperclip.
There are several options for creating toy tablets. Let's look at some of them.
Do-it-yourself mount for a tablet in a car
So, here we come to the most interesting part of the article. Previously, many, before becoming car owners, had bicycles and motorcycles and regularly “farmed” something for them due to the lack of necessary spare parts.
So it is here, because looking for easy ways is by no means our method. Let's try to make a mount for the tablet in the car with our own hands. It's very interesting and economical.
Paper tablet with magnet
The paper tablet can be made in any color. Having decided on the shade, you need to take a colored sheet and cut out a rectangle from it, which will be the basis of the future device. Then you should take cardboard and cut out another rectangular piece. The size of the latter should be 2-3 cm smaller than the first. The cardboard template needs to be laid out in the center of the colored sheet. Next, you need to fold the side parts, and fold the bottom and top edges so that the folds are not so noticeable.
You can go another way - cut off the excess parts with scissors. How to make a tablet out of paper to make the toy interesting? To do this, you need to cut out two square parts from sheets of different colors and glue them to the workpiece. Before you do this, you need to place a paperclip on one of the squares.
Once the front part is ready, you can start creating the screen. It is done using white A4 sheets. These leaves need to be aligned with the rest of the parts of the future toy. The prepared parts are attached to the tablet and pressed with a magnet.
How to secure a tablet computer in a car? Types of holders
Multifunctionality, multimedia functions, as well as minimal size and power - all this is very, very good. All that remains is to make a mount for the tablet in the car.
Today the market is literally overflowing with different types of fastenings. There are quite a lot of such holders.
So, among all the devices, the following designs stand out:
- Frame universal. Most often they are installed on the center console.
- On suction cups (attached to the car windshield).
- Anti-slip mats.
Many people don’t want to bother with the choice and purchase a universal mount for a tablet in the car. These structures can be adjusted in height, width and other parameters. Mobile devices of any diagonal can easily fit into these holders. You can rotate the device both vertically and horizontally. There are also models from well-known manufacturers, but they are few and expensive.
Cardboard tablet
How to make a tablet out of paper if you don’t have a magnet at hand? To make the toy durable, you can use another method. This time, thick cardboard (0.5 cm) will come in handy. A thin material is suitable as a base, from which, as in the first option, a rectangular part is cut out. Then, on thicker cardboard, you need to mark the same rectangle. A window should be cut out in the center, making 1.5-2 cm indentations on each side. An identical frame should be cut out of thin cardboard.
The thick cardboard frame needs improvement. One of the sides must be cut off, in other words, the cardboard should turn out to be a piece in the shape of the letter “P”. However, you need to cut it so that it is not shortened. Once all the elements are cut out, you can begin assembly. You need to glue a U-shaped part to the base, and on top of it - a frame made of thin cardboard. If white or gray cardboard was used, the top can be covered with colored paper. A4 sheets need to be cut so that they can be inserted through the side hole.
Convenient stand
Only some tablet computers have their own stand; for other devices you have to buy expensive cases that get boring or break over time. Therefore, now in a few minutes you will learn how to make a wide variety of coasters from inexpensive and simple materials.
Cardboard stand
Most likely, every user in childhood cut out various figures from cardboard, and now it’s time to remember the old days again and take up the stationery and build a convenient stand for the tablet with your own hands.
Stand drawing
The image above shows a schematic drawing that you can change to suit a specific device - this is a kind of template, but no one forbade you from imagining.
Be sure to take thick cardboard, it’s best suited for packaging boxes of household appliances, unless of course you don’t mind.
Result of work
Now we transfer the drawing to cardboard and carefully cut it out, fold it in half, as shown in the image, and a convenient stand for the device is ready. Its service life is almost unlimited, every day you can do something new, the main thing is that there is more starting material in stock.
Coffee glass
Continuing the theme of working with office supplies, with the help of an empty glass and scissors, you can create an original stand, and it is done in a matter of minutes.
Scheme of cuts
This unusual design will appeal to those users who like to spend a lot of time in coffee shops: they made it, used it and threw it away, and the next day they can make a new one.
Result of work
Please note that depending on the angle of the cuts, you can change the position of the device in space as convenient for you. You can come up with various designs yourself and share them with friends, and someone will definitely appreciate them.
Application of boxes
And completing the series of cardboard crafts, the laziest users can make a practical stand from any small box.
Small instructions
Moreover, you can use any boxes; most likely, many owners of touch gadgets still have small containers from chargers, cartridges, shoes, boxes from photo or video equipment, and so on. The main thing is to have a good imagination, and, of course, desire.
How to paint a craft?
How to make a tablet out of paper so that it turns out interesting for games? To do this, you must paint it. The menu can be created at your own discretion. To “open” one of the windows, you just need to pull out a piece of paper. On the bottom panel of the toy, you can create an imitation of buttons or give a name to the resulting homemade “gadget.” To make the paper model a worthy copy of the original, you can print an image of the tablet’s desktop on white cardboard and stick it on the base.
Where to mount the tablet?
There are only a few places in the car for these purposes. You can mount the holder on the dashboard, on the glass on the right, or on the grille of the ventilation system. You can also install the computer on the back of the headrest. We will look at the pros and cons for each of these places.
The tablet will look perfect on the dashboard. They are often mounted as if it had always been there. But such designs cannot be found on sale, so car enthusiasts and car owners prefer to make such devices themselves. It all depends on sleight of hand and imagination.
To the right of the driver, you can install a mount for a tablet in the car on the glass. Naturally, you can purchase a ready-made design, or you can make it completely yourself. This is much more interesting and also allows for an interesting experience.
iPad made of paper
We figured out how to make a tablet out of paper according to the diagram. Let's look at how to create an iPad Mini 3. This will require the same materials as for making a regular paper tablet. The printed image of the iPad Mini 3 desktop needs to be cut out so that the image has edges that can be folded back.
To create the back side of a paper “gadget” you need to make a printout with the famous “apple” and the inscription IPad. One of the cut out pictures needs to be attached to the cardboard and outlined. Using a utility knife, you need to cut out a rectangular piece. This model should have rounded edges. The front part of the tablet needs to be glued onto a cardboard base, then you need to bend the edges and secure them with glue. The rounded edges must be glued so that the tablet lasts as long as possible and does not lose its original shape.
The Apple logo needs to be glued to the back of the craft using regular glue, but for the rounded ends, Moment glue is ideal, since it is important that they dry as quickly as possible. Now you know how to make a tablet out of paper, a photo and diagram of which are presented in our article.
The most unusual coasters
Anyone can cut out cardboard, but coming up with something truly original and unique is a much more difficult task, so below you can see the most extravagant designs for a tablet; Making the same ones with your own hands is not only easy, but also entertaining. A wide variety of improvised means will come to the rescue.
Metal stand
Most likely, in every home you can find a good old metal hanger in the nooks and crannies, which, with the help of skillful hands and brute force, can be turned into a convenient stand for pills. In appearance, of course, such a device is not very good, but you are not doing it for show, but for home use and when there is nothing else at hand, it is even a very wonderful idea.
Second life of a hanger
You need to be very careful with sharp ends so as not to inadvertently damage the case, or even worse, the tablet computer screen; it is recommended to use pliers for bending. If you are still afraid, you can, as an option, glue pieces of foam rubber and then your tablet will not be in any danger.
You can also use plastic hangers, but when bending you will have to heat the bends, because the product is very easy to break.
Everything will come in handy
If you feel sorry for spoiling a hanger, and have a piece of hard wire lying around somewhere, then using the same pliers and an elastic band, you can make a beautiful and aesthetic stand that will be much more attractive than the previous one.
Pencils and pens
At school, many people took pens and pencils from their neighbors in order to build some unusual structure, but now imagine what can be done by adding an ordinary rubber band to this structure.
Original design
That's right, you can make a very interesting and unusual stand for all occasions. Pay attention to the image, from improvised office supplies we make a small tetrahedron, which we tie at the knots with rubber bands and as a result we get an excellent desktop device. Every day you can change the colors and shapes of pencils, add pens and rulers to the design, or something else.
Children's Lego
If you have children, then you most likely understand and have already felt for yourself more than once what it’s like to step on small parts from under a Lego toy for the tenth or hundredth time in a row. And many times we thought about where we could throw them or hide them, but we could never imagine that these small details could be used in another way, see below.
The variety of Lego parts is so great that you can bring to life the most bizarre and unusual shapes for stands: from the simplest, as in the image above, to full-fledged stands in the form of a case made from toy parts. Minimum costs, maximum useful time with the child and development of hand motor skills - there are only advantages.
For the laziest
You can use an old lamp as a stand and holder; the main thing is to firmly and securely fasten the tablet so that it does not accidentally fall. For fastening, it is best to use an elastic band or, in extreme cases, strips of some kind of fabric.
Old lamp
Another rather extravagant element of supporting the tablet in a vertical position is a plunger, look at the image and be surprised at what you see.
As you can see, people’s imagination is practically unlimited: very convenient and useful devices can be made from the simplest things.
And our hit parade is completed by familiar book stands, which will be in the “arms” of schoolchildren for a long time.
Media center
There are many applications for streaming music and videos for Android and iOS. In addition, many Android tablets, even quite old ones, are equipped with HDMI connectors for connecting to a TV and a mini-jack for audio transmission. Put it all together and you get a good media center for those who haven't got a SmartTV.
Connect the tablet to the TV, turn on YouTube, Pandora, any streaming service and listen to music, watch videos even on a TV that does not have an Internet connection.
Handy materials to help
You can make a stand yourself from scrap materials. Almost any material you have at home is suitable for this. It could be:
- wire
- cardboard
- cardboard box
- fabric and padding
- bottle
- tree
- paper
- pencils
- constructor
- stationery holders
- unnecessary plastic cards
- old cassette player
Only your imagination can limit your choice. Of course, the stores offer a huge selection of products in this category. However, making the holder yourself has a number of undeniable advantages:
- Rapidity. Sometimes you need a stand as soon as possible, and there is no time to go to the store to buy it.
- Inexpensive or free. You can make a holder from what you already have in your home.
- Originality. With your own hands you will create a truly unique product.
Home weather station
Do you live in a private house outside the city? Of course, you can spend money on all sorts of smart gadgets like a thermostat or barometer with Wi-Fi connection, but why if an old tablet can show you the weather, temperature, barometric pressure and moon phases?
Hang the gadget on the wall, connect the charger, turn off the display dimming, and expand a weather app or widget to full screen. Fortunately, there are so many of them on Google Play and the App Store that there is nowhere to put them.
At the same time, set up your “weather station” to signal if it’s going to rain - this way you’ll have time to bring home things left outside. And in addition, it can be used as an alarm clock.
Stands made of wood and other materials
To make a tablet holder from wood or other materials, you need to remember that during the manufacturing process you may need tools such as a saw, sandpaper, knives and the like, so be safe and be very careful.
It must be said that not all holders are made according to the same design; everyone just customizes the accessory to suit themselves. This could be a stand with an extension in the form of a mini-table for food. Or arrange a bottom for the stylus on the right. In addition, you can provide a compartment for inserting a keyboard, then your tablet holder can be turned into a full-fledged computer station.
Remote
Many smart TVs, media centers like Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or media servers like Kodi or Plex allow you to control them through Android or iOS apps. Just install the appropriate app and make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. That's it, now you don't need a remote control.
In addition, there are many applications for remote control of your computer through commands from Android or iOS. So you can control not only your TV and media center, but also your desktop computer via Wi-Fi.
Pattern
First you need to find or select a pattern drawing for this element. Moreover, it is not necessary to contact specialists - you can find it yourself on the Internet, then download and print it on a printer.
Carefully cut out the printed design using stationery scissors. After that, select the fabric you want to sew and fold it in half (right side folds inward). Next, attach the pattern to it and use a pencil (you can also use chalk or a dry piece of soap) to trace the pattern.
Material of execution
The material of the case determines its durability, strength and reliability of the case protection. Therefore, it is especially important here to find a compromise between your tastes and the main purpose of the case - to protect the device.
Textile . Budget variants of covers are usually made from fabric. There are many options for the materials themselves: from eco-friendly cotton to brutal, hard felt. Polyester has the best performance characteristics. This is a synthetic material that is incredibly durable, elastic and, most importantly, does not absorb dirt and moisture at all. This cover is easy to care for and you don’t have to worry about the occasional stain or dust. Nylon has similar qualities - a soft, smooth, durable material. Books and fabric covers are made extremely rarely due to the softness of the materials and the need for an additional frame, but cases and bags are made everywhere. Microfiber and corduroy are often used on the inside of covers for better shock absorption and aesthetics. Microfiber simultaneously protects the screen from dust.
Plastic . Inexpensive, lightweight and moderately durable material. Plastic will not add much weight to the device, is pleasant to the touch and does a good job of protecting the device from damage. But it does not absorb shocks very well and may not protect the tablet if it falls. Moreover, if there is a strong impact, the plastic case itself may crack. Sometimes plastic is combined with other materials. For example, the back of the case is made of plastic to firmly secure the device, and the top is made of artificial or genuine leather.
Silicone . The silicone case is as light and thin as possible. Silicone perfectly protects the case from scratches, but it is not at all a protector against shocks and falls. In addition, silicone, even despite its elasticity, sometimes breaks when removing the case and is not particularly durable.
Faux leather . Excellent, durable material for a case. It doesn't look like the notorious leatherette of the past. Artificial polyurethane leather is made specifically for products with increased operational load. It is durable, does not stretch or tear. Faux leather is often coated with a protective compound that completely repels dirt and water. The appearance of artificial leather is often not inferior to natural leather, but at the same time it costs much less.
Genuine Leather . Expensive, noble, reliable - this is how you can characterize cases made of genuine leather. Even if the cover wears out over time, it is unlikely to become less cool because of it - it will simply acquire a new style. Natural leather is somewhat tricky to clean and can absorb stains, but still caring for it is not difficult, and if you are at least a little careful, nothing will happen to the leather. It is elastic, it can be torn, but it is difficult to imagine that anyone would do this on purpose, and it is too thick for accidental damage. Strict, laconic models are often made from leather. It does not fade in the sun, does not tan in the cold, and generally preserves well over the years.
