How do you make a simple art easel?

To make a simple art easel, build a basic wood frame consisting of hinged legs, cross pieces and brackets. Plans are available on a variety of building websites such as ThisOldHouse.com.

To make an art easel, follow the steps below.

1. Choose plans

Working with plans or templates makes building an easel much simpler. Plans may offer exact material measurements and diagrams.

2. Cut out the pieces

Cut out all of the leg, cross bar, and bracket pieces according to the plan instructions. The template provided on ThisOldHouse.com recommends using one-by-three-inch wood pieces cut into four-foot length pieces for the legs, 24-inch pieces for the cross bars and 14-inch pieces for the brackets.

3. Add the hinges

Take two hinges and attach each of them to two leg pieces using a drill and screws.

4. Attach the supporting pieces

Attach the cross bar pieces between the two hinged leg pieces to hold them together. To attach the brackets, drill holes on both sides of the wood. Loosely screw one side into the legs and leave the other side free to pivot. Insert another screw into the legs, leaving the screw head sticking out. Make the remaining holes in the brackets large enough to fit over the screw so that it can easily hook and unhook onto the easel. This makes it easy to set up and fold up the easel.

5. Add a board

Add a board to one or both sides of the easel to create a flat surface.