This DIY Tabletop Photo Easel is a Must-Make!

Does snagging a pretty photo frame whenever you see it in a store come as second nature to you? Then this DIY tabletop photo easel might be the project for you! I was inspired by this beautiful metal easel frame we spotted a while back. Our DIY version uses wood, which we love even more. And for less than $4 a pop, you can easily use these as table numbers and menu holders! I was excited to try out Fiskars’ Precision Hand Drill, which made having the right attachment method possible to build this wooden frame.

What you’ll need:
Fiskars Precision Screwdriver

Fiskars Precision Hand Drill

Fiskars Precision Hand Saw

5×5 Wood plaque (found at craft stores)

Flat dowel (found at craft stores)

Square dowel (found at craft or home improvement stores)

Screws

Wood stain or paint

Optional 8×10 sheets of plexiglass

Making Your Tabletop Photo Easel

Cut your square dowel to desired length. I created my photo easel for a 8×10 print size so I cut my square dowel to about 15 inches long. The flat dowel will be your perpendicular pieces that will hold the artwork on the easel. I cut two 4″ dowel pieces for a 8×10 photo frame.

The Fiskars Precision Hand Saw features a thin but strong blade that allows for controlled cuts which is what I used for this project. Bonus points for its small size + fits perfectly in my DIY stash!

Since the dowels are so thin and delicate, I pre-drilled the holes will avoid splitting the wood. I was so excited to try Fiskars Precision Hand Drill which was perfect for this. It’s a small and cordless hand drill with a hand crank that provides control and makes holes through wood, dry wall and other materials. It comes with 4 standard drill bits that fit the most common range of uses.

I pre-drilled a hole in the center of both 4″ flat dowel pieces and a hole in the middle of the bottom of the wood plaque.

Stain or paint all wood parts after all dowels are cut to size.

I assembled the easel using Fiskars Precision Screwdriver, which is a tool I keep reaching for over any of our old bulky tools. Its free-rotating handle gives you more leverage with a downward force, which takes the work away from using a screwdriver.

I screwed the tall dowel from the bottom of the wood plaque. The wood plaque is made of a soft pine, so the screw can easily be tightened flush with the plaque so that the easel sits flat on a surface. You can also add tiny non-skids bumpers or felt to even the easel if needed. Place the plexiglass sheets in between the 2 pre-drilled holes on the spine of the easel, and attach the 4 inch cross pieces at the top and bottom. To switch the photos or artwork (or in this case a wedding menu), I simply slid the menu in between the acrylic sheets. You can secure the artwork with a small piece of double-sided tape.