Okay, so let’s talk about this little project I did – making a cup iPad holder.
Why I Even Bothered
It started because I always have my coffee cup next to my iPad when I’m reading news in the morning or watching something quick at my desk. You know how it is. The table gets crowded. I kept worrying I’d knock over my drink onto the iPad, or bump the iPad and send it sliding. Standard iPad stands are fine, but they don’t really solve the drink problem. I wanted something to keep both things neat and safe, right there together.
Figuring it Out and Getting Started
I thought, why not make something myself? I didn’t want anything complicated. Just a simple base to hold both. I remembered I had some leftover wood scraps in the garage from another project. Perfect. Didn’t need to buy anything. Found a decent piece of pine, not too thick, not too thin.
So, I grabbed the wood, my measuring tape, a pencil, a saw, and some sandpaper. That was pretty much it for tools. Oh, and I needed to figure out the cup size. Grabbed my favorite coffee mug to measure the bottom diameter. Also measured the thickness of my iPad, including its slim case.
Making the Thing
First step was cutting the main base piece. I sketched out a basic rectangular shape, maybe about the size of a small placemat, giving enough space for the cup and the iPad slot. My first cut with the handsaw wasn’t perfectly straight, gotta admit. Had to trim it down a bit and square it up better.
Next, the cup holder part. I marked out a circle where the mug would sit. I don’t have fancy drill bits for large holes, so I carefully used my jigsaw to cut out the circle. It was a bit rough around the edges, so lots of sanding was needed there to make it smooth and prevent snags.
Then, the slot for the iPad. I marked a straight line towards the back of the base. I needed a groove, not a hole. So, I set my circular saw depth really shallow and made a couple of passes to carve out a channel. I tried to angle it slightly, maybe 10-15 degrees? Just tilted the saw base a tiny bit. Tested it with the iPad. It stood up alright, but wobbled a bit. The groove was maybe a hair too wide. So, I found a really thin strip of wood, glued it inside the groove along one edge. Let it dry. Tested again. Much better, held the iPad snug.
After getting the shapes right, the main job was sanding. I spent a good while sanding everything down – the top, the bottom, the edges, inside the cup hole, inside the iPad groove. Wanted it smooth so it wouldn’t scratch the iPad or feel rough.
I thought about painting it, but honestly, I kind of liked the plain wood look. Simple. I did find an old can of clear spray varnish, though. Gave it a quick coat just to seal the wood a bit, protect it from coffee drips, you know?
How It Turned Out
And that was basically it. Took maybe an hour or two, mostly fiddling and sanding. It’s nothing fancy, definitely looks homemade. But hey, it works! My mug sits nicely in its spot, and the iPad stands securely right beside it. No more clutter, no more worrying about spills. It does exactly what I wanted it to do.
Here’s the rundown of what I did:
- Found scrap wood.
- Measured my mug and iPad.
- Cut the base shape.
- Cut out the circle for the cup (used a jigsaw).
- Cut an angled groove for the iPad (used a circular saw set shallow).
- Had to adjust the groove width slightly.
- Sanded everything really well.
- Applied a clear coat for protection.
Super simple project, used stuff I already had, and solved a little daily annoyance. Pretty satisfying, actually. It’s not winning any design awards, but it’s practical, and I made it. Good enough for me.