DIY Easel TV Stand

I needed a stand for the TV in my basement rec room — something that I could roll around for optimum viewing and tuck away when I’m done. After looking high and low, I found that most TV stands were expensive and often not terribly attractive. (I also didn’t want to interfere with the look of my gallery wall by wall-mounting the TV.) Then, I stumbled on this cool easel at an art supply store and knew that with a little rejigging it would be a functional solution — not to mention a fun conversation piece. Here’s how I did it:

Materials and Tools

• Easel
• Finishing stain
• Stain brush
• Drill
• 4 casters
• 4 bolts and washers
• 1″-thick plywood board

Step 1: Source easel

Easels vary significantly in price. Be sure to splurge on something with a solid wood frame and strong square base (mine cost $300, which I still consider a great deal). The easel must have a ledge deep enough to accommodate the depth of your TV. If you need extra storage, the two supporting boards connecting the legs at the base of the easel can double as a shelf for a DVD player or cable box (add a sheet of wood here if needed).

Step 2: Make alterations

I began by screwing four casters to the legs of the easel and staining it with Minwax Paste Finishing Wax to give it the finished look of furniture. Then, I built a bracket (see below) from a piece of 1″-thick plywood to provide extra support for the TV. Newer TV sets that can be wall-mounted will have four screw holes at the back of the unit. Simply measure the distance between the four holes, and have someone at your local hardware store cut a piece of plywood to size, adding 1″ to the height and width (my bracket was 10″ x 10″). Pencil on the board where the four screw holes should be and drill holes. Make sure the screws have the same thread pattern as the holes in the TV and are long enough (I needed 4″ screws).

Step 3: Secure TV

Position your TV on the easel and gradually tighten the clamping mechanism to secure the top of the screen in place. Then, position the plywood board at the back of the easel and screw it into the TV. The TV is now firmly secured to the easel, so you can raise, lower or tilt it to suit your viewing needs.

Easel, Woolfitt’s Art Enterprises; Minwax Paste Finishing Wax, Primetime Paint & Paper; television, Best Buy.

Get more DIY & Home Improvement ideas in our guide.