How to make a really easy display easel

Hi everyone.
    We have been doing a lot of fine art lately and weve been thinking about taking some on the road with us when we go to festivals to sell our gourds.  I really want to be able to display these without having to spend a fortune buying store bought easels so thought I would see if I could make some from the wood scraps I seem to have an abundance of these days.   Look what I found going through the workbench drawers...

I found 3 packs of these sticks.  They are 1/8" thick, 1" wide and 12" long.  There is at least 20 in each bag!  They remind me of paint stir sticks, but they're not.   I think I can use these.  

Here is what I saw at the store that I think I can easily make and customize

Let's get started

Supplies 

Wood- I used my wood slat pieces  (7 pieces total) 

plus (1)-   3/4 x 1 3/4 x 12" pine ( for the easel tray

Wood glue

small wood screws

1 small nail approx. 1 1/4" long

Plaid paints

Equipment

Proxxon mini band saw

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

Proxxon rotary tool with small drill bit

kapro measure mate 313  measuring tool

Proxxon mini table saw

screwdriver

small hammer

Cut all your wood pieces to size.  I used my precut pieces (since I had them) for my vertical members and I cut my easel tray on the proxxon mini bandsaw.

You will need 

(5) 1/8 x 1 x 12 inch pieces

(1) 1/8 x 1 x 8"  

(1) 1/8 x1x5"

(1) 1/8 x 1/2 x 2"

(1) 3/4 x 1 3/4 x 12"

I used the kapro measure mate 313 to do my measuring.  It has a triangle shape and sits on my wood piece making it easy to mark.  It does a lot of other things as well and you should check it out.

I cut my pieces on the proxxon mini bandsaw.

Sweet.... it is so easy.

In this picture I am cutting the small angles that are needed on the outside legs so that it will sit straight on the table.  I simply copied the angles from my go-by piece.

The 8" piece needs a 45 degree angle at the top.  This will hold the easel up.  

Easy to do on the proxxon mini table saw

The other cut that needs to be done is a cut out on the center "leg: so that it can pivot.  I cut it on the proxxon mini bandsaw   before I cut this piece I glued a second piece to the back of it so that it would be stronger.  We are going to drill a hole horizontally through it to pivot so I felt 1/8" would be too flimsy.  So this piece is 1/4" thick.

Let's put it together

 I layed it out like this and glued the cross bar to the back.  Later I will  add some screws for strength.

I glued the sides to the tray bottom and clamped them, then let it dry.

I added screws to strengthen the hold.  Then this was glued to the front of the easel.  The bottom of the tray is level with the middle leg.

Here comes the tricky part!👀👀👀

This little piece of wood with the green on it gets glued to the center leg of the easel just under the top cross bar.  (gads I am showing it on the front in the picture),  trust me it goes on the back!

Where it is marked green add some small screws after the glue dries.   Then lay the cut out piece (the leaning 8" leg with the 45 degree cut on top) like the picture shows and drill a hole where the red line is, through the leg and the piece that you just secured.  Run a nail through the hole  This creates the pivot point.

Tricky part done   whew.... Now lets get creative.. 

I ended up making several, all different sizes.   The big one (blue one)  I used 1/2 wood slats and made it taller and wider for bigger pictures. 

 I painted them with plaid paints because I love their colors.  The green one is not quite done.  I'm thinking frogs maybe?

Hey, I had fun, and I'm going to make some more.  It was a whole lot easier to make than it was to try to tell you how I made it.   Hope you can follow these directions.    Take care now but have some fun.

Thanks everyone for visiting.  Thanks Proxxon, Kapro, Plaid.  Thanks Terri, our mentor.

till next time   Carol