Homemade Recipe Book Holder

littergitter
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 418 Posts

I love using my homemade recipe book holder, made by my husband in 2003. He loves working with wood and makes bird feeders, bird houses, and other handy things.

To make the recipe book holder, he used a clear plastic clipboard, some scrap shelving board, scrap Plexiglas, and duct tape.

After 13 years, the duct tape was beginning to separate from the glue and it was time to replace the tape. Being that we had to take it apart to replace the tape, I decided to take pictures and show my friends on Thriftyfun how it is made.

The wood could use a new coat of varnish, but it's cold outside. Maybe next time.

Supplies:

3/4 inch shelving board
large clear plastic clipboard or Plexiglas cut to size
duct tape
saw - to cut Plexiglas and wood
sandpaper and varnish
router - to make cuts for book back holder

Steps:

Cut the wood base 10 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches. If using a clear plastic clip board, cut the length of the wood the width of the clipboard.

Make the book back support 7 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Mine is made out of 2 pieces of scrap Plexiglas sandwiched together with the edges glued together. Hubby put a handy cooking information sheet between the two pieces of Plexiglas.

To hold the book back holder in position, cut gooves approximately 1/2 inch deep and the length to fit the holder. Start them 2 1/2 inches from the front of the wooden board. Make at least 3 for position adjustments for different size books. See above image.
Cut Plexiglas 10 1/2 inches by 10 inches. If you are using a clipboard, cut the bottom off 10 inches from the top. Cut another strip 3/4 inches wide and glue it to the inside bottom of the Plexiglas so book back support will fit inside when folded flat for storage.

To tape it together, place bottom of Plexiglas beside and level with the front of the board. This will be the inside of the recipe holder so the clipboard clip will be on the bottom side of the Plexiglas. The tape has to bend, therefore, this is the first step in taping it together. (See image above in step 1.)
Place duct tape 1/2 of it on the Plexiglas and the other 1/2 on the board to hold them together.

Fold shut and tape outside of Plexiglas to board. Place 1/2 of the tape on Plexiglas and 1/2 on the wooden board. You will need to add another piece of duct tape to make it wide enough to fit well around the bottom and to the backside of the board.

Using a case cutter, trim tape edges and you are done.

The recipe book holder can hold different size books and will protect your pages from splatters. You can use the clip on the clip board for holding small books or recipe cards. If using plain Plexiglas to make this, a clothes pin or paper clamp will work well.

Place book back holder on the wooden base. Fold for storage. I keep mine on top of the refrigerator where it's handy when I need it, which is quite often.

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Cindy

February 14, 20160 found this helpful

That's brilliant!!!!!

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Anonymous

February 15, 20160 found this helpful

Love it! You could even install the clipboard with back of the clipboard facing out so that when you use the clip, you could put the recipe card in facing outwards and the recipe card would also be protected.

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mo1128

February 15, 20160 found this helpful

When are you going to be able to have it ready to sell in stores?!

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littergitter
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 418 Posts

February 19, 20160 found this helpful

mo1128, for someone that wanted to sell these, it could be made really nice with some hinges to hold it together. Mine is put together the "Red Neck" style but it works great for me.

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