A Simple Banner Stand

Are you tired of hanging your organization’s banner from hinges and any other available hook during your meetings? This Instructable will show you how to make a simple stand for your banner using PVC pipes and connectors.

You will need the following materials:

• One 10 foot length of 1/2 inch PVC Pipe
• One 1/2 inch PVC Tee
• One 1/2 inch PVC Coupling
• One 1/2 inch PVC 5-Way Connector
• Four 7/8” Rubber Leg Tips - (These usually come in a 4-Pack anyway)
• Two pieces of Elastic Cord. The length of each piece depends on how long you make the legs of the stand. The actual length needs to start out longer than two of the legs placed end to end with the 5-way Tee between them.

All fittings should be the unthreaded slip kind.

If you think that 1/2 inch PVC Pipe is too flexible and will make the stand too flimsy, you can use 3/4 inch PVC. Just make sure you purchase the appropriate size fittings.

Tools:

• Miter Saw (to cut PVC Pipe)
• Steel Wool
• Scissors

Optional:

• Paint or Stain and something to apply them
• An old lawn chair bag
• A length of 3 inch PVC pipe slightly larger than the width of your banner
• Two end-caps for the 3 inch PVC.

Cut your 10 foot length of PVC Pipe as follows:

• Two pieces of 36 inches
• Four pieces of 8 inches each. You have enough PVC left from the 10 foot section to make these sections up to 12 inches long for a more stable base.

At this time also cut a small slit into the PVC Tee so that you can slip the banner or a banner’s braided rope through it.

By cutting the PVC into two 36 inch pieces, you will be able to easily disassemble the stand and store it with your banner.

If you make the leg sections 8 inches long, cut two sections of the elastic cord about 20 inches each. If you make the leg sections longer, cut the elastic so that each section is longer than two of the legs placed end to end with the 5-way Tee between them.

At this point you may also want to remove any writing from your PVC parts. You can easily do this by scrubbing with steel wool.

If you don’t like the white PVC, you can paint it with spray paint that adheres to plastic. For a wood look, you can stain your PVC parts. See: http://www.pvcworkshop.com/staining.htm for instructions on how to do this.

You are now ready to assemble your stand. None of the pieces will be glued so that you can disassemble the stand for storage later.

Start by slipping one of the pieces of elastic through one of the 8 inch leg pieces. The elastic should be longer that two of the leg pieces placed end to end with the 5-way Tee between them. You will cut it to fit later in the assembly process.

Slip one of the rubber leg tips over the end and secure the elastic between the tip and the PVC pipe section. Notice the end of the elastic slightly sticking out from the tip.

There are many ways to secure the elastic. This was the easiest.

Repeat the process for one of the other 8 inch leg pieces.

Slip the elastic through the 5-way connector and slip it on to the other end of the PVC pipe.

Repeat the process using one of the connectors on the 5-way Tee that is 90 degrees from the first one you did.

At this point the elastic cord should be crossing through the 5-way Tee.

Slip one of the elastic pieces hanging out of the 5-way tee through one of the remaining 8 inc PVC pipe sections. Since the elastic is longer that the two sections it should hang out the end. Gently slip the rubber tip on the end and pull the elastic until it is stretched a little tight, but not so tight you can’t stretch it any more.

Push the rubber tip in and trim the excess elastic.

Repeat the process for the remaining leg and rubber tip.

At this point you have completed the base. You should be able to partially disassemble it for storage by pulling two opposing legs from the 5-way Tee with the elastic keeping all the parts together like a shock-corded tent pole.

Insert one of the two 36 inch pieces of pipe into the top of the 5-way Tee. This is the bottom half of the stand. Insert the coupling into the top of this piece.

Insert the Tee at one end of the other 36 inch piece of PVC pipe, which will become the top half of the stand.

Insert the bare end of the top half (without the Tee) into the coupling of the bottom half.

Your stand is now complete.

Many banners have a dowel at the top. You should be able to slide your banner with its dowel directly through the slit in the PVC Tee.

If your banner has a cord for hanging, you can slip the cord through the slit without having to remove it from either end of the banner.

Because no parts were glued, to disassemble, just take the two 36” pieces apart, leaving the Tee and the Coupling on them.

Pull two of the legs of the base apart to collapse the base. The elastic will keep the whole thing together.

An old lawn chair bag makes a great case for your stand.

To reassemble, slide the two base sections back into the 5-way Tee and assemble the two 36” pieces to complete your stand.

As an extra bonus, if you don't have a bag for your banner and want to protect it with a PVC Case, just make one using a length of 3” PVC pipe long enough to hold your banner. Add two end caps, one of which should be easily removable.