How to Make a Homemade Mic Stand: A Complete Guide

Having the best mic is vital for content creators because it’s how our audience hears us. But even the best mic won’t pick up audio correctly without a proper mic stand. Homemade stands are low-cost alternatives, but how can you make one, and is it really okay to cheap out on a mic stand?

The first option that you can use to make a homemade mic stand is PVC. It gives you the flexibility of a full-blown mic stand, and you can get all the materials you need from a local hardware store. Aside from this, it also allows you to be more creative with your stand to match your room’s design.

Aside from PVC, there are other ways to build a mic stand, and we’ll cover them in this article. Some of them won’t look as nice as, but it’s more than enough to get the job done. Stick around because, after this, you won’t have to spend as much on a mic stand and still get what you need.

Considerations for a Mic Stand

Mic stands have always been an afterthought for many people, and for several reasons, it is. Audio will sound the same regardless of your mic stand, and it barely has any effect on the output you produce. As long as it can hold the mic in an optimal position, it’s good enough. But it doesn’t mean that you can get by without one, or you can get any as long as it fits the mic.

There are a few things that you need to consider for a mic stand, especially if you want to make the most out of it, including the following:

Flexibility 

Mics don’t move around a lot, but you want it to have enough flexibility. You should have the option to adjust the poles anytime to allow you to get in a comfortable position and still have the mic close to you. Even the simplest mic stands can extend and tilt to give its user the freedom to move around and adjust the mic’s position accordingly.

Stability 

A good mic stand should have the perfect mix of stability and flexibility. You want to have the freedom to move the mic around whenever you want, but it should be stable enough to hold its position. The last thing you want for your mic stand is for it to move uncontrollably, causing damage to your mic.

Durability

Mics are heavy, and it might even be heavier than the mic stand if you’re going to build one yourself. It’s a crucial factor that you need to consider before you create a homemade mic stand. You can cheap out on a mic stand because it only serves one purpose — to hold your mic. But it should never be at the cost of its durability.

Aesthetics 

How your mic stand looks may not be as important as the other three, but it’s still something you need to consider. You want your mic stand to blend well with the aesthetics of the room. When designing a homemade mic stand, it would be best to spend a bit more for aesthetics. You don’t want a cheap stand to look mediocre unless it displays exceptional creativity.

You have to check all of these before you even start looking at all the possible options you have for a mic stand. Remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a mic stand, but it should always have these four things to be a valuable part of your setup.

Homemade Mic Stand Idea: Standing PVC

This mic stand is my favorite because it won’t cost a lot, and you can easily find everything you need for it from a local hardware store. Aside from this, you can have all 4 of the factors that I just mentioned, and even more — you can easily customize it according to your liking to match your room’s aesthetics.

Materials for Standing PVC

Before we start building it, let’s make sure that you have the materials for this project. Here are the things that you’ll need for a homemade mic stand:

• Two pivot joints or union tee fittings
• One elbow fitting
• One slip-snap fitting or tee fitting
• Metal threaded pipe
• One threaded adapter plate
• Plyboard or any wood scrap as base
• PVC pipe
• Spray paint (optional)

These materials are the essentials that you need to build one, but there are a plethora of things that you can do to make it “your” stand. It’s easy to go out all when personalizing your mic stand. So before you start thinking about all the things you can do to improve it, let us make a disclaimer:

You can get this full-blown Microphone Stand from Amazon Basics for less than $23, and it has every feature that you’ll get from this project, except for the extended tilt.

If I were to choose between this mic stand or a homemade mic stand that costs $20 to make, I’d go for the Amazon Basics because it’s probably more durable and stable than the PVC mic stand we’re going to build. So, let’s limit the amount that we’re going to spend on a PVC mic stand unless there’s a compelling reason for you to opt for this one; a PVC-themed setup, for example.

Another crucial thing that you need to remember before you buy these materials is to ensure that you’re getting the right size for your mic. You may have noticed that I didn’t include a size for the fittings; it’ll depend on how big or small your mic is and the fitting that you need as its holder. It would be best to take your mic with you when looking for these materials to be sure that you’re building something that you can actually use.

Build the Base

After finding all the materials for the mic stand, the first step is to build the base:

1. Connect the metal adapter plate to the scrap wood for the base.
2. The adapter plate is where you’ll connect the threaded metal pipe that’ll serve as the stand. We can’t use a PVC pipe for this section because PVC is light and will bend to the mic’s weight.
3. The scrap wood and metal pipe should be stable enough to hold the mic in place and still provide you with the flexibility that you need for this project.

Remember, this section will support the whole weight of the stand with the mic, so you need to build this with durability in mind. It’s also worth noting that a heavier wood can make your stand more stable, preventing it from tipping over while using it.

Connect the PVC

This section will be responsible for extending the mic stand or adjusting it to give you the optimal position. Pivot joints will make it easier for you to build adjustable mic stands. Unfortunately, not every hardware store has this available. So, an alternative would be for you to use union tee fittings. These are easier to find and will still give you the flexibility and stability you need for your projects.

Here’s how you can connect the PVC to the base:

1. Insert a PVC pipe, with the same length as the scrap wood you’re using, into a pivot joint or union tee fitting.
2. Connect it to the metal pipe on your base. It’ll allow you to swivel and tilt the mic stand for you to get the optimal position.
3. Tighten the joint to keep it in place while you’re working on the boom arm for your stand.

Connect the Boom Arm

The boom arm is the section that holds the mic and brings it closer to you. With a proper foundation, PVC shouldn’t be a problem, as long as you can adjust the mic’s height and reach.

Here’s how you can build and connect the boom arm:

1. Insert a PVC pipe, at least a meter in length, into another pivot joint or union tee fitting. It shouldn’t be too short because you want it to be flexible enough to give you the optimal position for the mic but not too long that it bends to the mic’s weight.
2. Tighten the fittings to keep the arm in place. This position should hold even after you snap or slide the mic in place.

Snap the Mic in Place

There are two options for the mic holder: a fitting that you can find in big box stores called slip-snap fitting or cutting one side of a tee fitting to slide the mic in place. Need to put a stand on a Blue Yeti? Check out my article for a how-to here.

Slip-snap fitting will make it easier for you to have your mic holder because you can just snap it in place and hold its position. But if you use a tee fitting and cut a part of it on one side, you’ll still get the same effect. The only difference between the two is that you won’t get the “snap” effect from a tee fitting, but instead, slide it into the hole to hold the mic.

Paint the Stand (Optional)

The last step to complete your homemade mic stand is to personalize it with paint. PVC has labels, and the coating makes it obvious that you’re using cheap materials for your mic stand. But if you can spend a bit more on spray paint, it should be enough to give it a metallic look.

I prefer using matte black for the stand, but you can use any color that you prefer, especially if you’re trying to match it with your room’s aesthetics.

Homemade Mic Stand Idea: Suspended PVC

If you’re working in a small room and want to minimize your mic stand’s footprint, this idea should help you get rid of it. But if you’re going to suspend your mic from the ceiling, you don’t have to worry about building a strong base for it. The gravity should do the work for you in stabilizing the mic, and it won’t have issues with weight.

You may already have an idea of how you can build a suspended mic stand because it’s similar to what I just shared with you. But here are the materials that you’ll need for it:

• Two pivot joints or union tee fittings
• One elbow fitting
• One slip-snap fitting or tee fitting
• Threaded adapter plate
• Threaded PVC pipe
• PVC pipe
• Spray paint (optional)

It’s almost the same as the first mic stand, and the process of building it is also the same. The only difference is that instead of screwing the adapter plate on a plyboard or scrap wood, you’ll be screwing it on the ceiling. It’s also slightly cheaper because you can work with a PVC pipe instead of a base metal pipe.

Another difference is the length of the mic stand that you’re going to build from the base. If you’re working on a standing PVC, you only need to consider your height with an option to slightly adjust its length, depending on who’s using the mic. But if you’re going to suspend it, the length will depend on how high your ceiling is and your standing or sitting height.

Remember, your mic should always be in an optimal position, whether you’re sitting or standing. It should have enough flexibility for it to reach most areas of the room. Unlike most mic stands, you can’t carry it anywhere for you to have a better position. It’s just there, suspended on the ceiling permanently, and the only way for you to move it is through the pivot joints or union tee fittings that you’ll use.

Painting the pipes is still optional, but if you’re going to suspend it, there’s more reason for you to ensure that it blends with the room. You can’t tuck it away on a corner of the room, and it’ll always be on top of you. Although it takes less footprint and slightly cheaper, you should have great attention to detail to ensure that it doesn’t look cheap and homemade.

To top it all up, remember that there are cheaper mic stands that you can buy. So if you feel like you’re going to spend a bit more to make your homemade stand look nice, you may want to consider buying one instead.

Homemade Mic Stand Idea: Tripod Conversion

Converting a tripod into a mic stand is more of a reuse/recycle project. If you have an old camera tripod that you no longer use, you might as well use it as a mic stand. It won’t cost a lot and won’t take long to build. I can’t recommend buying a camera tripod just to convert it into a mic stand because most of them (at least the good ones) cost more than the mic stand from AmazonBasics that I shared with you.

Before I lead you to build a mic stand using your old tripod, here’s something that you can buy from Amazon: Andoer Mic Holder (1/4 inch) Screw. This holder should be enough to convert your tripod into a mic stand, and it has the same effect as the one that we’re going to build.

The only difference is that you’ll have an additional length that could help extend your stand’s reach. You’ll also have the option to use a better mic clip than the one you’ll get from what I just shared with you.

Materials for Tripod Mic Stand

The mic holder I shared with you costs about $8, but if you have most of the materials below, it’ll be cheaper for you to build one. It’ll also allow you to come up with a better mic stand than simply converting your mounting plate into a mic holder:

• Tripod with 1/4 inch mounting screw
• Microphone clip with 5/8-inch screw
• 3/8-inch to 5/8-inch adapter
• 3/8-inch hanger bolt
• 1/4-inch threaded insert
• Dowel or 2×2 or any scrap wood
• 3/8-inch nuts

These materials are easy to find, and you don’t really have to buy any of them. Today, most microphones already have the clip included, and we only need to build a section that will connect the clip to the tripod.

Here are the steps you should take to make a homemade tripod mic stand:

Screw Into the Dowel

The only thing that we need to do for this project is to use the dowel to convert the clip from 5/8-inch to 1/4-inch. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Drill a hole on one side of the dowel to fit the threaded insert. It should go all the way inside the dowel because this part is what you’ll connect to the tripod mount.
2. Drill another hole on the other side of the dowel. It should be deep enough for the hanger to go halfway through until the machine type thread.
3. Screw one of the nuts into the hanger until it reaches the part that goes into the wood. Once you reach it, you can use a wrench to drive the screw into the dowel, making it easier for you to put it in.
4. Add another nut into the hanger, then the 3/8-inch to 5/8-inch adapter. This part is the one that connects the mic clip to the dowel.

Note: I kept on mentioning dowel because it’s the ideal option for this wooden section. It’s cylindrical, making it look like a part of the stand and easier to paint. But you’re free to use any wood that you can find, as long as it’s at least 3 inches long; if you have something longer than that, better. It allows you to extend the reach of your mic stand, making it easier to get the optimal position without compromising its durability and stability.

Connect the Parts

Once you have the dowel and the adapters in place, you can easily connect everything. But when mounting the dowel into the tripod, it would be better for you to remove its mounting plate and screw it in place before putting it back into the tripod.

You also need to consider the capacity of the mounting plate that you have. The longer your dowel is, the heavier it gets. The mic’s weight also adds more pressure to the mounting plate, so don’t use a very long wood for it.

Before you mount the plate back to the tripod, be sure to connect the mic clip first. It allows you to screw the clip in place tightly without adding pressure to the mounting plate.

Once you have all the pieces in place, and you’re not planning to paint or personalize your mic stand, you can put it back onto the tripod. 

Personalize (Optional)

A homemade mic stand doesn’t mean that you have to make it look like one. Most tripods are a combination of black and silver colors, which may not be ideal for a mic stand. Add the wood area in, and you’re getting something that will stand out wherever you place it. Using a bit of spray paint will add to the project’s cost, but it helps you personalize the stand you have and ensure that it matches your room’s aesthetics.

Other Homemade Mic Stand Ideas

Aside from these homemade mic stand ideas that I shared with you, there are many other options that you can use. Below are some of the best ideas that I’ve seen for mic stands, from the cheapest and easiest to do, up to the most elaborate designs that will make anyone want it for their room.

Before you start looking for the materials that you need for the mic stands I shared above, be sure to check the following ideas:

The Cheapest and Easiest Mic Stand

All the ideas I shared with you will require you to spend on something, whether it’s a pipe or a nut. None of them is free. But you can check out this video, this idea takes the crown for being the easiest and cheapest homemade mic stand that you can do:

I agree, it’s not the best-looking mic stand that you’ll find, but it gets the job done and doesn’t cost you a lot. In fact, if you already have a Pringles can lying anywhere in your house, you can have it for free!

Just remember that this is not a permanent mic stand that can serve you for years. It may not even last for a couple of months, but it works until you save up enough for a proper mic stand. But you have to agree that this is one of the most creative and resourceful mic stand ideas that you’ve seen, right?

Cheap Hack for a Monopod Mic Stand

The Pringles mic stand is an ingenious idea that you can use, right? But it doesn’t have three of the four factors you need for a proper mic stand: stability, flexibility, and aesthetics. The idea I found online through this video takes it up a notch, and if you have an old monopod that you no longer use, you can even do it for free:

If you’re going to use a monopod for your mic stand, you’ll have the flexibility to adjust its height and even tilt the mic to help you get the optimal position for it. Sure, durability and stability will still be a concern with this homemade mic stand, but I’m sure you can get better results from this project with proper tools.

Another advantage that you can get from this homemade mic stand is it’ll be easier for you to customize it according to your liking. With a bit of spray paint, it’s easy for you to change it to any color you want. It’s a temporary mic stand, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t do anything to make it look better.

Cheap and Exquisite Wooden Mic Stand

This mic stand deserves a recommendation because of how it looks. Honestly, I think it looks and works better than any mic stand that you can get in the market. Plus, if you have a full-blown workshop that you’re using for woodworks, you can build one for less than the cost of the cheapest mic stand.

It checks all the boxes of a good mic stand and even excels in aesthetics. The only reason why I have it last is because I think not many have the tools needed to build this one. It wouldn’t make sense for anyone to invest in a similar workshop just to create a mic stand, either. But to give you an idea here’s a video of the process of making one of the best mic stands that I’ve seen:

Conclusion

Mic stands don’t affect the audio that you produce, but it affects how you interact with the mic. It’s a vital part of your setup, but you don’t have to spend a lot on it. With enough creativity and resourcefulness, it’ll be straightforward for anyone to build their homemade mic stand.

Just make sure that the one you create will have the four crucial factors that I shared with you. These are the pillars of a good mic stand and will be the basis for how useful your mic stand will be.

Check out my guide to the Best Boom Arms.

Sources

• Instructables Living: DIY Microphone Stand
• Little Lovelies: 25 DIY Mic Stand Ideas – How To Make A Microphone Stand
• Instructables Circuits: DIY Pringles Mic Stand
• Instructables Circuits: Microphone Stand – Ceiling Suspension