How to make a DIY tripod for less than $5

Mark is a video producer and pizza eater. In his spare time, he’s very handsome. Owls and kale freak him out.
Mark Cersosimo
A quick trip to the hardware store and a couple bucks can get you steady shots on a budget. We'll show you how, here.

There’s a million reasons you might not have a tripod. It’s out of your price range, someone borrowed it and never gave it back, you traded it for magic beans. Luckily, a quick trip to the hardware store and a couple bucks can get you those steady shots on a budget.

How to make your DIY tripod

Step 1: Go to the hardware store and grab a ¼ inch eye bolt. It looks like a screw except the sharp end is flat and the other end is a loop. Also, pick up some thick string or cord.

Step 2: Cut the string to about three times your height and loop it through your eye bolt and then tie the string ends together.

Step 3: Screw the eye bolt into the tripod thread at the bottom of your camera

Step 4: Do the opposite of jump rope and stand on the string with your legs about a shoulder’s width apart and pull the camera up until there’s tension in the string.

The string tension is what’s going to help keep your camera steady so you don’t have to worry about any extreme shakiness in your footage. There you have it: DIY tripod complete. Pretty neat!

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