How to Make 4-by-8 Portable Room Dividers

Use plywood to form your portable room dividers.

Portable room dividers are useful when you need to temporarily split up a large room, whether it’s for a conference, multiple round table discussions or other purposes. A 4-by-8 room divider is a good dimension to make, as this is one of the standard sizes of plywood. Making it foldable helps it to fit into a small space, such as a car trunk for easy portability.

Things You'll Need

• 4-by-8 plywood piece
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Straightedge
• Saw
• 6 hinges
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• High-gloss acrylic paint

Instructions

1. Turn one 4-by-8 piece of plywood so the long side is horizontally in front of you. Lay a measuring tape out along the 8-foot span. Make a pencil mark every 2 feet 8 inches to divide the plywood into three sections. Place a long straightedge on the pencil markings and use it as a guide to draw a straight cutting line. Use a scroll or circular saw to cut the plywood into three separate pieces.

2. Line two of the plywood pieces up equally on the ground, with the 4-foot spans facing vertically. Place one hinge set 6 inches from the bottom and one hinge set 6 inches from the top at the point where both plywood pieces meet. Install the hinges by screwing them into place.

3. Turn the two attached pieces of plywood over and line up the third piece. Repeat the process of installing the hinges between the two non-attached panels.

4. Sand down any rough places on the plywood divider and paint with a high-gloss acrylic to create a finished look.

5. Fold the left and right panels onto the center panel when moving. Spread out the panels folding them outward in either direction until balanced, to set up.

References

• This Old House; How to Make a Folding Screen Using Old Hinges and Shutters; Amy R. Hughes
• Frugal Home Decor; Budget Decorating: Making a Room Divider; Lee Dobbins
• Canadian Wood Council: Plywood Sizes