How to Make a Podium for a Wedding
The podium at your wedding is one of the focal points of the celebration and your guests will remember it. Making your own podium sets an attractive backdrop to the ceremony and creates a lasting memento of your wedding. After the ceremony, you can take the decorative podium and set it in your home. Prepare the podium well before the ceremony, so it has time to dry and you can properly decorate it. Consult the wedding planner about the design of the podium before the wedding to ensure it fits well into your ceremony.
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Things You'll Need
- Saw
- Wood planks
- Pencil
- Sandpaper
- Drill
- Wood glue
- Wood dowels
- Cloth
- Wood-burning pen
- Wood stain
Instructions
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1
Cut two 1-inch-thick boards of wood into 1 1/2-foot-long squares. These are the base and the top of the podium.
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2
Cut one rectangle of wood to 1 foot in width and 4 feet in height. This is the front panel of the podium that faces the audience. Cut a second panel that is 1 foot in width and 3 1/2 feet in height for the back panel of the podium.
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3
Cut one of the 1-foot-wide edges on both panel pieces at a 45-degree angle. This allows the top of the podium to slide comfortably at an angle over both of them.
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4
Cut two side panels for the podium to a 10-inch length and 4-foot height. Draw a diagonal pencil line near one of the 1-foot-wide edges of each side panel. It should start at the corner of one piece and slant down to the other side, creating a line that is 4-feet tall on one side and 3 1/2-feet tall on the other side.
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5
Cut along the angled line of both side panels of the podium. Sand the edges of the wood pieces to remove splinters and burned edges caused by the saw.
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6
Drill two half-inch-wide and deep holes on the top and bottom sides of each panel on the ends that will face up and down. Place the holes near the corners of the wood edges. Glue 1-inch-long wooden dowels into each hole with wood glue and allow them to dry.
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7
Drill eight holes (half an inch wide and deep) to receive the wood dowels into the top of the podium base and the top of the podium platform. Position them so they can properly accept the wooden dowels on each side panel.
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8
Fill the holes in the base of the podium halfway full with wood glue. Slide the dowels at the bottom of the panels into the holes in the base. The wood panels should sit close together, forming a square shape with the side panels comfortably nestled between the front and back panels.
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9
Wipe away the excess wood glue that seeps out of the sides. Slide the platform of the podium onto the dowels at the top of the panels. The top of the podium sits at a slant, so the person performing the ceremony can set a book or papers on the podium.
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10
Drill two holes at the top corners of the podium platform. Make them 1-inch wide. When you finish, place decorative bouquets in the holes for added decoration.
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11
Glue a wood strip to the lower end of the podium platform. This holds the books and papers in place when they rest there.
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12
Write the names of the bride and groom in decorative script across the front panel of the podium with a wood-burning pen. This adds customization to the project.
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13
Wash over the podium with wood stain to make it more attractive. Brush the stain on with a clean cloth and allow it to dry. Apply another coat if it seems uneven.
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Tips & Warnings
Wrap garland or tulle around the base and panels of the podium for an added decorative touch.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
