Need to record some music (or create some content) but you’re stuck in a space with bad reverb and reflections? You’re in the right place, because we’re going to walk you through how we built a giant DIY acoustic panel for sixty bucks. 

Standing acoustic panels are great because you don’t have to drill into your walls, which gets more complicated and requires extra work. (And the permission of your landlord if you have one.) They’re also super easy to move and reconfigure as you need. 

We’ve got the panel specialist himself Fabio from Noize to walk us through the process and explain how to build acoustic panels that can turn any room into a professional sounding space. 

Let’s get to it.  

Estimated build time: 

The entire project took about two days (three if you include planning). 

Here’s all the materials we used: 

Wood Frame (1×4 inches)

– 184 cm (x2) sides

– 60 cm (x3) top/bottom

– 30 cm (x2) feet

– Wood screws 2 inches (x16)

Covering

– Canvas Tarp 9×12 feet (build 2 panels and covers back)

– Staple Gun: Stanley TR45

– Staples (make sure you get the right size)

– Iron & scissors (ask your mum/neighbor)

Insulation

– Rockwool 120×60 cm (2 inches thick) – 6x Slabs/Tiles

– 120×60 cm (x1) bottom section

– 55×60 cm (x1) top section

Tools 

Ryobi Drill and Drill Bit (not included in the price) 

Scissors 

An iron (yes, for real) 

Staplegun and lots of staples

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Build the Frame (1:05)

To build the frame for your DIY acoustic panel, we’ll use the two cuts of 184 cm wood and two cuts of the 60 cm wood. There’s a good reason for these measurements. The wood is sold at 224 cm so using these measurements utilizes the full length of the wood and avoids waste. 

We want the width to be 60 cm because that fits the measurements of the Rockwool installation we’re going to put inside the frame to absorb sound. 

Constructing the panels means you’re going to need a drill bit. We didn’t include this in our total costs because you can 

  1. reuse the drill bit for other things in your life, like building more panels, or
  2. sell it after you’re done with it. 

Line up the 60 cm wood with the end of the 184 cm wood and drill some pilot holes for the screws. This makes it easier to place the screws. You can hold the two pieces together with your off hand, but if you have clamps we recommend using those. 

Once you have the pilot holes done, switch the drill bit to a Phillip’s head screwdriver and grab the wood screws. Drill those in, and you’ve got a frame! 

Add a Structure Panel (2:20) 

Even if our measurements are perfect, the frame can still move off center and become more of a rhombus than a rectangle. Naturally, we don’t want that, so to help the frame keep its structural integrity, we’ll screw the last 60 cm piece of wood to the lengthwise pieces of the frame. 

There’s a bit of a technique to this. First, you need to stand the frame up so you can get a good look at it. Then, take the 60 cm piece of wood and push it as if you’re going to attach it to one side. Now, take the other side, push it against the other border of the frame and slowly move it down. 

This will push the frame back into the rectangle shape we want. Once you’ve got it adjusted, screw one side of the structure panel in. With that side secure, create some tension on the other side so the entire panel maintains the shape you need. Now screw the other side in. 

Voilá! The frame is secure. 

Attach the Canvas (3:56) 

With the frame built, it’s time to wrap it in canvas. You want to do this because canvas helps absorb and dampen sound waves. 

We like to use a canvas tarp like painters use when they’re working on a house. It’s cheap and effective. You’ll need two additional tools for this step: 

  1. Some scissors that can cut fabric
  2. An iron to get rid of any creases 

Ironing out the creases in your canvas makes the end result look much, much better and more professional. If you don’t do it at this point, you’ll be stuck with a wrinkled acoustic panel forever (and ever and ever). 

So, lay the canvas out flat and start ironing. We recommend putting something under it (perhaps the other tarp) so the iron doesn’t damage whatever surface you’re ironing on. It shouldn’t take too long, and if you throw on a playlist, this part can be pretty relaxing. 

Stapling the canvas to the frame (5:00) 

Once your canvas is ironed out, it’s time to attach it to the frame. We like using a staple gun for this step. You can get a cheap one for around $25. 

First, cut away excess fabric from the canvas. You want this part of the canvas to be long enough that you can pull it over the frame and create tension but short enough that it doesn’t lay all the way down in the frame. 

(Reference the video to a good visual.) 

Once you cut the canvas, staple it to the narrow portion of the frame that’s facing upward. Do one side and then move to the other. 

Once you get to the corners, employ a double fold technique. Fold the fabric along a 90 degree angle with the length of the frame, then pull the rest of the fabric over until it’s tight against the frame and staple it down. 

Insert the Acoustic Insulation (5:50)

Time to install the Rockwool installation. Be sure to put on some gloves and a mask so you don’t breath in any of the fibers from the insulation. We also laid down a big tarp and did this part outside. 

The Rockwool insulation comes in sheets of six, so pull one out and slide it into the frame. If you’re having trouble—like we did in the video—try standing the frame up and letting gravity help pull the insulation sheet down. 

Our measurement for the panels equates to exactly one and a half Rockwool sheets. So after you put the first sheet in, cut another one in half and fill in the gap. This stuff is pretty easy to cut. You can probably do it with a bread knife. 

If you have any spare canvas, you can use it to cover up the backside of the panels now. Just measure and make cuts based on the exposed part of the frame, lay the canvas on top, and use a piece of cardboard or something similar to wedge it down into the creases. 

Give the DIY Acoustic Panel Some Feet (7:23)

To help the panel stand up, we need to screw two 30 cm pieces of wood to the bottom of our frame. Be sure to do an extra layer of stapling to the canvas on the bottom so you don’t lose any tension at this step. 

Position the wood so it makes a cross shape with the bottom of the frame. It’s a good idea to drill pilot holes here so your screws go in easier. It’s also smart to drill the screws partially through the wood and then put them in the pilot holes and screw them in. 

It’s the little things, you know? 

And that’s it! You just build a DIY acoustic panel. Look at you go. 

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You’ve got the panels; now it’s time to record some music. Be sure to sign up for Boombox for free and get four gigs of storage at no cost.