How to Make a DIY Plant Stand

I was looking for the perfect plant stand but could not find one in any shop. Instead of searching and spending money, I decided to make one on a tight budget or almost no budget at all by using some leftover wood I had at home. If you cannot find something in the shop – try and make it yourself ..

Another thing, when you make something yourself -you can decide the style/size and colour and make it exactly as YOU want! I started by deciding on the measurements – how tall did I want this plant stand to be and how much wood  I wanted to be shown over the plant pot. I decided on 40 cm high with 10 cm wood overlap on the pot (so 50cm in total).  I also measured the plant pot diameter, which was roughly 25 cm.

For this project I used 2×1″ timber and cut 4 pieces for the legs of 50 cm each and 2 pieces for the base of 25cm each (I allowed around 5mm so that the pot wouldn’t be too tight in the spot, so do leave a few mm spare for the base) .

The two smaller pieces are your base/bottom that the pot will be based on.  I wanted to create a half lap joint (I think that is the correct term). This joint is where half of each of the two pieces of wood being joined is removed so that the two pieces join together flush with one another. Sounds a bit more complicated than it actually is. Here is what you do.

First you measure the width of the wood – mine was 2″, you then mark the centre of each piece and mark 1″ either side (making 2″ equally in the centre)

Then, turn the wood and mark 1/2 on the side.

Once marked you can cut the wood. I used jigsaw to cut sides – bear in mind the width of the blade and make sure your cut is as measured as otherwise the joint may be too loose or too tight. I then used a chisel and carved the wood out.

Once both pieces are done, slide them together and use a piece of wood and hammer to put it in place.

You then need to drill the holes for your wooden dowels in your pieces of wood (legs and the base).  Cut a little template of your piece of wood and pierce holes in the paper. It can be used as a template for each piece and will be in the exactly the same spot.

Measure the legs, where your base will be going and mark the holes using your template. Remember I allowed 10cm for the overlap, so I marked it there.  To ensure your dowel is at the right depth, measure 1/2 of the dowel and put a tape on your drill to the exact measurement so you don’t drill the hole too deep.

Add glue and attach the base with the pre-drilled holes. Use a hammer (and piece of wood) to stick it in firmly place.

Repeat the step with all the legs and use a clamp to esnure the stand is level and dries in the correct way.

I stained the stand and the legs to go with the furniture and wood in our bedroom.