We’ve been itching to tackle a DIY Plant Stand for this little snake plant (that just. keeps. growing.), and we finally put it together on our vacation (with the use of my dad’s shop).
It’s a fairly straight forward project, and definitely do-able for the novice woodworker (the category I firmly place myself in). So, here’s what we used:
Plant Pot (we used this one from IKEA)
1 ¼ inch wood dowels
1 ½ inch by ¾ inch board
¼ dowel pins (we used longer pieces and cut them down)
Saw
Drill or Drill Press with 1 inch Forstner bit
Chisel
Sandpaper
Wood glue
Wood stain
Our pot is 13 ½ inches tall and 14 ½ inches across, so all measurements are based from these dimensions. But you can easily adjust to fit any size pot you’d like.
Step 1
Cut the 1 ¼ inch dowels into 21 ¼ inch lengths. These will be the legs of the stand.
Step 2
Clamp the 1 ½ inch by ¾ inch board down (to keep it steady) and use a drill (or a drill press if you have it handy) with a 1” Forstner bit to cut two 14 inch lengths.
Step 3
At the center of each piece, use a saw and chisel to remove a ¾ inch notch so the pieces fit together.
Step 4
Use a ¼ inch drill bit to drill two holes: one at 8 ½ inches, and one at 9 ½ inches from the bottom. We used a jig to keep the hole spacing identical, but it’s not mandatory. Be careful not to drill holes all the way through the legs.
Step 5
Using the same drill bit, drill a two corresponding holes in the end of each cross brace. Insert a dowel pin and test the pieces to ensure they fit.
Step 6
Using sandpaper, smooth out any rough edges.
Step 7
Stain all pieces and let dry completely (I used Minwax Gel Stain in Chestnut). You can stain the finished pieces after assembly, however I found it’s easier to ensure even application (and to get stain in all the cracks) if you do it prior to assembly.
Step 8
Once the stain is dry, use wood glue in each joint and clamp all pieces together. You can use scrap pieces against the rounded legs to help ensure the clamps are solid and that they don’t scuff the finished surfaces. Wipe away any excess glue and let all pieces dry completely.
Step 9
Insert the pot in the stand and fill it with your favourite plant!
