A lot of my projects start with a trip to Pinterest to find inspiration. Mother’s Day was coming up earlier this year and I wanted to build a Plant Stand for my mother. I found a picture of a great upright stand but like most posts on Pinterest there was no guide or measurements given.

I picked up a pencil and paper and designed my own Plant Stand and was very pleased with the end result. Now I’m here to share my plans with you to make your life a little easier.

Material List:

As far as most woodworking projects go, I’d say this is a fairly simple yet elegant build. I built my plant stand out of oak as I was looking for a heavy, solid wood that I wouldn’t need to stain. Any wood choice will work, you’ll pay a fraction of what I spent if you use Pine or Fir and could probably get all your materials for under $35.00. To build my stand out of oak I spent just over $100.00.

  • 1″ x 8″ x 8′ boards – 1 each
  • 1″ x 2″ x 8′ lumber – 3 each
  • Wood glue – I used Gorilla Wood Glue (only 30 minute dry time)
  • 8 x 1 3/4 wood screws
  • Clamps! Get yourself two large clamps that can be reused on any project – I went with 3 ft Dewalt clamps and highly recommend them

Cut List:

To start, you’re going to want to cut all your lumber to the sizes you need. I used a Mitre Saw to make all my cuts however you could use a table saw or a circular saw. The mitre saw I use is a DeWalt 12 inch Mitre Saw. Mitre saws are worth every penny as they give you a nice clean cut for dimensional lumber.

1″ x 8″ pieces:

  • 16 3/4 inches – 1 each (base plate)
  • 8 inches – 4 each (shelves)

1″ x 2″ pieces:

  • 3′ 10 1/2″ – 2 each
  • 3′ 11 1/4″ – 2 each
  • 7 1/4 inches – 3 each
  • 4 1/4 inches – 3 each
  • 3 1/4 inches – 2 each (base trim)

Instructions:

plant stand guide
  1. The first step is assembling the two rectangle frames as shown above. The first frame utilizes the two 3′ 10 1/2″ pieces and the three 4 1/4″ pieces. If you have three clamps you can simply apply glue to the ends of the 4 1/4″ pieces and clamp them together with the long side pieces. If you only have two clamps like I did you can start with the end pieces and clamp and glue the middle piece in the center afterwards. Make sure you check the dry time on your bottle of glue.
  2. After centering up the middle piece, double check the distance from the outside edge of the top of the frame to the center of the middle piece. This measurement should be 1′ 11 1/4″. Keep this in mind for Step 3 and note we took the measurement from the “top” side.
  3. Now we repeat step 1 but with the 3′ 11 1/4″ pieces and the 7 1/4″ pieces. Instead of glueing the center pieces directly in the center of this frame, you’ll want to install it 1′ 11 1/4″ from the top edge of the frame to the center of the middle piece. This will ensure that the two middle pieces line up properly when you glue the two completed frames together.
  1. Next up, we attach the base plate (16 3/4 inch long board) to the shorter frame that you put together in step 1. Simply glue the base plate to the bottom of the frame, directly in the middle.
  2. Now we glue the second, taller frame to the rest of the structure. Make sure you line up the middle pieces directly in line with each other. All you need to do is make sure the “top” end of the taller frame is on the proper side.
plant stand diy
  1. It’s now time for the tricky part of the project – glueing the four shelves in place. Start by marking the location of each shelf with a pencil on the structure. Mark the center of each shelf evenly up the structure about every 9″ on alternating sides. The first shelf will be 9″ from the bottom plate on the right side, the second shelf will be 18″ from the bottom plate on the left side, and so on.
  2. Start by glueing each shelf in place with clamps on either side and a level on the shelf as shown above. This will allow you to tweak the clamps and shelf until it is level as there will always be slight imperfections in the build. The key is getting the shelf level and approximately centered on your pencil marks from step 6. Make sure you’re working on a level surface so that the shelves are installed properly.
  3. Once it is in the proper spot and as level as possible, leave the shelf clamped in place and let it dry. After it is dry you will need to use your first set of screws. Screw through the opposite side of the frame and through the shelf (3 screws per shelf – two through the side of the shelf and one through the back). The screws are necessary for the shelves to help support the weight of your plants. By glueing the shelf in first and adding screws after your shelf will remain level.
plant stand final step diy
  1. After all shelves are in place, the final step is to add the two base trim pieces (3 1/4″ long) to the back side of the base plate. Simply sit the plant stand flat on the ground and glue and clamp the trim pieces to the back of the base plate.

You’re all done! You may want to stain your plant stand but if you’re like me you’ll want to avoid staining anything ever! My stand is meant to stay indoors so I elected not to stain or put on a clear coat but I’ll leave that decision up to you.

3 thoughts on “Wooden Plant Stand (DIY) Instructions”

  1. The measurements in the cut list do not seem to add up. If the base is 8″ wide, and the piece mounted on top of it consists of two 2″ wide rails, the cross rails should be 4″, not 4 1/4″ to make 8″. Also, if the base is 1″ thick, then the long rails should be 1″ difference in lengths to match up at the top. They are listed at 3/4″.

    Am I missing something?

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