DIY mid century plant stand

plants are one of the most important elements in our home, i don't seem to be capable of going through a week without adding another to my collection!

i've been meaning to make some plant stands for a long time- i adore the classic standing mid century styles but i wasn't in the mood to cut up all the dowel to make them so when i saw this metal square planter on pinterest i knew i could recreate it with wood and make a simple stand that just slotted together- yay!

i've made a few versions, with a curved and standard legs. i have to say i like them both equally although the curved arch version has a more mid century feel for me. it's a pretty simple project, before you start decide which plant/pot you're making the stands for, that way you know the stand will be the right size when it's finished!

materials needed:

timber lengths (cut to 50 x14cm)

jigsaw

hand saw

chisel

sandpaper

wood dye (optional)

my pots are 24cm in diameter so i've made my stand 25cm wide. i've used a length of pine finishing timber like this for mine. 

1. to make a stand the same size as mine cut a length of timber to 50cm. mark down the centre to divide the length into 2 x 25cm sections. place a small plate on each half, draw around it to create a semi circle that covers approx half of the section. see photo above! 

2. first cut the timber in half down the centre line. then using a jigsaw cut out the semi circles to create the curved legs. 

3. next you need to cut out 2 notches in the middle that will allow you to slot the two sections together. find the centre and measure the distance from the top of semi circle to the flat top of the timber. (mine was 7cm.) each notch will be half of that distance as you want them to meet.

 find the centre and cut out a notch from the top using a hand saw, my notch was 3.5cm deep. for the next notch you need to come from the opposite side so they interlock. (so on the other piece of timber cut the notch from the curved side not the flat top as shown in the photo below!)

4. slot them together to finish!

ps- you can use a hammer and chisel to make adjustments to the depth/width of the notches until they slide together easily. my timber lengths were 2cm deep so my notches were 2cm wide to accommodate. 

to make standard legs simply mark and cut out a rectangle from the timber rather than a semi circle in step 1! you still need to cut in the two notches from opposite side (one from the top, one from the opposite side) so they slot together as shown below.

you don't have to stain your plant stand, that's optional! i've used this walnut wood dye on mine as the main rooms where I'll use them have dark wood timber floors..

i'm really happy with them, hope you try them too!

back soon

caroline x