Make Your Own Indoor Plant Stand With These Creative DIY Ideas
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Plants make your living space feel lush and cozy. Whether you have a few succulents you're trying to keep alive or you're the green-thumb friend with an indoor forest, you might want to add a plant stand to your setup. Plant stands add some height to your potted flowers, succulents, and ferns, displaying them at a better height and making them look more cohesive in a space. If you have lots of plants placed together, it can add visual appeal, creating dimension by creating levels.
You can buy one of the best plant stands, but it's also so easy to make your own. From an old plant pot to a rarely-used kitchen stool, plenty of items can be turned into a plant stand. After all, it's really just an elevated surface to place your potted plant on. Making your own DIY plant stand gives you the option to customize to your liking (and tell guests that you crafted your own!). Once put together, you can place any of your favorite low-maintenance houseplants, drought-resistant flora, and fragrant greenery on top. Here are some straightforward ways to create your own DIY indoor plant stand.
Upcycle an IKEA stool into a boho plant stand
There are plenty of ways to incorporate macrame in your home to get an airy boho feel. One easy way is with this DIY plant stand, crafted using an IKEA stool. This project uses the Marius stool, which only costs $5 at IKEA. The addition of macrame cord (which you can get for $9.99 from Michaels) wrapped around its legs gives the stand its boho look.
You can stop there and use it as a plant stand if you'd like, but for an even nicer finish, attach a round rattan basket on top. Want to get more DIY inspo using IKEA items? Here are a few other ways to DIY a plant stand from IKEA pieces.
Make your own simple wood plant stand (with no tools needed)
This DIY planter is so easy to put together. It doesn't require a single tool: just some wood blocks and glue. It's so affordable too: @poppinmamadiys recommends using Dollar Tree Jenga blocks (which only cost $1.25 for a package from the Dollar Tree). To put the stand together, you'll need wood glue, like Gorilla Glue wood glue, which you can grab for $3.97 from The Home Depot. With the supplies costing just over $5 total, that's cheaper than almost any plant stand you can buy!
If the Dollar Tree blocks are a little too small for your liking, you can grab blocks elsewhere. The Tower Tumble Game costs just $5 from Five Below, or you can buy CoolToys Timber Tower Wood Blocks for $13.99 from Amazon.
Use rolling pins to make a simple stool-style plant holder
Some plant holders are essentially just a stool to place your plant on — these are particularly easy to DIY since you just need a surface and some legs. Best of all, since a plant stand doesn't need to support the weight of a human, you have a bit more flexibility when it comes to materials and design. This DIY from @Bargain Bethany uses cheap Dollar Tree rolling pins for the legs. These are out of stock sometimes, so another plain, tapered rolling pin works too, like the Classic Wood Rolling Pin for $5.99 on Amazon.
A circular wood panel makes for a stylish top: an option like the Walnut Hollow Project panel costs $18.93 from The Home Depot. As this project video mentions, you can also use a pizza pan or large bowl if you want to get all the supplies from a dollar store. A wood top looks nicer though, and it has the benefit of being a blank canvas that you can stain or paint to your liking.
A couple of waste baskets can be a plant stand with a little creativity
If you have a couple of mesh waste baskets lying around, you can make a creative plant stand. If you don't have some extras lying around, it doesn't cost too much to get the supplies for this project: you can grab a couple of mesh baskets for $1.25 each at the Dollar Tree, or a sturdier pair for $19.99 at Amazon. You'll just need some zip ties ($6.99 from Amazon) to put them together.
You can then decorate the wastebaskets; this video from @regal_impress uses strands of rope, stuck on with E6000 glue ($4.29 from The Home Depot). A large bowl makes the platform that you place your plant on. Optionally, you can place a puck light in the top basket to illuminate your plant from below.
Create a simple (and very affordable) Dollar Tree plant stand
There are plenty of creative ways to repurpose Dollar Tree items into something more useful, and one is to put together a plant stand. This DIY uses three Dollar Tree toilet plungers — yes, you heard that right, toilet plungers. They're only $1.25 from Dollar Tree and it's easy to detach the rubber plunger bit, leaving you with a useful and very affordable wooden dowel. This project from @budget_brii lines up the plunger handles under an oven range cover and glues them in place with a hot glue gun.
Look for circular oven range covers with a lip for the dowels to rest in. The Pioneer Woman Fancy Flourish Range Cover for $9.97 from Walmart is a pretty decorative pick, or you can opt for some plainer ones like the Range Kleen Round Burner Kovers Set for $13.75 from Amazon. Some decorative rope helps with holding the legs together and adds a nice finishing touch.
Hairpin legs and a vintage tray make a plant stand that's so full of character
If you have a vintage wood tray that you're not putting to good use, you can turn it into a cute DIY plant stand. All you need is to attach hairpin legs, which automatically gives any plant stand some old-fashioned character. A wood tray is the easiest option since you can screw the legs right in. You can choose from different heights of legs as well; for example, the EconoHome Metal Hairpin Legs start at $14.99 on Amazon and range from six inches to 34 inches tall. If you don't want to do any screwing, you can grab clip-on legs, like these F Clip Table Legs for $48.52 from Etsy.
Of course, you can also use a plank of wood
If you don't have an old tray but love the look of the hairpin legs, a solid plank of wood will do the job for the top of the stand. This option gives you more flexibility since you can choose the plank size and finish it in your ideal stain or paint. It also means you don't need to put holes in a tray that you might want to repurpose again one day. With clip-on legs like the F Clip Table Legs for $48.52 from Etsy, you don't even need to do any drilling.
Use thick PVC piping to make a tall plant stand
This easy DIY from @Sanne van der Heide just involves gluing together two items to create a plant stand or side table. It's not super cost-effective to buy large sizes of PVC piping new, so you might want to ask around to see if anyone has any left after a renovation You can also build a smaller version of this stand with slimmer PVC pipe from the hardware store, like this 4-inch diameter PVC pipe for $19.88 from The Home Depot. You can pair this pipe with the Make Market 5" Wood Circle Plaque for $0.99 from Michaels. Make sure to pair the base with a top that's a similar diameter, no more than a couple of inches wider than the base. This ensures the stand can actually balance on its own.
Make an industrial-chic plant stand with some concrete and copper piping
Crafted from concrete, this plant stand is sure to impress when you tell people you made it yourself. This project from @Megan Acuna will help you create a sturdy plant stand by mixing concrete in a bucket and adding the copper piping legs. The legs set inside the concrete top, so there's no drilling or extra tools required to assemble it together. Use fast-setting concrete mix, like Sakrete 50-lb Fast Setting Concrete Mix for $6.86 from Lowe's, which is an easier option for DIYers to work with (it only takes about 30 minutes to set).
Scavenge a branch to make a custom plant stand
If you take a lot of your decor inspiration from nature, then this plant stand DIY is the perfect pick for your space. It starts with a scavenged branch, which means no two plant stands will be alike. You just need to find the right type of branch: it has to have a large enough surface area on top that you can cut it flat and attach a round platform to the cut surface. While this project is possible with just wood glue, consider adding some nails or screws through the top of the platform and into the branch if you're worried about sturdiness. Placing the branch into a weighted plant pot, held in place by sand or rocks, is an easy way to make sure it stands up, without needing to build a complicated base.
Build a tension rod plant stand
This DIY tension rod plant stand looks so impressive, it's hard to believe it's straightforward to make! This stand starts with a floor-to ceiling tension rod. Measure your ceiling height then you can find a suitable rod; the AmazonBasics Adjustable Tension Rod costs $30.99 from Amazon and extends to 108 inches so it should fit most standard rooms. Wooden floating shelves like the Coracle Floating Shelf for $17.90 from Amazon will hold your plants. Use steel conduit and pipe hangers like the Halex #1 ACC Steel Conduit and Pipe Hangers for $3.63 from The Home Depot. You might have to play around with hanger size depending on the diameter of your tension rod, keeping in mind that you might need two sizes for the same rod if it doesn't have a completely uniform diameter.
An ornate pillar candle stand makes a beautiful plant stand base
Combine a pillar candle stand and a plastic dish to create an easy DIY plant stand. There are so many pillar candle stands to choose from: you can use a vintage pick from a thrift store, buy a decorated stand (like this carved pillar candle holder for $17.99 from Michaels), or choose a contemporary base (like the Marin Pillar Candle Holder for $19.95 from Crate and Barrel). Use a round plastic platter for the top; it's lightweight so it's easy to attach with E6000 ($4.29 from The Home Depot) or another all-purpose heavy-duty glue. You can choose pieces that look nice together, or you can paint on a finish at the end, by spray painting it your preferred color or adding texture like in this video from @victoria, which uses Krylon stone texture paint (available for $15.99 from Michaels).
DIY an affordable rattan plant stand
Rattan plant stands can come with a hefty price tag. To get the look for less, make your own. This DIY from @carolina.mccauley takes a basic metal planted pot stand and attached a rattan basket on top to make a rattan planter. You can create a lot of designs by choosing different stand and basket styles. The Achla Designs Wrought Plant Stand ($18.95 on Amazon) is a plain pick, the Alpine Gazing Globe Display Stand ($26.19 on Amazon) is taller and more ornate, and the Bees & Buds Tall Metal Plant Stand ($24.99 on Amazon) is a no-frills modern pick. Choose a rattan basket that has a similar diameter to the stand so it can balance easily, and attach it in place with cable ties. No tools required!
An old plastic plant pot makes a great DIY plant stand base
Repurpose other garden items into a plant stand. This DIY from @redeux_style takes an old, scratched up plant pot that might be destined for the bin, flips it over, and uses it as a plant stand base. It's another one that uses a round plastic platter to make the stand surface; you can grab options from craft retailers and online, like the Sovereign Black Plastic Round Tray for $5.94 from Amazon. The finish of the plant pot and platter don't really matter since you'll finish it with your choice of spray paint or textured stone textured paint, which will cover up any scratches or marks. This video recommends the Rust-Oleum Stone Creations Spray, which you can find for $16.96 on Amazon.
An old lamp shade can also turn into a thrifty DIY plant stand
The bones of an old lamp shade can look a whole lot like a potted plant stand, so you can use a lamp shade to make a DIY similar to the previous project. The first step is to strip off the actual shade so you have a metal frame (though you could keep the shade on if you want the vintage look). You can use spray paint to paint the frame to your preferred color.Then use a screw through the hole at the top of the lamp shade into a piece of wood.
Make a large plant shelf
If you have lots of plant babies, you'll need ample space to store them. Enter: the plant shelf. This DIY project from @The Daily DIYer is larger than a plant stand, but it's still relatively easy to put together. It uses planks of wood and metal broom handles, so the finished product is relatively sturdy too. A few cuts are needed for the wood planks; ask your local hardware store if they are able to make them for you. Otherwise, this entire project can be completed with basic tools. We love that it has a long hanging rod, which gives you space to put hanging plants and adds even more gorgeous dimension to a plant setup.
Craft an abstract copper pipe plant stand
Copper pipe can be turned into all types of gorgeous DIY decor, including a plant stand. This project curves copper pipe into a cactus shape, adding wooden shelves to hold your plants. This video uses a pipe bender to get the job done (you can get one like the Duratech Tube Bender for $13.99 on Amazon), but it's also possible to bend copper pipe on a sturdy curved surface. You don't need to stick with a cactus shape either: with a little creativity, you can make all types of curvy abstract shapes to make a unique shelf.
Or make a simple one with copper tees
One big draw of using copper pipes and fittings for crafts is the flexibility: you can use copper fittings to make a range of shapes. This DIY project uses wood dowels in place of copper pipes to give it a distinctive rustic look, but you can use copper pipe if you prefer the all-metal style. Either way, this project only involves cutting the material to size and joining it together with tees to make a simple but aesthetic plant stand. You can craft the stand shorter or taller according to your preferences.
Craft a gorgeous plant plinth pedestal
This no-cut project uses wood as the base, joining panels together to create a plinth pedestal that looks much more complex that it really is. At its most basic level, it just involves creating a large rectangular pillar out of wood pieces. You can cut these panels to your ideal size, or use pre-cut panels for a no-saw option. If you like the look of wood, you can leave the plingth as-is at this step (maybe stain or paint it to your liking). However, this video from @The LKS Address goes for a textured finish, using roman clay (the Charleston color from Portola Paints). The roman clay gives it a gorgeous plaster finish that looks so luxurious, especially when finished with a stone top.
Turn a tomato cage into a wire plant stand
It's so easy to turn a round tomato cage into a DIY indoor plant stand — all you really need is some tin snips or heavy-duty scissors. To create a sturdy base, cut the feet of the cage off so it has a flat bottom surface. That's all you really need to do to turn a tomato cage into a new plant stand! You can also cut sections down from the top to fit larger pots. To get rid of any sharp points and make the stand look nicer, consider using sandpaper to smooth ragged edges (particularly where you cut the metal). Spray paint it if you want the planter to match your decor. Gold paint always looks luxe, as this example from @marthastewart shows.