Okay, so I needed a new stand for one of my bigger plants. The pot itself is pretty wide, around 16 inches across, and I couldn’t find anything quite right, or at least not for a price I wanted to pay. Decided to just build one myself.
Getting Started
First thing, I figured out what I wanted. Just a simple, sturdy stand. Nothing fancy. Needed it to hold that 16-inch pot, so the top had to be at least that big. I sketched a quick design on a piece of scrap paper – basically a square top with four legs. Decided on a height, maybe about 12 inches off the ground looked right.
Materials and Cutting
Went down to the hardware store. Looked at different woods. Didn’t need anything expensive, so I grabbed some standard pine boards. Think they were 1x4s or maybe 1x3s, can’t quite recall. Got enough length to cut out the top pieces and the legs. Also picked up a box of wood screws, probably around 1 1/4 inches long, and some wood glue just for extra strength.
Back home in the garage, I got out my tape measure and pencil. Measured out the pieces for the top. Since the pot was 16 inches, I made the top square, 16×16 inches. I used a few pieces of the board laid side-by-side to make the width. Marked those cuts carefully. Then I figured out the leg length – went with 12 inches like I planned. Measured and marked four of those.
Got my handsaw out. Took my time cutting the pieces. It’s not always perfect with a handsaw, you know, but I did my best to keep the lines straight. Got the top pieces cut and the four legs ready.
Putting It Together
Next step was assembly. I laid the top pieces face down on my workbench, nice and flat. Lined them up edge to edge. Put a bead of wood glue along the edges where they met. Then I used a couple of smaller wood scraps underneath and screwed them across the joints to hold the top boards together firmly. Let the glue set for a bit.
Once the top felt solid, I figured out where the legs should go. Placed one leg at each corner, making sure they were square. Put some glue on the top end of each leg before setting it against the underside of the top piece. I decided to drill pilot holes first, makes driving the screws easier and stops the wood splitting. Drilled down through the top into each leg, maybe two screws per leg for good measure. Drove the screws in tight.
Finishing Touches
After it was all screwed together, I flipped it over. Stood back and looked. Not bad! Gave it a wobble test – felt pretty sturdy. Good enough for a heavy plant.
The edges were a bit rough from the saw, so I took some sandpaper, medium grit first, then a finer grit, and smoothed everything down. Rounded the corners slightly so they weren’t sharp. Took maybe 20 minutes of sanding. I thought about painting or staining it, but honestly, I kind of liked the plain wood look. Kept it simple.
The Result
And that was it! Let it sit overnight just to be sure everything was set. The next day, I brought it inside and put that big plant pot right on top. Fit perfectly. It sits nice and level, holds the weight no problem. Just a basic, functional 16-inch plant stand, built it myself in an afternoon. Does the job!
