All plant pots need a solid surface to stand on whether they’re indoors or outdoors. As well as placing pots on a patio or windowsill, you can make a stand from natural materials, leftover building supplies, unused toys, and even chicken wire. Read on for some innovative DIY flower pot stand ideas.
Ideas for outdoor flower pot stands
1. Pruned tree branch stand
A pruned or fallen tree branch can make a great spot for your plant pots to stand on. It won’t matter if the wood gets damp after watering and the natural look will add interest to any outside space.
- Use a saw to remove a branch and then decide how long and wide you want your plant shelf to be.
- You’ll need to create a flat edge for the plants to rest on and you can also carve a space to fit the pots into. If it’s a heavy branch, it can rest on the ground or you can add some legs for stability.
- If you enjoy carving, add a seat so you can admire your plants. Plant tall sunflowers and foxgloves behind.
- Add your potted plants. Place smaller ones like herbs at the front and pop the branch stand in a location where it catches the sun.
2. Old bathtub flower pot stand
Image credit: @sarahp_art
An old bathtub is perfect for upcycling into a home for plants. You could enlist the help of younger gardeners to paint it or add decorative mosaics and tiles for a unique look.
Add your chosen plant pots, the larger ones can sit on the base and you can add racks to site smaller pots. Large plants like bamboo or grasses can add a fantastic backdrop for a potted rose or wallflower and you can easily change the location of the racks to suit the flowering season.
3. Wooden bench or old decking pot stand
Image credit: @twinklecleaningduo
A shabby wooden bench or old decking can be upcycled and adapted as a home for plants. If you’re using decking, stack planks on top of each other to make a long oblong shape as a location for plants.
- Sand down the wood and then paint or varnish it.
- Add a few cushions or a mattress to make it more comfortable for lounging visitors (or pets).
- Tidy the ends by making two end boxes from scrap wood such as pallets or leftover building planks to suit the size of the bench.
- Fill these boxes with soil and add climbing beans, a small fruiting tree, strawberries, raspberries or passion fruit.
- Add other pots to suit the seasons.
4. Ladder plant stand
Image credit: @urbanfarm.deco
An old wooden or metal ladder can be set up on a firm foundation and used to house plants on each step. You may want to secure one edge to a wall or the ground and, if it’s a step ladder, make sure the safety catch is on otherwise it can be a bit unstable.
5. Old toy plant stand
Image credit: @thecanberratales
Old children’s toys can make fun plant pot holders, make sure they’re clean and choose a suitable pot to fit. Old toy wheelbarrows look wonderful filled with flowering annual bedding plants.
6. Brick flower pot stand
Image credit: @succulentsinsincity
Bricks make great plant pot stands as they’re heavy and hard to knock over. Try placing bricks in a square or circular shape, add a second layer to make a solid stand and then place your pot directly on the bricks. You can also make a corner stand like the one pictured. This would work well if you have any large bricks or hollow concrete blocks.
7. Tyre plant stand
Image credit: @anju_a_plant_lover
Tyres can be used in many ways to hold plant pots, laid flat on a patio, hung on trees with rope, or fixed to a wooden structure. They make picturesque circular holders for plants but don’t plant directly into them unless you add a liner, because the chemicals can leach into the pots or the ground below.
8. Chicken wire flower pot stand
Scrunched-up wire makes an excellent beginning to any DIY plant stand. A roll of chicken wire allows your imagination to run wild!
- Make a basic shape and fit small pots through the gaps in the chicken wire or cut the wire to help them to fit. You can also make deep hollows and fill these with moss to help the pot settle.
- Then you can mould material around any shape you have made, such as plastic tarpaulins or canvas or any waterproof fabric. Natural materials could be leaf mould, dried straw, bamboo canes, evergreen tree cuttings, pieces of bark or any soft leaves you have available. Some may even start to grow!
- These make wild and wonderful DIY stands for succulents and cacti which can live outside in summer.
9. Pallet pot stand
Image credit: @bellwayjaponica
Place the pallet upright against a wall and attach it if necessary. You can attach individual plant pot holders to each pallet plank or stand the plants in the pallet. Read more about how to do this here.
You can also cut the pallet into 4 identically sized smaller pieces to make a cube-shaped, wooden planter.
- Cut the pallet into individual square pieces.
- Stack these one on top of the other.
- Nail these together to make a secure shape for plants to rest on.
Ideas for indoor planter stands
1. Corner planter stand
Image credit: @plantparentcommunity
Corner planter stands fill an empty space and provide you with a view of greenery, particularly in the winter months.
- Measure the space and then sketch a design to suit the space available.
- This may be triangular to fit just a single plant or L-shaped to provide space for several smaller plants.
- Fix the wood shelving to the wall using scaffold board brackets. You can also make a freestanding corner plant stand.
- Varnish or stain the wood and allow it to dry before adding the plants.
2. Lampshade pot stand
Upcycle an old lampshade into a stylish plant stand. Image credit: @vilaas_home_decorations
For a quirky indoor plant stand, try repurposing an old lampshade. If you like, you can remove the lampshade material to expose the wire frame which will make an interesting shape for a plant stand.
If the shade is tapered, turn it upside down for stability. You can paint the wire if you want to jazz it up a little. Add a ceramic plate to the top and place your plant on top.
3. Wood stump stand
Image credit: @maxhershaft
Wood stumps make fantastic natural plant stands. Their colour and texture varies depending on which tree they are cut from but they are very pleasing in a contemporary setting. Ask any local tree surgeon for one and dig out a tiny grooved section to suit your plant pot shape. You may want to add a waterproof plastic section to stop the wood from rotting or you can varnish it for protection.
If you have two or three stumps, arrange them in a pattern with different heights and place suitable pots on top. Remember to choose a suitable, well-lit location. Some plants grow happily in artificial light like areca palms, ferns, peace lilies, philodendrons, crotons and kalanchoes.
4. A-frame plant stand
Image credit: @puravida.seeker
An A-frame plant stand is simple to make with two pieces of wood leaning together in an A shape and shelves between to hold your plants. These can be placed indoors and outdoors. Bookshelf plant stands can work in the same way. Just remove the books and place different plants on each shelf for a tiered effect.
5. Curtain rail plant holder
Image credit: @handcraftedbymin
Not so much a stand, but more of a hanging holder, you can hang light macramé strings from a curtain rail. This is great for plants that enjoy diffused sunshine, not direct light. Add trailing plants like a string of pearls (Senecio), or a spider plant with hanging spiderettes.
- If you like to crochet, knit or knot, then get started by cutting 3 sets of strings. The finished width will need to be about 3 inches (7 cm) in width to support a medium-sized pot.
- Work each string separately and when they reach the desired length, tie the strings together securely at the top and secure them to the curtain rail.
- Add a light, plastic dripper plate under the pot and watch your plants thrive.
- Just be careful when pulling the curtains that you don’t knock the plants off!
6. Scaffold board plant shelf
Image credit: @o.g.b_woodwork
Old scaffold boards make fantastic stands for potted plants. Mount the boards on a solid wall using brackets. You can place pots along the shelf, try combining upright plants with trailing varieties. You can also hang planters from the shelf. Get out your crochet needle or try making some macramé holders.
- Use strong cotton or jute to make the plant pot holder. You could also plait coloured wool.
- Tie the strings to the supports and start knotting, knitting or crocheting to create your unique design.
- When you reach the desired length, make a wider circular piece to accommodate a plant pot. Crochet pot holders can be individually sized to suit the pot and then sewn onto the string holders.
- You can then add a plate to hold the pot in shape and then make a potholder to fit outside this. A uniquely individual plant holder, made by you!
Tina’s tips
Think carefully about the light in any area where plants are located. If it is too close to a window, a shade lover will not be happy. If there is not enough direct light for a sun lover, it will droop over time so turn the plant regularly to ensure steady growth on all sides.
You might also like: How to use an old chair as a flower pot
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This is really great! I always wanted more ideas for planting indoors and outdoors,
Thank you very much!
Thanks. I’m so glad it was useful for you. All it takes is a bit of imagination and using whatever materials you have available. All the best. Tina