The Martha Stewart Show

Plant Stand

The Martha Stewart Show

Martha crafts a plant stand with Victor Garber.

Make a Plant Stand

Tools and Materials

Arm/leg template
3/4-inch medium-density fiberboard (MDF)
3-foot piece of one-by-one wood (poplar or pine)
Double-sided tape or spray adhesive
Clamps
Worktable or sawhorse
Jigsaw
7 8-inch round plaques
Ruler
Pencil
Wood glue

Drill
Countersink drill bit
Box of 1 5/8-inch wood screws
Wood putty
Sandpaper
Primer and paint

Plant Stand How-To
1. Print arm/leg template and affix to a piece of MDF with tape or spray adhesive. Clamp MDF to a worktable or sawhorse. Cut the template shape from MDF with a jigsaw. Repeat this step 10 times to make enough pieces for a six-armed and four-legged plant stand.

2. Center the flat 2 1/4-inch end of one arm on the front side of one plaque. Trace around the end with a pencil. Mark two points for screw holes within this rectangle, then drill pilot holes with a countersink drill bit through top of plaque. Spread wood glue on end of arm; secure in place on underside of plaque by drilling a screw through each pilot hole. Fill countersink hole with wood putty, allow to dry, and sand. Repeat to make six arms with attached plaques.

3. Attach seventh plaque to an end of the 3-foot one-by-one wood piece (the stand "body") in the same way.

4. On the other end of the one-by-one, attach the 4 1/2-inch end of each of the four legs to each side of the one-by-one. Mark and drill pilot holes with a countersink bit first, drilling at an angle through the curve of each leg. Place each leg against one side of the one-by-one, flush with the bottom, and secure with wood glue and two screws.

5. Add two arms in the same way, opposite each other on the one-by-one wood piece, 2 inches above the top of the legs. Add a second set of two arms, 9 inches above and perpendicular to the first set. Add a third set of two arms, directly above and perpendicular to the second set.

6. Fill all screw holes with wood putty, allow to dry, and sand. Prime and paint stand desired color.

Resources
8-inch round wood plaques available at Walnut Hollow. All other tools and materials available at Home Depot.

Get the Full Article