When I think about what the perfect “ME” day would be, I most definitely think it would differ from most people. A great day for me would look like today, where I headed to the store, and got randomly inspired to create THE CUTEST LITTLE PLANT STANDS EVER!!! I’m telling you friends, I don’t think I get nearly enough of these types of days!
This post is sponsored by Minwax. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
The best part is that they cost only $3 each!
Say what???
Yup, only $3 each!!! Plus a great day spent crafting!
All I needed was some unfinished round wood plaques (less than a dollar), and a square garden stake or dowel!
That’s it, friends! That’s all it’s made of! And then I found the cutest terracotta pots for $1 a piece, rounding this entire project off at approximately $6 including the plant! (but not including the finish, as I had them on hand).
Let’s get into it!
Seriously this is so easy, it’s almost mind blowing!
What you need:
- Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Special Walnut
- Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
- Minwax Gel Stain In Aged Oak
- Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Clear Satin
- 4” Hole Saw
- 4” Terracotta pot
- 1-1” garden stake or dowel cut to 3-4 1/2” pieces and 3- 5 1/2”
- 1 1/4” wood screws (or a nail gun and brad nails could be used)
- Wood Glue
- 3/32 Drill bit
- Wood filler
- Sanding Block
What I Did:
- First I cut my garden stakes to size.
- I found the center of my plaque and carefully drilled a whole right into the center using my hole saw. It’s best to have clamps available when drilling for safety purposes.
- I sanded my plaque lightly with a medium grit sanding block to smooth any jagged edges and then I flipped it over.
- Position your three dowels evenly on the underside of the plaque lining them up with the edge and mark.
- I applied wood glue (wiping up any excess) and let it dry. If my nail gun hadn’t jammed today I would have totally used it to secure the dowels to the plaque, instead I pre-drilled holes and screwed the dowels in place using my 1 1/4” wood screws, being sure to countersink them. I filled the screw holes with plastic wood.
- Then I stood back and went nuts over how simple and cute they were!
- Next, I gave the plant stands a light sanding.
Let’s Stain ’em!
Of course this could be painted, but I wanted a warm wood tone to play off of the pretty terracotta pots.
Using a lint free cloth I applied Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner and allowed it to penetrate for 5 minutes. Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner should be used before any stain projects to prepare the wood for staining, allowing for a more even application. Because I am using oil based stain, it’s important to use oil based pre-stain.
I stirred my stain, and applied it to my plant stand with a clean lint-free cloth, wiping off any excess stain. I love this Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain because it provides a beautiful rich color that enhances the natural wood grain.
And then to get the exact finish I desired, I layered a coat of Minwax Gel Stain in Aged Oak to warm it up a bit and to deliver uniform color evenly on this wood. Layering stain helps to add depth to wood especially on wood that is typically not stain grade (ie . . . the wood gardens stakes).
Once my stain was dry, I added a coat of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Clear Satin to protect the wood from any water spills, etc . . .
I am so happy with how these little plant stands came out! And I just couldn’t decide if I like them better in the kitchen or the bathroom, I might have to make a few more!
I just love when I have days when I can let my creativity lead me (especially on a woodworking project at such a small cost too!) I was even thinking that these would make a really great gift too!
What do you think, friends? Would you try a project like this?
For more inspo and fun project ideas be sure to visit Minwax here.
