Creative Ideas for Plant Stands

by Shelley Frost

Plant stands add impact to a plant display, whether indoors or outdoors. While many plant stands are available for purchase, recycling other materials into stands or using stands in a new way sets your display apart. Some creative plant stand ideas will save money while raising up your potted plants for maximum visibility and beauty.


Old seating pieces offer an option for a recycled plant stand. The flat surface of chairs, benches and stools work well to hold a potted plant. Some chairs and benches have seats that slant or have an area that dips down, which may cause the pots to tip. For greater stability, cut holes into the chair or bench just large enough to hold the flowerpots. Make the holes small enough so the lip of the flowerpot won't fit through. This plant stand idea works well if you already have old seating that you no longer use. Garage sales and thrift shops often have cheap chairs or benches that can be transformed into homemade plant stands.


A plant stand is a creative use for an old ladder. A ladder plant stand adds height to the area and holds multiple flower pots. A wooden ladder with wide steps works best because it provides the largest surface for placing the plants. Even on a wide-stepped ladder small pots work best. Large pots are more likely to fall off due to less contact with the ladder. Shorter stepladders also work if you want a smaller plant display. If you place potted vine plants on the ladder, the plants will grow along the wood structure as a makeshift trellis.


A variety of old containers turned upside down create a flat surface ideal for holding plants. Ideas for containers include planters, wooden crates, barrels, tubs and buckets. Arrange several of the containers in one area to create an eclectic plant display stand. Choose containers of different heights for visual interest. Another option is to stack the containers. For example, you might place a large wooden crate on the bottom topped with a smaller planter.

Repurposed Stands

An old plant stand gets a new look with simple updates and a little creativity. One simple solution is to paint an old stand. Spray paint works best on ornate stands that would be difficult to cover with a paintbrush. Another option is to stack smaller plant stands to make one larger display. Secure the stands together with screws or brackets so the display doesn't fall over. If the shelves or top of the plant stand isn't appealing, replace it with a new surface. For example, if the top of a wooden plant stand is worn, cover it with a new board or a small slab of countertop material.

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