If you have large indoor plants or if you bring containers of chilly shrubs into your veranda or greenhouse, you may be tired of breaking your back moving them to take them out on the terrace on sunny days. Or simply to do housework. The simplest solution is to place them on roller stands that you can easily make yourself, exactly to the dimensions you want, using reclaimed wood pallets, for minimal cost.
Materials and tools to build a plant stand on wheels from pallet wood
You need to start by collecting a wooden pallet, which you will find at the back of supermarkets, furniture stores, DIY stores, garden centers, etc. To choose carefully, take one that is raw: these pallets are untreated and are often made of Scots pine, spruce or Douglas wood, which are naturally rot-proof. Check that it is clean, without runs or stains indicating that undetermined products have been spilled there. Discard those that are colored (red, blue, etc.) or marked “EUR” and “EPAL” because their wood is treated, and above all they are returned to be reused by carriers. Opt for those marked “HT DB” for High Temperature treatment (debarked wood).
For a 38 x 38 cm plant holder:
- 1 pallet of recovered wood allowing you to cut 7 boards measuring 8 cm wide x 38 cm long
- 12 Phillips wood screws 25 mm
- 4 casters
- your toolbox and some additional tools: crowbar, hammer, pliers, screwdriver, square, saw…
How to build your pallet planter?
You must start by dismantling the pallet using the crowbar, the hammer, the pliers, taking care not to damage or split the boards you are looking for.
- After tearing the pallet to pieces, we can say that you have carried out the most difficult and thankless task.
- Saw 7 boards 38 cm long. Run a little sandpaper over each cut end. Either you want the wood to remain raw and stop there, or you want a plant stand that is perfectly finished, then you need to sand the boards.
- On the workbench or on the ground, vertically align 4 boards side by side, keeping 2cm between each of them. On top, overlap the 3 remaining boards horizontally starting 5cm from the edge made up of the vertical boards. Also keep 2 cm between the boards. You have thus placed everything as the plant holder will be in the end.
- For fixing, use 4 screws per horizontal board allowing each to perforate a vertical board below. Do the same for the other 2 horizontal boards.
- At each corner, attach a caster with the appropriate screws (sold with or from your workshop) to make the plant holder removable.
- If you have sanded the boards, want to stain or paint your creation, or simply treat the wood with a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine, do so now.
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When you’re finished, all you have to do is get help, if necessary, to move a large pot onto this plant holder which you can easily move to clean or shelter it, for example. Of course, it is up to you to personalize this model by making it larger, smaller, rectangular or round, according to your desires and your DIY skills! Most of them are intended for pampering your chickens, from the simplest and quickest to the most elaborate, but they all remain accessible to beginners: nesting box, perch, shelters, incubator, henhouse, etc. With projects for indoors and outdoors: tool holder, boot rack, stool, planter, egg rack, etc.
FAQ: Building a Plant Stand on Wheels
You can collect materials like wooden pallets from supermarkets, furniture stores, DIY stores, and garden centers. Look for untreated pallets made of Scots pine, spruce, or Douglas wood.
You’ll need basic tools like a crowbar, hammer, pliers, screwdriver, square, and saw. Additionally, you’ll require Phillips wood screws (25mm) and casters for mobility.
Use a crowbar, hammer, and pliers to carefully dismantle the pallet, ensuring not to damage or split the boards you need. Take your time and exercise caution during this process.
Yes, you can customize the dimensions of the plant stand according to your preferences and DIY skills. You can make it larger, smaller, rectangular, or round to suit your needs.
It’s optional. If you prefer a rustic look, you can leave the wood untreated. However, if you want a polished finish, you can sand the boards and apply a stain, paint, or a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine.
