In spring and summer, the houseplants can go outside and decorate the balcony or terrace together with pots full of summer flowers. Our step-by-step guide shows you how to build a folding potplant stand.
After the flower-poor months that lie behind us, it is a pleasure to indulge in spring flowers, to replant balcony boxes and tubs and to prepare the balcony or terrace again. There are enough parking spaces if you build a folding potplant stand. There are 70 cm available on two floors, and there is also space for a few not too tall plants in front of it. If that’s not enough, don’t stop at one when you build a folding potplant stand — make several.
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Build a folding potplant stand
But it is not always about the lack of space for the many pots. Sometimes the opposite is true: there is a lot of space on the terrace, but only a few plants. Then of course they seem quite lost on the large area. The stand fills much more space and creates the right framework. Even a small pot rose becomes a star here. Even if there are hardly any potted plants, the stand is an asset for the balcony or terrace, because it can also be used as a storage space for glasses or bottles. And when the top grate is folded down, it turns into a bench for children.
The list of advantages is still not complete: Because there are parking spaces at different heights, you can use the stairs to build green walls with many small pots and hide unsightly corners. Otherwise, this can only be achieved with large, bushy tub plants, which are usually expensive and not always hardy.
The stand does not pose any difficulties when it comes to accommodation over winter, because it can be folded up in a few simple steps and then fits into the basement or garden shed. However, if the wood is well protected against moisture with one coat of paint, it can remain outside all year round. Instead of flower pots, for example, a bird feeder could stand on it.
Sketch with dimensions
Precise measure pays off when assembling. Cross-section of strips can vary slightly – here it was 2.4 x 4.2 cm.
Build a folding potplant stand: DIY instructions
Tip : Be sure to use screws and fittings made of rustproof metal. The stainless steel carriage bolts remain permanently rustproof. Galvanized screws are sufficient for the floors, because the cross pieces are also glued. The hinges are made of brass.
First, the smooth edge boards are cut: two long ones for the sloping legs, two for the vertical ones and 14 for the shelves and the rear frame. With the help of the miter box, precise cuts can also be made with the hand saw.
The upper ends of the sloping legs are rounded. A glass or egg cup serves as a template for the rounding. Use the hand saw to roughly cut the shape and then work it out with the rasp.
The holes for the inserted carriage bolts (M 8×80 mm) are best drilled using the drill stand. Then they become vertical.
You assemble the floors from the strips of the same length. Ledge sections serve as spacers. The connecting cross pieces are waterproof glued and screwed with PU glue. Make sure to pre-drill the screw holes.
The untreated wood needs a complete coat so that no moisture can penetrate. If you want the stairs to have a light color, prime them white and then paint twice.
To unscrew the hinges, place the frame assembled from the two vertical legs and three cross bars on a flat surface and place the shelves in the correct position on them.
Then screw plastic feet (15 x 8 mm) under the legs so that the wood does not come into direct contact with the often damp floor.
Gerhardt Richter is a writer and a trainer at trade technical colleges, specializing in carpentry, plumbing, mechanics and construction.
