We are relatively new to the plant game. I (Karly) have a black thumb when it comes to plants. But if I can keep two tiny humans alive, I can keep a few plants alive, right? I love the added benefits that indoor plants bring to the home. Besides the obvious decorative factor, studies show that plants help purify the air, boost mood and productivity, and reduce stress. All this to say that we knew we wanted to bring some greenery into our home. But we also wanted it to look and feel put together without spending more money on a planter than the plant itself. Our solution? You guessed it - we built our own!
This geometric planter design was a little bit of an accident. Originally, the triangle at the base was going to be the support for the pot to rest on. When we made it (in a very quick, spontaneous Monday afternoon project), it was sized too big. And then when we reduced it, we cut it too small. Oops! But hey, hard pretzels were an accident and they turned out pretty great. So we modified the planter a little by cutting just enough of the posts to allow the planter to sit up, which left the triangle exposed. I like it better than the original plan! We assembled this using materials we had at the house. Here's how it came together:
Materials
- Scrap wood. We had an 8', 1" x 3" (a true 1 inch thick, you could use a 2"x3" for the same look) and there was still enough left over for at least one more planter.
- 2 1/2" Kreg screws
- 2" Brad Nails
- Wood Glue
Tools
- Table Saw
- Miter Saw
- Drill
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
- 18 Gauge Brad Nail Gun
- Flush Cut Saw
Steps
Rip boards to final width. I set the fence on my table saw to the same thickness as my board so I could have square final pieces. I was able to get two 8" strips with one thinner scrap.
Cut boards to rough length. With the miter saw, cut three legs to 18" and three base pieces to 15". This may change based on the height you want, and diameter of your plant.
Miter base pieces. Cut a 30 degree miter on one end of your three 15" base pieces. This will form the triangular base.
Assemble the base. Drill pocket holes on the ends with the 30 degree miter. Position the mitered edge along the edge of another base piece, you will begin to see the triangle form. Adjust to make the triangle larger or smaller based on the size of your plant and your desired look. Once you're satisfied with the size of the triangle base, attach with pocket screws.
Cut base to final length. Center the triangle base under your plant and mark where to cut. I ended up cutting mine too short, hence why I notched the top of the legs for the planter to sit in that section. If you like the look of the exposed triangle and the suspended plant, cut the base slightly undersized. If not cut slightly over-sized and the plant will rest on top of the triangle.
Attach the legs. Decide how far off the ground you'd want your plant to sit, we went with 7 1/2". Drill pocket holes in the non-mitered ends of the three base pieces. Attach with screws and glue. I added two brad nails to prevent twisting while the glue dried.
Notch the legs. If you went with a slightly undersized base, use a flush cut saw to cut a notch at the top of the legs that matches the diameter of your plant.
Sand, stain, finish! We left ours unfinished to match other wood around the house.
There you have it! This project is simple and inexpensive. It's also a flexible project, so you can adjust however you need to and create different looks, heights, widths to accommodate any plant. Can't beat that! -K + J You know what to do. 👇