Outdoor Plant Stand Ideas: Cheap, DIY and Sturdy

You don't need to buy a plant stand to get one. A wooden crate, a stack of cinder blocks and a board, an old ladder or a sturdy stool will all lift a pot off the ground, and most cost very little or nothing. The trick is choosing something that holds the weight of a wet pot and doesn't rot after one rainy season.

Below are outdoor plant stand ideas grouped by what they do best, plus the sizing, weight and drainage rules that keep them from tipping over.

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What can I use as an outdoor plant stand?

Anything flat, stable and weatherproof enough for your climate. Common household and salvage options:

• Wooden crates, turned on their side for two heights
• Cinder blocks with the holes facing out, which also work as tiny planters
• Stacked bricks or pavers
• Old wooden or metal stools and side tables
• A ladder leaned against a wall, with a board across each rung
• Pallet slats cut into a small bench
• Upturned terracotta pots under a larger pot

If the piece will live outside year-round, check the feet. Wood sitting directly on wet concrete wicks moisture and rots from below. Small rubber pads or a couple of flat stones underneath add years of life.

Why lift plants off the ground at all?

Height does three jobs. It improves drainage and airflow under the pot, it puts the plant where you can actually see and water it, and it lets you build a layered display instead of a flat row of pots. Elevation also helps with pets: a dog's tail sweeps a low pot off a step very quickly. If your dog is a nibbler, check any plant against the ASPCA toxic plant list or ask your vet before you set it within reach.

Small outdoor plant stand ideas for porches and balconies

On a narrow footprint, go up instead of out. A tall, slim stand or a ladder shelf uses about one pot's worth of floor and holds four or five plants.

• A single crate on its side gives you a low shelf and a taller shelf in about two square feet.
• A three-step ladder shelf against a wall suits a railing-free balcony, as long as it can't be knocked over.
• A small stool next to a door frames the entry without blocking it.

Keep a clear path. As a rule of thumb, leave about 30-36 inches for the main walkway, and keep stands out of the swing of doors and gates.

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How to build a tiered plant stand

A tiered stand shows off a collection without eating floor space. The simplest version is a three-step bench made from lumber you can have cut at the store.

1. Decide on the width. About 24-36 inches fits most porches. Make each step 8-10 inches deep so a standard pot sits fully on it.
2. Cut two side frames in a stair profile, with steps roughly 8-10 inches apart in height.
3. Screw slats across each step with a gap of about 1/4 inch so water drains instead of pooling.
4. Add a diagonal brace between the sides at the back so the stand doesn't rack.
5. Seal or paint it with an exterior finish and let it dry fully before loading it.

Use exterior-rated screws and a rot-resistant wood such as cedar, or pressure-treated lumber. Cinder blocks and boards are the no-tools version: two blocks per level, one board across, and you can rebuild the arrangement whenever you like. Wobbly or tall stacks are best skipped if kids or dogs run past.

Heavy duty outdoor plant stands for big pots

A large pot of wet soil is heavy, and weight is where cheap stands fail. As an architect, I'd choose the stand for the weight of the full, watered pot, not the empty one. Concrete blocks, pavers, thick lumber and welded metal frames hold up. Thin wire stands and lightweight plastic don't.

Container size matters too. Colorado State University Extension suggests minimum five-gallon containers for vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. A five-gallon pot full of damp soil is a real load, so build those stands low and wide, close to the ground. Fruiting plants also need sun, so place the stand where the pot will get light. The same university notes that flowering plants, water plants and fruiting vegetables need at least eight hours of full sun each day.

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How to make a DIY plant riser

A riser is just a low platform that lifts a pot a few inches. It is the easiest of the diy outdoor plant stand ideas.

• Two 2x4 offcuts under a board, set with the board overhanging a little
• A pair of bricks under each side of a large pot
• Wheeled plant caddies for pots you move with the seasons

Leave a gap between the pot and the ground so water can run out, and keep any saucer from collecting standing water. For height in the planter itself, Northwind switch grass is one option SDSU Extension lists for creating height in a container.

Arrange the stands so they look intentional

Group pots in odd or uneven heights, and repeat one material so the display reads as a set. Wood with terracotta, or metal with ceramic, looks coordinated without matching exactly. Put the tallest pieces against a wall or in a corner and the lowest toward seating.

Wind needs a plan. Choose low, wide stands, and weight the base with a paver or brick on exposed balconies. Paint or seal anything made of wood so it holds its color, and test darker shades in the actual light before committing. For more on layout and styling, see our guide to outdoor plant stands for a cozy, modern look. If you're planning a larger yard project, budget pond ideas pair well with a plant display, and Ikea alternatives can fill in when you'd rather buy than build.

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Check drainage, sun and stability before you plant

• Test the stand with the pot full and watered before you trust it.
• Make sure water can drain out and away rather than sit on the stand.
• Rock it with your hand. If it moves, widen the base or add a brace.
• Check where the sun falls at midday and in the afternoon, since that decides which plants go on the top tier.

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A stand that passes these four checks will last through several seasons, and swapping the plants on top is the cheapest way to change the look.

Frequently asked questions