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    Home » DIY » outdoor living » Reclaimed Stair Stringer Tiered Plant Stand

    Reclaimed Stair Stringer Tiered Plant Stand

    Published by Gail | Published April 19, 2018 | Updated July 26, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    I had a reclaimed stair stringer and I knew that it would be perfect for this tiered plant stand. I had the vision of exactly what I wanted it to look like in the end, and it really ended up just as I planned!

    Reclaimed Stair Stringer Makes a Great Tiered Plant Stand

    2018-04-03 15.58.27This is the reclaimed stair stringer I got from my neighbor Rodney. He helped me figure out how to mark the first cut line.

    cut reclaimed stair stringer on compound miter sawI made that cut  on the compound miter saw. CAUTION: when using reclaimed wood materials always make sure old nails, screws etc have been removed.

    trace stringer patternAfter cutting the stair stringer in half, I placed the two pieces together to trace lines that would make each of the pieces mirror each other. Look closely to see the faint line drawn on the larger piece of stair stringer.

    Start with two matching stringers

    two matching stair stringersNow I have a matching pair of reclaimed stair stringers to make my tiered plant stand.

    reclaimed stair stringers to make a tiered plant standBecause of the way the original stair stringers were cut, there were two options available for assembly. The image on the left shows that the tiered planter shelf would be tall, and the image on the right shows that the plant shelf would be not quite as tall but protrude out further. I went with option 1 on the left.

    Materials to turn reclaimed stair stringers into a tiered plant stand

    • Drill
    • Nail Gun
    • Brad Nails
    • Wood Screws
    • Scrap 2x8 lumber
    • Scrap planks or 1x4’s
    • Lattice or scrap rip cuts
    • Paint
    • Stain

    items to turn stair stringers into tiered plant standI gathered all my supplies and got right to work.

    tack plank to make back legs tiered plant standThe stair stringer was rested against the fence in order to measure the height so I could cut the back legs. Reclaimed planks were perfect for the back legs.

    TIP: Using a nail gun to pop a few brads in place will easily help hold your boards together so you can secure wood screws. Brad nails are not strong enough to support this tiered plant stand.

    Add back legs to stringer plant stand

    secure back leg on each stair stringer with wood screwsTo secure the back leg of the plant stand to the stair stringer I used exterior 2” screws.

    TIP: Be sure to flip second stair stringer over in order to get both back legs on the inside.

    always cut off rough lumber to keep project neatTo make the stair treads on the tiered plant stand I used left over 2x8’s from my new kitchen island top. I found the longest one, cut it in half and used that as the length for all three treads.

    Tip: Always slice off the rough end of your lumber to make a clean cut that will accept paint and or stain better.

    test fit of stair treads tiered plant standI put the three boards onto the stair stringers to get an idea of how it was going to look.

    kreg multimark toolThe handy Kreg Multi-mark tool was useful to get the same amount of overhang on each side of the tread.

    use brad nails to tack board in placeAgain, I used the brad nailer to tack the boards in place in order to hold them as I secured them with the wood screws.

    Attach treads to reclaimed stringers

    three inch screws secure stair treads tiered plant standThree inch wood screws were used to hold the stair treads onto the stringers to make this tiered plant shelf.

    Attach back brace

    how to secure lower back brace to tiered plant standTo make the plant stand more stable I added a back brace across the bottom. I used a piece left over from cutting the back legs. I tacked it in place with my nail gun, drilled a pilot hole, then secured with a 1 ⅝” wood screw.

    Tip: Drilling the pilot hole is a must when working so near the end of a board to keep it from splitting.

    add crisscross brace for embellishmentTo add more umph to the back of the tiered plant stand, I used thin rip cut scraps to make a faux crisscross brace.

    front and back view of reclaimed stair stringer tiered plant standyay! The reclaimed stair stringer tiered plant stand is completed and ready to paint!

    How to get an aged paint look on new lumber

    .how to get an aged paint look on new lumberI was wanting a very distinct look for my tiered planter—I wanted it to look old and worn as though it had been around for years and years! To achieve this aged paint look, I chose two shades of blue paint and a white. My favorite way to apply paint with a dry brush look is with a cheap chip brush. They really are my go-to on most of my projects. They are easy to clean and waste less paint than a full, thick bristled brush.

    Tip: I like to begin painting my projects upside down.

    Dry brush first (lightest) color

    how to layer paint to get aged lumber lookI began with the white paint and didn’t attempt to get full coverage.

    Add at least two additional paint colors

    layering paint techniqueThis is with the first two colors on the tiered step stool. Apparently I didn’t take a picture from this angle after the darkest paint—Naval.

    Sand paint off

    layered aged paint technique before after sandingThe images on the left are after all layers of paint, before sanding. The images on the right are after sanding with my orbital sander using 150 grit sandpaper.

    Add stain as a topcoat to complete aged lumber look

    apply stain to layered paint for aged lookTime to add the magic potion, and no—it’s not my favorite smoked glaze! It’s Minwax Provincial stain applied with a soft cloth and latex gloves. Can you see the difference? Before on the left, after on the right!

    antique looking blue and stained tiered step plant stand MyRepurposedLife.comAs I worked all the way around the tiered plant stand with the stain, I was unable to take any pictures due to having my gloves covered with stain.

    how to do a layered paint aged lumber look MyRepurposedLife.com

    Pin this IDEA!

    Isn’t it hard to believe it’s the same project before and after paint and stain?!

    three tiered outdoor plant stand with pansies MyRepurposedLife.comI planted pansies using planters from the Dollar Tree.

    aged blue three tiered plant stand MyRepurposedLife.com

    Pin it please!

    The small yard décor items are from Dollar General. I’ll be taking this to Vendors’ Village to sell at my booth.

    See more plant stands on My Repurposed Life here.

    Watch my video of How To Glaze Painted Furniture

    This project is for this month's Power Tool Challenge Project. Hop over to this collection to see all the wonderful Spring Themed Wood Projects. (please note: many of these projects won't be live until 11 am EST. Please check back then)

    Spring-Power-Tool-Projects

    You won't want to miss all the other fun Spring Wood Project Ideas.

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    1. Wendi@H2OBungalow

      April 20, 2018 at 8:46 pm

      What a super recycle project! Love the idea of using stair parts to make a plant stand. You alway come up with the best ideas! Pinned.. of course!

      Reply
    2. Paula

      April 20, 2018 at 4:48 pm

      You come up with the best projects! I think this one will sell very quickly!

      Reply
    3. Maryann

      April 19, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      Perfect Spring idea & I love the finish you used!

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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