DIY A-Frame Ladder Plant Stand

We are repurposing two 5' ladders we sourced from a yard sale about three years ago. Those ladders have been taking up way to much space for far too long--this project was way overdue!

Fence pickets in 6' and 8' lengths are used for the shelves. And 1/2" bolts and nuts secure the shelving to the ladders. We are also using outdoor paint that we had on hand.

Full materials list can be found on our website.

Before we did anything, we cleaned up the fence pickets with a little sanding and used a metal brush to clean the ladders. We also took the time to remove all the stickers. This little plastic razor blade tool is really handy for this.

Next, we set up the ladders into position so we could determine the length of the pickets for the shelves. The shelf length is approximately even with the outer edge of the ladder steps. We didn't want any overhang on the sides. The pickets were cut to size with a circular saw.

The ladders and shelves were painted prior to assembly.

We determined the placement for the bolt making sure to stay away from the center as there were obstacles under each step! The pickets were clamped to the step and a 5/8" hole was made with a spade bit. Then the bolt was dropped through and the nut attached underneath.

Because we live in hurricane-prone Florida, we needed to be able to disassemble the plant stand and store it during a hurricane warning. That's why removable bolts were used rather than permanently attaching the shelves.

To help prevent the legs from rotting, we used a couple of coats of Flex Seal on the legs. This dries to a rubber-like finish.

After assembly, we moved the stand into place. We needed to level the ground just a bit for it to stand evenly. We added partial sun-loving plants and we were done!

For more details, please visit our website!