The Clever Way To Repurpose Old Bar Stools In Your Kitchen Or Garden

When you retire wooden barstools from your kitchen, your first instinct is probably to toss them onto the curb — but if you keep plants around the home, stop right there. You ought to upcycle those stools into thrifty, sustainable plant stands that will make your collection of leafy beauties look organized and stylish.

One of the tips for growing a vegetable garden on a budget is to repurpose household items instead of buying new gear, and many store-bought plant stands already look like short bar stools. To get the same look, simply cut four- or three-legged stools down using a saw, measuring tape, and a roll of painter's tape. Any kind of saw can work, but the tape is a must to avoid splintering the wood. Try sawing multiple stools to different heights to add visual intrigue to your plant display.

After measuring the legs to see how many inches to remove, wrap a piece of tape around each leg so the bottom edge of every strip is right where you want to cut. Saw carefully, then sand the bottoms of the legs down for an even finish. If you plan to put your stands outside, make sure to re-varnish the cut and sanded parts of the wood to protect them from rain and sun. After a coat or two, your stands are ready to go — but if you want to build multiple stands from one stool or make them look nicer, you'll need a few extra tips.

Tall four-legged bar stools often come with spindles, or extra horizontal bars that connect the legs to each other. To get two or more plant stands out of one stool, carefully saw between the spindles. The top part of the stool with the seat attached can stand on its own, while the frames left over will need new tops. This can be as simple as a sturdy wooden board (or individual planks fashioned together) attached to the legs using strong glue, nails, and/or screws. Sand down any parts that look rough, repeat, and you'll have multiple plant stands on the cheap.

Alternatively, try attaching a sturdy ceramic dish or metal tray onto the legs to serve as the holder. You can even use everyday kitchen tools that double as garden gear, like a muffin tin. This would turn your DIY project into a standing seed bed or a holder for several small plants like herbs and succulents, which are among the best houseplants to add to your kitchen.

To pretty up your new stands, spray-painting them is a go-to method, or coat them in a wood stain for a rustic look that still conceals old blemishes. And if your sawing job wasn't 100% perfect, tightly wrapping thick twine or decorative cloth around the feet of a stand makes for a simple and chic touch.