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Hardwood Plant Risers[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 plant risers
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Lift your house plants off the floor or the windowsill and give each one a little stage. Each riser is a thick 8" hardwood top on four chunky feet. Every board makes one riser, feet and all, so one pack gives you five — a set for a plant corner, or a few to give away.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top halves | 10 | Boards 1–5, two each | 8" × 4" × 1¾" | 8" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Feet blanks | 5 | Boards 1–5, one each | 6½" × 4" × 1¾" | 6½" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Feet (from the blanks) | 20 + 10 spare | Feet blanks, six each | 1¾" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 1¾" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
Top: two 8" pieces edge-glued, long grain to long grain.
Feet to top: each foot turned so its grain runs with the top's grain, glued face to face (long grain) and screwed with one #8 × 2½" screw down through a ⅜" counterbore. Face-grain plugs hide the screws.
Finished size: S4S 8" × 8" × 3½" H · S2S 8" × 7" × 3½" H. Holds a pot up to about 7" across.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 20 × #8 × 2½" flat-head wood screws
- 20 × ⅜" face-grain wood plugs (or cut your own from a spare foot with a plug cutter)
- Felt or cork pads
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: hardwax oil or water-based poly (water-resistant)
- Plant saucers
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Bandsaw, or table saw with a push block (for ripping the feet blanks)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, ⅜" counterbore or Forstner bit
- Flush-cut saw (for the plugs)
- 2–4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 One board, one riser. Each board makes a full riser: two top halves and a blank for the feet. Keep each board's parts together so the colour matches.
- 2 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two top halves from every board. Cut the rest to a 6½" feet blank. You need 22¾" per board.
- 3 Glue up the tops. Edge-glue each pair of halves into a 8" × 8" top, grain running the same way. Keep the ends flush. Clamp, scrape off the squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 4 Make the feet. Rip each feet blank down the middle into two strips about 1 15/16" wide. Use a bandsaw, or a table saw with a push block — the blank is short, so keep your hands well clear. Crosscut each strip into three 1¾" long feet. That gives 30 feet: 20 for the risers and 10 spares.
- 5 Sand. Sand the glue seam flush, then sand the tops and feet 120 → 180 → 220. Round or chamfer every edge. Pick the best 20 feet.
- 6 Lay out the feet. Turn a top upside down. Mark each foot ¾" in from the sides and ends. Turn every foot so its grain runs the same way as the top's grain. Then the glue face is long grain on long grain.
- 7 Drill the top. Find the centre of each foot and mark it on the top's show face. Drill a ⅜" counterbore ½" deep at each mark, then a clearance hole for a #8 screw through the top.
- 8 Fit the feet. Glue one foot on its mark, clamp it, and drill a pilot hole into it through the top. Drive a #8 × 2½" screw. Repeat for all four feet. Glue ⅜" face-grain plugs into the counterbores, grain lined up with the top, and saw them flush when dry.
- 9 Finish for water. Wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats, on every face — the underside and feet too. Stick felt or cork pads under the feet. Always use a saucer under the pot.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 One board, one riser. Each board makes a full riser: two top halves and a blank for the feet. Keep each board's parts together so the colour matches.
- 3 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two top halves from every board. Cut the rest to a 6½" feet blank. You need 22¾" per board.
- 4 Glue up the tops. Edge-glue each pair of halves into a 8" × 7" top, grain running the same way. Keep the ends flush. Clamp, scrape off the squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 5 Make the feet. Rip each feet blank down the middle into two strips about 1 11/16" wide. Use a bandsaw, or a table saw with a push block — the blank is short, so keep your hands well clear. Crosscut each strip into three 1¾" long feet. That gives 30 feet: 20 for the risers and 10 spares.
- 6 Sand. Sand the glue seam flush, then sand the tops and feet 120 → 180 → 220. Round or chamfer every edge. Pick the best 20 feet.
- 7 Lay out the feet. Turn a top upside down. Mark each foot ¾" in from the sides and ends. Turn every foot so its grain runs the same way as the top's grain. Then the glue face is long grain on long grain.
- 8 Drill the top. Find the centre of each foot and mark it on the top's show face. Drill a ⅜" counterbore ½" deep at each mark, then a clearance hole for a #8 screw through the top.
- 9 Fit the feet. Glue one foot on its mark, clamp it, and drill a pilot hole into it through the top. Drive a #8 × 2½" screw. Repeat for all four feet. Glue ⅜" face-grain plugs into the counterbores, grain lined up with the top, and saw them flush when dry.
- 10 Finish for water. Wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats, on every face — the underside and feet too. Stick felt or cork pads under the feet. Always use a saucer under the pot.
Why turn the feet that way? Each foot is cut from the same board as the top. Turned so its grain runs with the top's grain, the glue joint is long grain to long grain and the foot moves with the top through the seasons. The screw holds it while the glue sets and adds insurance.
Why screw from the top? The screw pulls the foot up tight against the top, and the plug hides the head. A pot sits over most of the plugs anyway.
Why finish every face? Plant pots drip and saucers sweat. Sealing the underside and the feet as well as the top stops water from getting into the end grain and staining or cupping the wood.
Make It Yours
- Taller risers: stack two feet under each corner, glued face to face, for a 5¼" riser. Use a longer screw.
- Mixed set: make a top from one species and the feet from another.
- Rounded corners: trace a jar lid on each corner of the top and sand to the line.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip the short feet blanks on a bandsaw, or with a push block on the table saw. Never rip a 6½" piece freehand.
- Cut the feet with a stop block on the mitre saw and let the blade stop before you pick up the small pieces.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Not with a good finish and a saucer. Seal every face with hardwax oil or water-based poly and wipe up spills. Never stand a pot straight on the wood without a saucer.
Pots up to about 7" across the base sit fully on the top. Bigger pots work if the saucer fits — the thick top and four feet carry a heavy pot easily.
On a covered porch, yes, with an exterior finish. White oak handles damp best. In full sun and rain, plan to refinish it every year.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim, about ½" (S4S) or ¼" (S2S) at the end of each board, and 10 spare feet. All 5 boards go into the risers.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 10 risers: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
