Turned an old dresser into a planter stand last weekend

I found a beat up wooden dresser on the curb for free and spent Saturday cutting out the middle drawer space and adding a shelf for pots. After sealing it with outdoor polyurethane, it now holds 6 of my herbs on the porch. Has anyone tried making furniture work for plants without it rotting out?

2 comments

2 Comments

hall.quinn11d ago

Lol I'm honestly impressed yours has survived on the porch. I tried something similar with a cheap nightstand and it basically turned into a sponge after one rainstorm. Polyurethane is probably the way to go though, I just grabbed whatever spray can was cheapest at the hardware store and paid for it lol. Gotta respect the curb find though, free furniture is basically a challenge to see if you can make it not look terrible.

ramirez.caleb11d ago

The "challenge to see if you can make it not look terrible" thing is so true. That's exactly why I grabbed this table, honestly. I knew the wood was solid underneath all that crusty varnish, but it was a gamble. And you're totally right about the cheap spray can mistake. I made that same error before and learned my lesson. Water based poly is the only stuff that holds up outside, even if it costs a few bucks more. Nothing worse than watching your hard work turn into a sponge after one good rain.