Can you turn two dollar tree trash cans, a photo board, and fabric into a cute AF DIY plant stand / end table / side table? You sure can. Find out how I created this pedestal-style end table to upgrade a new outdoor space.

THE INSPIRATION

Lately, I’ve been crushing on pedestal-style outdoor tables. In preparation for a new backyard makeover, I wanted to incorporate one into the design. But I didn’t want to spend much of my budget on it. Even at Target, these lil babies can really add up. So what is a cheap whore to do? Turn to my favorite dealer: The dollar store to create a sweet, simple DIY plant stand / end table.

The Wicker Hourglass End Table White/Black from Target is adorable. It’s also $79.

SUPPLIES

2 Dollar store trash cans
Fabric
Jigsaw
Material for wood disc (e.g., plywood, sturdy disc in another material)
Material for tabletop (e.g., plywood, cutting board, etc. I used a dollar store photo board.)
Thin foam craft tape (If your trashcan bottoms neatly fit together without creating a gap, you don’t need this. I used it to fill in gap space before I spackled.)
*Spackle
Acrylic sealer
Sand (or other material to weigh it down)
Painter’s tape
*Gold leaf:
*E6000 glue:
Outdoor Mod Podge: https://amzn.to/3Auj7sn

*Affiliate links that offer me a percentage of the revenue made from purchases made using this link.

PROCESS

Cut a disk. Step one is grabbing a piece of wood that you can cut into a circle and E6000 glue each trash can bottom too. However, if you have two trashcans that are totally flush. (Mine had a small lip, so I couldn’t easily glue the flat bottoms together).
Choose your pattern. You might spraypaint, paint, or Mod Podge a paper or fabric design on. (Personally, painting onto plastic has never worked for me. If you have tips to do it, please share them!) I wanted a fun black-and-white geometric pattern, so I found the best pattern at a fabric store. Since I live in SoCal, where it almost never rains, I wasn’t too worried about the table being super weather-resistant. Fabric was my best option to get the right look.
Add your pattern. If you’re painting, this is when you want to paint onto your table. I used Outdoor Mod Podge to adhere the fabric to the trashcans and tabletop, then added two coats of Mod Podge on top. If you’re using fabric, make sure you follow the directions and allow for proper dry time between coats of Mod Podge.

Note: Your Mod Podge will dry but feel slightly tacky. After it fully cures, coat it with an acrylic sealer. This eliminates the tackiness and makes it a bit more weather-resistant.
Glue your trashcans together. Either E6000 the trashcan bottoms together to create your pedestal base, or glue each side to the disk. You can add your sand (or whatever material you want to use to weigh it down). This ensures they dry tight, and creates a strong center of balance for the base. BTW, to be safe, always move the table by gripping the top trashcan. The bottom one will be lighter, and depending on the thickness of your plastic, it might squish a bit. You also don’t want to grab the tabletop (it might pop off).
Fill the gap between the trashcans (if you have one). If you need to do this step because you have a gap, use painter’s tape to protect the area around the seam you’ll be spackling in. I forgot to do this, and the spackle got stuck in the fabric. The wood disc I used added spacing between the trashcans. To create a solid seam, I decided to spackle it in. However, I wanted to fill the gap in as much as possible so that I didn’t have to use a ton of spackle (or wait for the dry time in-between—booooo!). To do this, I filled in the gap with thin crafting foam tape. Then I spackled in layers, making sure to let it dry before adding each layer.
Gold leaf table top edge. If you have a seam to cover (or want to add more flair like me), you can gold leaf or paint the table edge. Gold leaf-ing the tabletop edge is pretty straightforward. You just use the base glue, press the leaf in, and seal with the sealer. For the seam, you need to be a little more careful. In hindsight, I could have probably Mod Podged fabric over the spackled seam. Instead, I decided to leaf it as well. Unfortunately, my spackle may not have been dry enough (or it will just absorb anything wet at anytime), because it basically absorbed the glue. Since it made everything slightly sticky, I decided to press the leaf over it anyway and seal per usual. It came out alright, but I probably wouldn’t do it the same way if I did it again.
Glue the tabletop on. It was easiest to simply E6000 the tabletop on—and add something decently heavy on top to keep it tight while it dries.
Finish with acrylic sealer. I waited two weeks to let it cure, then topped off with a spraypaint sealer. It definitely removed the tackiness.
Step back and admire your lovely little table. You did it.

✌️—Katy