 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
Cardboard boxes: not exactly the most glamorous of containers, but they do the trick for wintertime storage of canned goods in linen closets during the wintertime. My fantasy kitchen would include a walk-in pantry just for canned goods, with shelves organized by product. But as every canner and preserving junkie knows, space is usually not on our side when it comes to kitchen storage—especially when there’s plenty of produce to harvest and store away. That’s why cardboard boxes and crates wind up being the storage containers of choice.
However, when you’re marketing your products to a customer, presentation matters a lot more. The farmers’ market puts your space-utilizing skills to the test, begging the question, how will you start a connection with a customer visually? In just a few square feet of table or counter space, you must present all your products to the customer, ideally in an aesthetically pleasing, orderly and efficient manner. This time, those cardboard boxes aren’t your friends. But who has time to think about space-management skills and presentation marketing when all your time is allocated to farming quality products?
For that reason, now is the time to get started on your easy and inexpensive tiered table-top presentation stand for canned goods or other products. Those berries will be budding before you know it, and this three-tiered display stand provides extra space and elevation to present jams, jellies, honey, vases of flowers or other stand-alone products you take to market. It will give you a little extra table space to work with and a polished, professional appearance that will attract new customers.
The shelf that my husband, Shawn, and I constructed was made out of a board of cedar because it was the most cost-efficient, but you could use a number of woods, such as oak or poplar. We cut our boards, but sometimes a local hardware or bigbox store will make cuts for you (as long as you purchase the wood there). After that, it’s just a matter of assembling your pieces.
Materials You’ll Need:
- 1×4 cedar board, 12 feet long
- 1×2 cedar board, at least 35 inches long
- 1-inch wood screws
- glue
Cut Your Wood
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
To make the pieces for the tiered sides of the stand, cut the following pieces out of the 1×4:
- two 6-inch pieces (first tier)
- two 12-inch pieces (second tier)
- two 18-inch pieces (third tier)
With the remaining 1×4, cut the shelf-top piecest:
- three 24-inch-long pieces
To create the side supports, cut the following out of the 1×2:
- two 10½-inch pieces
- two 7-inch pieces
- two 3½-inch (optional, for symmetry and embellishment)
Hint: The 12-foot cedar board should actually be slightly longer than 12 feet. If it’s exactly 12 feet, then take 1/8-inch off of each cut to account for the width of the saw blade that will be lost when cutting.
Assembly Your Stand
Cedar splits easily, so Shawn recommends drilling pilot holes for each screw. Wood glue on each joint is optional, but recommended for added strength and stability. If you’d rather not use screws, a nail and hammer can be substituted.
Step 1
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
Set a 6-inch, 12-inch and 18-inch side piece side-by-side with the bottom edge aligned.
Step 2
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
Attach a 10½-inch piece across all three at the height of the first tier. Attach all three side pieces using glue and screws.
Step 3
Attach a 7-inch and 3½-inch piece across the second and third tier. (The 3½-inch piece isn’t necessary for support, but it makes it look more symmetrical.)
Step 4
Repeat with the other 6-inch, 12-inch and 18-inch pieces, mirroring orientation of the first side.
Step 5
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
Drill pilot holes on the ends of each shelf and attach them to the vertical supports using screws and glue.
Step 6
If the shelf rocks or doesn’t sit level, sand down the bottoms of the sides until level.
 Photo by Elizabeth Troutman/Bluegrass Goodness |
Optional Shelf Backing
If you prefer to have a backing to your shelf, cut each cross support piece 1/4-inch shorter than listed. Get a sheet of 2-by-4-foot plywood panel board. If desired, cover the plywood with a decorative backing, such as construction or scrapbook paper to give it extra flare. Cut three 6-by-24-inch pieces and nail or glue to the cross pieces.
| About Elizabeth Troutman Adams Elizabeth Troutman Adams is a freelance writer, public-relations specialist and blogger based in Lexington, Ky. When she’s not churning out words, she loves dabbling in the kitchen, riding and jumping horses, improving her home with her own hands, and bringing people together with the sentiment of old-fashioned hospitality. Look for her DIY marketing projects each month on The Craft Hub, and get to know her better at Bluegrass Goodness. |
