Wood Dowel Rod Vase and Plant Stand

Has anyone else noticed that suddenly the unassuming wood dowel rod has gotten new life? When I think of dowel rods I think of my brother’s Boy Scout troop for some reason, and or summer camp. It must be because dowel rods are so inexpensive that they were kind of a staple of any kind of handmade childhood craft. I remember sitting in Girl Scout camp making God‘s eyes with two crossed skinny dowel rods and yarn (Maybe that something I should give another try… it might be kind of fun.). When I created the wood dowel rod vase and plant stand, I decided that dowel rods could get an instant,modern upgrade as a craft/decor supply. By using a recycled can, dowel rods, and wood rounds from the craft store, it made an instant vase that could be flipped over to be used as a plant stand as well. The trick with making these is that the wood rods are cut evenly, and that they aren’t too long so that it becomes a tip hazard (unless you use a wider can for a base.)

You can watch a quick video here of the process, or skip to the steps below.

To create these dowel rod plant stand/vases you’ll need a few simple crafts supplies such as small wood dowels, a craft round, and a hot glue gun. The hardest part was cutting the dowel rods to the same size. I ended up taping all of mine together in a big bundle including the ends and then cutting them as a unit. I started cutting them one by one and realized it was going to take me forever and all my kids might be in college by the time I was done. Once they were cut, I made sure to sand or trim any that needed it so they were as close to the same size as possible so it would be level.

I started by wrapping the can in cardstock so the dowel rods would have something to hold onto. I was worried if I glued the right to the can they would pop off.

Then, I glued the bottom of the can to the craft round, centering as accurately as I could.

Once everything was glued in place they were ready to use! The biggest thing about using it as a vase is to remember there is a paper lining between the dowels and the can, and that the water goes directly into the can when being used. Using a skinny glass vase inside of the can would make it easier to lift any flowers in or out and for cleaning.