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This corner display stand is intended for Christmas decor, specifically it’s great for a Christmas village, but it can also be decorated for any time of year.
I’m sure you’ve seen this type of Christmas tree shaped corner stand before. My wife asked me to build one this year, but ours needed to breakdown and go up in the attic. So, I took this common design and made it collapsible with removable shelves.
The only power tools you need are a circular saw, miter saw, drill, and a jigsaw. I also use my DIY track saw guide to break down the plywood. I’ve got videos and articles on each of those tools and the track guide.
Cutting Out the Base Pieces
I used 1/2″ MDF since the edges are going to show. You could also use plywood with edge banding, but that’s a significant extra step.
I was a little skeptical of the 1/2″ thickness, but I was trying to cut down on cost and give the stand a nicer aesthetic appeal. In the end, it was the right choice. Once the stand is assembled it’s sturdy and looks nice.
Use the factory edges of the MDF or plywood and measure for each base piece. Cut them out with a straight-edge or use this easy circular saw track guides. Try to get the measurements as close to each other as you can to make the build go together easier later on.
Marking for the Supports
Place the two base pieces edge to edge and flush with each other. The plan includes distances from the bottom of the stand to the bottom of each support. I marked each of those distances on the outer, angled edge and also on the inner edge of each piece.
Use a ruler or straight-edge to draw a line connecting the four marks. Now you have a visual representation of where the lower supports go.
Cut the supports to 1″ (25mm) longer than their final lengths and then hold one of the pieces up to the tip of the base to trace the angle.
Set your miter saw to that angle and cut each bottom support to length with that angle. Keep in mind that the length of the support goes to the tip of the angle.
Drill and countersink holes with a 5/32″ (4mm) drill bit, apply wood glue, and then attach with #10, 1″ wood screws (5mm x 25mm) along the support marks.
Attaching the Hinges
The hinges must be aligned with the bottom supports since the 1/2″ MDF is not enough to drive a screw into by itself. Bring the support marks around the back of the base pieces.
Attaching the hinges can be tricky. I ended up using a board to hold up one side and then used a 12″ (305mm) speed square to keep it square as I marked the holes.
Drill a pilot hole at those marks with a 5/32″ (4mm) drill bit and then drive 1″ (25mm) wood screws.
There are measurements in the plan for each shelf, but it’s much more accurate to measure after attaching the hinges.
Making the Shelves
Cut out the square blanks after measuring and then use a push pin or nail, picture hanging wire, and a pencil to draw half circles on each shelf.
Clamp the blank to your workbench, making sure it’s clear underneath, and then use a jigsaw to cut out the half circle.
Sand the curve to smooth it out and break the edges.
Making the Upper Supports
Cut the upper supports to length and attach them with glue and 1″ (25mm) screws.
The shelves should be flat but don’t press too hard when attaching the upper supports, especially if you will be painting them.
The top shelf is too narrow for an upper support, so I drilled a 5/32″ (4mm) hole, countersinked it, and then drove a 1″ screw through the top of the shelf into the lower support.
Final Steps
The last step before apply finish was to add a screw on the fourth shelf’s lower support on each side to attach a bungee cord. This cord keeps the stand held together when collapsed.
I painted our stand with urethane paint. I’ve started using this paint much more often lately because it saves me the step of applying a clear coat after painting certain projects. The urethane paint dries to a hard finish that is similar to applying a polyurethane clear coat on top of a paint coat.
I love making projects available that are easy for beginners, but that don’t look like a beginner project, so that anyone would want to build it.
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