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A drink dispenser is useless sitting flat on a table — you can't get a cup under the spigot. This little stand raises it to pouring height and gives you cutout handles to carry the whole thing, full jar and all, out to the party.
It's built from cedar fence pickets, which is the move for anything that lives outdoors and cheap: pickets are rot-resistant, already the right width, and a few dollars each. Because it holds a heavy glass jar of liquid, use a waterproof exterior glue and don't skimp on the corner supports — this is the one place a decor build turns structural. The inner 1x2 frame is what actually carries the weight; the picket panels are the skin.
The only shaped cut is the handles, drilled and jigsawed into the two shorter side panels. If you'd rather skip that, screw on a pair of hardware handles instead — either works.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x2, 4 ftInner load-bearing frame. | 1 each |
| Cedar fence pickets, 72"Nominally 3-1/2" wide here. 1x4s work too, adjusting some measurements. | 3 each |
| Brad nails or staples, 1" | 1 box |
| Waterproof wood glueExterior-rated — it holds a heavy jar of liquid outdoors. | 4 oz |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Corner supports1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" |
| Bottom supports1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/2" |
| Side panels with handlesCedar fence picket | 4 | 5/8" × 3 1/2" × 13" |
| Long side panelsCedar fence picket | 4 | 5/8" × 3 1/2" × 17 1/2" |
| Bottom slatsCedar fence picket | 5 | 5/8" × 3 1/2" × 11 3/4" |
Buy 4 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
3 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Build the inner 1x2 frame first, using the corner supports and bottom supports — build two identical. This frame is what actually carries the weight of a full dispenser, so glue it well.
Attach the picket side panels to the outsides of the two 1x2 frames with glue and 1" brad nails or staples. The panels skin the frame and hide the joinery.
Add the end pieces to join the two side assemblies into a box. Keep the top edges even so the dispenser sits level.
Add the bottom slats to close the base. Then lay out the handle openings on the two shorter side panels, drill a starter hole, and cut them with a jigsaw — or skip the cutouts and screw on hardware handles. Sand any sharp edges.
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