Free Plan: 1912 Mission Umbrella Stand
Thirteen parts, one Saturday morning — a quarter-sawn oak umbrella stand that fits any entryway.
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- PDF plan
- Material & cut list
- Step-by-step
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Download didn't start? Get the plan here.Want to build furniture like this without a shop full of machines?
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools walks you through real woodworking the old way — layout, sawing, chisel work, and joinery with hand tools instead of expensive power equipment. It's the natural next step after a mortise-and-bevel project like this one.
See the hand-tool guide →Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
Thirteen parts. One Saturday morning. That's the whole Mission umbrella stand — four posts, eight rails, four slats, and a bottom panel, 28 inches tall and 10 inches square. It tucks in by the front door without eating the floor space a hall tree does.
The detail that sells it is the beveled post tops. Ten extra minutes at the saw, and people assume you bought it. In quarter-sawn oak with a dark oil finish, it builds into a piece you'd be glad to give away — which makes it one of the better gift projects in the shop.
This plan is from 1912, redrawn into a clear cut list, mortise layout, and bevel you can follow start to finish.
Project at a Glance
- Difficulty
- Beginner–Intermediate
- Main materials
- Quarter-sawn oak, dark oil finish
- Build time
- A Saturday morning
- Tools needed
- Chisel & mallet (or pocket-hole jig), miter saw, square, clamps
- Page count
- 8-page PDF
Before you cut:
Clamp all four posts together and lay out the mortises in one pass, so the spacing matches without re-measuring four times. Keep the slats thin (3/8") — bump them to 1/2" and the spacing reads wrong no matter how clean your joints are. No mortise gear yet? Pocket screws cut the build time in half.
Here's the thing about this build: there isn't a power tool on it you can't trade for a hand tool. The mortises come off a chisel and mallet, the bevels off a handsaw. That's how the piece was made in 1912.
It's a quieter, cheaper way to build real furniture — no shop full of machines, no dust collection, no $400 router table. Just sharp edges and steady layout. If that's the kind of woodworking you'd rather do, the umbrella stand is a perfect first project to learn it on.
Recommended Next Step
Want to build furniture like this without a shop full of machines?
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools walks you through real woodworking the old way — layout, sawing, chisel work, and joinery with hand tools instead of expensive power equipment. It's the natural next step after a mortise-and-bevel project like this one.
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools
A complete beginner's guide to building real projects with hand tools — no expensive machines required.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
Start with the free plan
Download the umbrella stand plan, build it at your own pace, and pick up the hand-tool guide when you're ready to take the method further. The plan is yours either way.