Monday, May 6, 2013

How To Make A Wood Planter Box

Mr. DIY made me some wood planter boxes this weekend.
They are so pretty even in their unfinished state. 
You know I saw something similar on Pinterest 
and Mr. DIY loves to make things, 
sooooo
this weekend he got out a few of his saws. 
lucky for me because wood planter boxes are pretty expensive when you buy them pre-made. 

As with all building projects...START WITH A PLAN.
It's best to draw out your building project to scale.
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com

The planter boxes are made with t-111  plywood siding, which has an 8" groove pattern in it. (it also comes in a 4" groove pattern) 
The first cut was 15" high and he used his circular saw with a metal guide clamped to the wood to make cutting a straight line easier. 
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


For each box he cut a piece 15" high x 18 5/8" wide. He centered the groves when he cut the pieces. He nailed the sides together with a finishing nailer.
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


He was able to make 3 boxes with one 4 x 8 sheet of t-111.
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com

For the frames on the sides and tops he used 1 x 3's .
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


He used his Kreg Jig to put together the corners of the frames. This is a super, handy tool to have and Mr. F uses it when he's building something out of wood that he doesn't want nails or screws to show.  
Here's a little tip: he cut off 3/4" off one of the 1 x 3's (lengthwise) so that when they were put together, each side would be 2 1/2". If he hadn't done this, one side would be 2 1/2" and the other would be 3 1/4".
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


The corners were then attached to the box from the inside. 
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com

Here you can see the corners attached. After the four corners were screwed on to the boxes, the top and bottom side frames were cut and screwed on. 
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


Finally,  he mitered the top frame and then cut a piece of plywood for the bottom. 
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com

The finished bottom of the boxes are: 15" high x 20 3/4 wide
The finished top is: 22 3/8" x 22 3/8"
See the wheels underneath? It's on a dolly.
Mr. F made the planter boxes  large enough to fit over and conceal most of the dolly. (the bottom piece of plywood is attached about 2" up from the sides)

I am married to one smart cookie. (insert hearts here)
deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


Here's how the cost breaks down:

$31.26 for 1 sheet: t-111 plywood
$33 for 11- 1 x 3 x 96 choice lumber pine
       $0- 3 pieces plywood for bottoms (used scrap pieces from another project)
$0- finishing nails and  1" screws and 1 1/4" Kreg jig screws (we had in our stock)
$0- we had the wheels already

Total:
$67.26 or $21.42 a piece.

not bad

deck planter, Kreg Jig, planter boxes, wood project, Building project,  diyDesignFanatic.com


You can see the finished planter boxes HERE


Pam


Disclaimer: The above post is how we made our planters. I don't take any responsibility for any errors or results obtained from using this information. Using power tools can result in injury. When using power tools, use safety equipment.







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19 comments:

  1. They look great! I look forward to seeing them after you stain them and add plants. My husband and I like to build things together and planters similar to yours are one thing that we've discussed.

    I saw your post on M. Monday and recognized your name from Haven. I'll be there, too! Is your husband coming?

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  2. Wow! Impressive as usual with you two! Love them!

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  3. SO pretty!! I need some new planters and have been checking out the stores, but these would be fun to customize with paint! Love it!

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  4. Great job, these look amazing. Hugs, Marty

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  5. I think you both are smart cookies. You know these are likely better built than those in a store too.

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  6. Thought this was great - and great step by step instructions! Loved it so I featured it on my weekly DIY blog post today (www.organicallyopulent.com - issue number 8).

    Cortney

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  7. Those are fantastic Pam...so great of your hubby to make those beautiful planters...you definitely saved lots of money!...terrific job!! Can't wait to see what you plant in them!

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  8. Amazing planters. I need some of these and a handy husband ;)
    Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com

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  9. I love these! Can't wait to see what you put in them.

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  10. I love these and I pinned your tutorial so I can try to make them later this summer. Yours turned out great!

    Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos

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  11. That Mr. sure is handy dandy for ya! I love these Pam.

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  12. Super cute - you just saved yourself about $35 to $45 each one! I purchased one for a class gift last week. If I had given myself more time I would have made one, too. Very cool project.

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  13. Those planter boxes are nice and big, Pam! They are going to look beautiful all planted up.

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  14. Just stunning! Are you lining the planter boxes first? My husband and I are currently building our own flower boxes and I wrote a blog article about flower boxes with beautiful inspirational pics - http://billiemakesahome.info/?p=584
    I adore your blog!
    Billie

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  15. Trees, flowers and other plants enhance the look of any home. his is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles.

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  16. This is one of my first woodworking projects! So easy to make and really useful around the house, too.

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  17. I think this might be one of my new projects. My wife is quite the artist and would love to paint them! To be honest, i prefer a more simple finish, but in a marriage you have to make coompromises ;) Thanks for the inspiration!

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    Replies
    1. Make 2 for the front porch and paint them for your wife, then make 2 more for the backyard and stain them! Either way, they'll look great!

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