DIY Raised Planter Box
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First of all, the construction of this raised planter box is quite simple. It has a style that suits your farmhouse or the village you live in. In terms of durability, the screws we will use will overcome this.
Building a raised planter box can be both fun and budget-friendly. Read on for the plans and steps for how to make a raised planter box. You will raised planter box plans, dimensions, details and instructions here.
Review them carefully so you will be ready when it’s time to cut and organize the pieces. Raised planter box building process starts with legs and side supports.
Hardwood or pressure-treated boards are a popular choice, as are cedar and cypress. Pressure-treated timber is easy to stain, durable and budget-friendly.
General Instructions:
1) Starts by checking the list of tools to use for your DIY raised planter box. After collecting the missing tools, focus on purchasing materials.
2) Measure and cut all the pieces and prepare them. Measure the length twice before doing your cuts. Make sure to label each one.
Tips: Drill pilot holes in wood pieces using a power drill for easy connections.
3) Follow the Project details for assemble the wood pieces.
4) We will use 1 1/4’’, 1 1/2" and 2" Screw.
5) You will secure use wood glue to the contact surface.
6) Fill any gaps and frame nail holes with wood putty.
7) Sand the entire Project with 150-220 grit or more sandpaper and dust pf before painting or staining your finished Project.
Cut List:
A1 - 8 – 1 x 4 x 18 1/2″ legs 12' 4''
B1 - 12 – 1 x 6 x 16 1/2 ″ right, left and front, back supports 16' 6''
C1 - 2 – 1 x 2 x 12 1/2 ″ front lower supports 2' 1''
D1 - 2 – 1 x 2 x 9 1/2″ side lower supports 1' 7''
E1 - 4 – 1 x 6 x 16 1/2 ″ bottom supports 5' 6''
F1 - 2 – 1 x 2 x 16 1/2 ″ front upper support parts 2' 9''
G1 - 2 – 1 x 2 x 18″ side upper support parts 3'
Total: 1x4x12' 4'', 1x2x9' 5'', 1x6x22'
List of tools:
Stain/preferred paint coating:
- Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
- Water-Based Wood Stain mixed: Desert Sand and Pure White
- Water-Based polyacrylic
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Side View:
Front View:
Top View:
Bottom View:
Important Notes:
Use a countersink drill bit to pre-drill ALL holes before inserting screws to avoid splitting the wood and makethe screw heads sit flush with the wood.
There may be slight differences in the path of the screws to avoid encountering two screws that are close together.
Before you put the screw on the tip of the drill while doing the screwing operations, you should make a circle on the top of the wood for the screw entry by drawing a circle with the drill bit itself. If you do this, the piece of wood will not crack.
Instead of screwing directly as shown in the picture, it is a much better method to first insert a wood drill rod into the tip of the drill and drill a screw hole by drilling the wood. Then you can do the screwing process without damaging the wood.
Notes:
It will be easier to stain the planter box front-side(B1) 1 x 6 boards separately before you finish assembling the planter box, especially if you use two different stain colors like.
First, sand the wood with 150 grit or higher sandpaper to achieve a smooth, even surface before
staining.
Thoroughly remove all dust from the wood by using a vacuum with a hose attachment, then wiping clean with a damp cloth. then wiping clean with a damp cloth.
First apply Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner to the planter box front-side 1 x 6 boards.
Apply the Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner and allow it to penetrate the wood for just 1-5 minutes, then remove excess conditioner that has not soaked into the wood with a clean rag.
Apply Water Based Wood Stain to all of the wood. You can the color Desert Sand mixed for the front-side(B1) 1 x 6 boards and the color Pure White mixed for the planter box legs.
What I love about the water based stain is 1) how easy clean up is… 2) how little odor the stain has… 3) the colors. You can get everything from bold, colorful shades to neutral wood tones to light, creamy cottage and ocean-inspired stains.
Apply the stain using a foam brush, and allow it to penetrate the wood no longer than 3 minutes.
It is very fast-drying, so work in small sections! Wipe the wood with a clean cloth to remove any stain that has not soaked into the wood.
Allow the stain to dry 24 hours before applying a protective finish.
Tip: It will be easier to wear a pair of gloves while wiping the excess stain to keep our hands clean than to wash our hands.
After the stain has dried 24 hours, apply a thin coat of Water Based Polyacrylic (I used the clear matte finish) using a brush.
Allow to dry at least 2 hours, then sand with a very fine 220 grit sandpaper and remove all dust. Apply a second and third coat, drying and sanding in between each layer.
The wood will need 3 hours to dry before handling and 24 hours before it will be fully cured.
If you've ever used a polyurethane on top of white paint and saw the yellow stains that appeared once the poly dried, you know how important it is to make sure you're using the right topcoat.
* If you wish, you can create different beautiful results with your own color choices. I prefer to use these colors mostly for coffee tables. But beautiful colors will look good anywhere.
Assembly Process:
Step 1:
First, we take 2 of the A1(1 x 4 x 18 1/2″) legs and place one of them on top of the other and stick them. We screw it from the top, bottom and middle parts. We repeat this process for all four legs for later use.
I chose a 1 1/2 inch screw as the screw, but if you wish, you can use other screw types that you have at hand, and you can screw size no smaller than 1 1/2 inches.
Step 2:
Now, we place and glue the B1(1 x 6 x 16 1/2 ″) pieces on the inside of the feet that we have joined, so that one piece of B1 comes to the edge of the other piece of B1. Then we screw in from the lower and upper parts of the junction of the inner sides. Here we use 1 1/4'' screw.
Then we repeat this process for 4 legs.
Step 3:
Now we stick the other B1 piece in the middle of the 2 feet we have completed. Then we stick the C1(1 x 2 x 12 1/2 ″) piece between the A1 legs from the outer bottom of the potting box.
Here, there should be a distance of 3/4 inch at the top and bottom of the C1 part. ( To assist us in the screwing process.)
We do the screwing process from the inside of the planter box. As seen in the picture, we screw it with 1 1/4 inch screws, on the right, left and in the middle.
We do the same for the other side opposite.
Step 4:
Now we repeat the same operations on the remaining 2 edges and place the B1 piece in the middle of the other legs and stick it. Then we glue the D1 part from the outer lower part.
Again, it should be placed as two equal parts on the lower and upper parts. There should be 3/4'' distance.
We do the screwing process from the inside of the planter box. As seen in the picture, we screw it with 1 1/4 inch screws, on the right, left and in the middle
We repeat these operations on the opposite edge and the feet and edges of the planter box are completed.
Step 5:
Now, to complete the bottom of our flowerpot, we place the E1 pieces on the right and left ends of the B1 pieces and glue them.
We screw the screwing operations 2 pieces, up and down, from the right and left ends of the E1 piece.
I chose a 2 inch screw as the screw, but if you wish, you can use other screw types that you have at hand, and you can screw size no smaller than 2 inches.
Step 6:
Now we place and glue the top parts of our flowerpot as in the picture. Here, it would be more appropriate to place the G1 parts first.
We place the G1 part on the A1 legs so that there are no gaps at the front and rear ends and stick it.
Then, we place the F1 pieces between the G1 pieces and glue them in such a way that there is no space inside.
We do the screwing operations from the ends as seen in the picture. In order for the screws to join with the lower parts, they need to be closer to the inside.
Here you can use screws no smaller than 1 1/2 inches.
We have completed our Project!
* This garden planter box stands up strong to the harsh winds and storms that Mother Nature sends calling through the spring, summer, and fall.
* By making this raised planter box yourself, you will save 50% from buying it from the store.