How to Make a DIY Raised Planter Box

Planter boxes are a classic Springtime project and we’ve always wanted to design and build one in our own style. At the time of writing this, Jaimie is 8 months pregnant with our second child...which makes gardening...difficult. So, doing a DIY Raised Planter Box seemed like a great way to help her not need to lean over in the garden but still be able to get some exercise and spend time outdoors.

We spent quite a bit of time coming up with a DIY planter box design that was both simple and fun to build but was also stylish and modern looking.

We also have Raised Planter Box Plans with exact dimensions on our Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/53173543

You can build this planter box in an afternoon with simple tools and materials and if you use an outdoor wood like Cedar or Redwood, it will last many years!

We recommend watching the video above and following along with the written steps!

MATERIALS:

• Rough-sawn Cedar (2x4s)
• Cedar Fence Pickets (1x6)
• Exterior Black/Grey Paint
• Spar Varnish - https://amzn.to/3b98RZL
• Exterior Screws - https://amzn.to/3el2PXV
• Wood Glue - https://amzn.to/2wDkXLt

TOOLS USED:

• Miter Saw - https://amzn.to/3bpoEUu
• Circular Saw - https://amzn.to/3bj2Z0m
• Drill - https://amzn.to/2SvF6tQ
• Impact Driver - https://amzn.to/2SvF6tQ
• Kreg Jig - https://amzn.to/2WbyFQ6
• Trim Router - https://amzn.to/3ba3sS7
• Tape Measure - https://amzn.to/2C00Jv7
• Table Saw (Optional)

We used Cedar, which is rot and weather-resistant and generally a great choice for outdoor projects like this. Alternatively, you could also use pressure-treated lumber or another outdoor-friendly wood like Redwood or even a nicer, pricier hardwood like Ipe.

The Frame

To keep the cost down, we used "rough-sawn" cedar 2x4s for the frame, which means none of the surfaces of the wood have been sanded. It's important that the boards are as straight as possible, so when choosing lumber from the store take a look at each piece and try to get boards with as little twist and bend as possible.

To get them nice and smooth, you can use a sander. Start at 80-100 grit and work your way up to at least 180 grit. This should go relatively quickly if you start with a low grit and you'll have a beautiful cedar surface in no time!

Alternatively, you can use a planer to do it even more quickly if you have access to one. See the video in step one for more detail!

The Slats

For the slats on the sides, we used 3/4" cedar fence pickets -- the same ones you'd use to build a fence! These are usually pretty rough looking but they worked great after a bit of sanding. Similarly, we sanded them to 180 grit using an orbital sander to reveal a clean and smooth surface.

There are six pieces of the frame: four legs and two top bars. The legs are 34.5" long and the top bars are 30" long. We started by cutting all these to size from the cedar 2x4s.

Next, we cut all the slats to size. There are eight long slats and eight short slats. The long slats are 53" long and the short slats are 27" long.

The cedar fence pickets are 6" wide from the store but we wanted them a bit thinner so we ripped them down to 4.5" wide on the table saw. To get a nice clean edge on both sides, we started by ripping off about 3/4" from one edge and then set our final width and ripped the other edge.

Lastly, to give it a nice detail we used a trim router to put a small 1/8" chamfer on the long edges of the front of each slat.

There are several other parts: the battens for the sides, the bottom rails to hold up the bottom, and the bottom slats that go across the rails.

If you've watched the video, you know that we made these extra parts from scrap cedar we had left-over from the rest of the pieces. None of these parts are critical in size, and they'll never be seen, so if you have any left-over material you can change the sizes a bit to efficiently use what you have available.

Here are the approximate sizes for what we used:

• (2) Battens (3/4" x 2" x 18")
• (4) Bottom Rails (1.5" x 1.5" x 27")
• (10) Bottom Slats (3/4" x 4.5" x 27")

To assemble the raised planter box, we used pocket screws. These are super easy to use and get hidden on the inside so you don't see any screws from the front, giving you a nice, clean look.

To drill the pocket holes, you'll need a tool called a "pocket hole jig". A popular option is known as the "Kreg Jig". It makes it incredibly easy to align and drill the holes to the exact size you need.

All four of the legs get pocket holes on the inside so they can later be attached to the top bars. You should position these pocket holes close to the edge of the legs so they're not in the way of the side slats. We recommend about 1/2" from the edge.

All sixteen slats get two pocket holes drilled on the inside so they can later be attached to the legs.

To protect the wood, as well as to give it a nice, clean look, we applied a finish to both the frame and the slats.

The frame pieces (legs and top bars) get painted with two coats of exterior dark gray/black latex paint. We recommend doing a third coat on the end-grain of the pieces for additional protection against water. We used a roller to apply the paint to avoid brush strokes.

For the slats, we wanted to retain the natural color and look of the cedar so we used a Spar Varnish and applied three coats, letting each dry completely before applying the next.

When all the finish was dry, we took some time to arrange all of the slats into a pleasing composition. We take things like wood grain, color, and contrast into consideration and try to arrange all the available pieces into the best-looking sets of four we could find. This only takes a few minutes but makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the end result.

Next, we pre-assembled the two long sides by attaching four long slats to two legs. We wanted the back of the slats to line up flush with the back of the legs so there's a 3/4" reveal on the front. As we demonstrate in the video, it’s easiest to lay the pieces upside down and use a piece of wood to shim the slats so you can line up the back edges of both.

Once everything is aligned, you can attach the slats to the legs with the 1.25" exterior screws.

We started with the top and worked down all four slats and repeated this process on the opposite long side.

The next step is to attach the side slats to one of the pre-assembled long sides.

We started by flipping the long side upside down on the table and starting at the bottom, working our way up all four slats. Like before, we used a piece of wood to line up the back flush with the legs and then attached the side slats with the pocket screws.

Tip: Use a square to ensure your side slats go on squarely and perpendicular to the long side!

Repeat this process on both sides so that all eight side slats are attached to one of the long sides.

Note: One of the pocket holes on the legs will be outside of the side slats, as shown.

Position the second pre-assembled long side upside down on the table so that the side slats line up with the leg in the appropriate place. Ensure everything is nice and square and then use the pocket screws to attach all eight slats to the second side.

You should now have all four sides assembled and your raised planter box is starting to take shape!

To support the long sides, we attached one batten in the center of each long side. This helps prevent the side from bowing out from the weight of the dirt.

We measured and marked the center of each long side, then used a square to position the battens. We attached the battens with wood glue and a single screw in each slat.

We recommend clamping it in place and pre-drilling pilot holes for each screw so that everything stays aligned.

The four bottom rails are used to hold up the bottom slats and ultimately the weight of the dirt and everything inside the planter. They get attached at an angle so water drains towards the center. There are two on each side.

We raised the outer edge 1” from the bottom and positioned the rail centered between the batten and the side slats. Each piece is attached with wood glue and five screws.

The bottom slats support the weight of the soil and dirt inside the planter. They won’t be seen so they don’t need to be ultra-precise or pretty. We attached them with wood glue and one screw on each side.

Tip: You can use whatever scrap pieces you have for this part. Just ensure you cover the majority of the bottom, as we’ve done in the images.

We ended up with a ~1/4” gap between each board which gives us the option to add more drainage in the future if necessary.

The last woodworking step is to attach the top bars to the frame. We positioned them in place and then used pocket screws to attach them. This step can be a little challenging since there's not a lot of room to get a drill in there, so you might need to use a long screwdriver.

These top frame pieces give it a stylish modern look and also serve as a nice platform on the top of the planter as well as great handles to carry the planter!

To give some added strength to the bottom and to help to evenly distribute the weight of the dirt, we added a layer of chicken wire. We then put a layer of landscape fabric to hold the dirt in but let the water seep through. Lastly, a layer of black plastic holds all of the dirt securely while protecting the wood from moisture.

All three layers are attached by cutting a piece roughly to the right size, squishing it down into place, and then using a stapler to secure it. The wire and fabric are attached only on the bottom. The black plastic goes all the way up the sides to protect the wood.

Finally, poke holes in the center bottom of the black plastic for water drainage. This is really important, don't forget to do this part! :)

There are a MILLION ways to make a DIY raised planter box, so we appreciate you taking the time to read through ours. We're super happy with the way it came out and we really hope this Instructable inspires you to make something awesome of your own. Happy gardening!

Thanks for reading! Want to see more of our projects?

• https://thewickedmakers.com
• https://youtube.com/wickedmakers
• https://patreon.com/wickedmakers
• https://instagram.com/wickedmakers
• https://facebook.com/wickedmakers