How to make a planter box

Keep your favourite plants neat and tidy by making your very own tiered planter box.

Updated on02 07 2021

Using a planter in your garden is a quick way to spruce up your outdoor space and you can use them to plant flowers, trees, veggies, herbs and more.

While you can of course buy a planter online, it's easier than you think to make your own.

This simple tutorial from online specialists in DIY, Home and Gardening ManoMano and DIY blogger Anika costs just £10 to make and can be done in an afternoon.

You will need:

Materials

24 x 1¼” Screws

1¼” Finish Nails

Two pieces of 5/8 ” x 5-1⁄2″ x 6′ Cedar Fence Picket

One length of 2″ x 2″ Furring strip

Tools

Wood Glue

Mitre Saw

Nail Gun

Drill

Cut list

Cedar fence @ 12″ – total 9 – base and sides of boxes

Cedar fence @ 5″ – total 6 – ends of the boxes

2″ x 2″ @9½” – total 2

2″ x 2″ @12½” – total 2

2″ x 2″ @16″ – total 4

Method

The first stage of creating a tiered wooden planter is to cut out the pieces for each planter box. Each box will need three identical pieces for the sides and bottom as well as two smaller pieces for each end. See the cut list above for the dimensions for each piece.

To construct each wooden planter box, stick your pieces together using wood glue and then secure them with finish nails. Although nailing the boxes can be done by hand, using a nail gun will save you both time and energy.

Once your planter boxes are cut and drying the next step is to cut the lengths needed for the legs. You will need to cut your 2″ x 2″ furring strip into a total of eight pieces. For the lowest tier of your wooden planter you need two 9½” long legs, then 12½” long legs for the middle tier, and finally four 16″ long legs for the top tier.

To attach the legs, start with one end of the lowest box and use the drill to screw the legs on from the inside of the box. The next set of legs should be offset from the top of the box by 3″.

Next attach the second box onto the offset legs, keeping the lip of the planter box in line with the top of the legs. Add the next set of legs, which should be offset by 3½”. Finally attach your last box and the final set of legs.

Your wooden planter is now completed, all you need to do is fill it with flowers. Add a compost and flowers of your choice, place your planter, and enjoy! Now that you’ve built one, you can easily add more DIY wooden planters wherever you think your garden needs a spot more colour. If you don’t need any more flowers, you could even fill them with herbs to create a beautiful edible garden.