Making a DIY Planter Box for the Garden
Here’s how to make a DIY planter box for your own garden. Be sure to also check out our rain barrel post!
Tired of spending so much money for organic produce, Eileen and I decided to finally start our own garden.
Most of our backyard was filled with shade, so an elevated planter box would be ideal for positioning the garden in the most heavily sunlit area. We also wanted to use healthy, organic soil, so that was another advantage of using a DIY planter table.
Finally, we thought the raised planter box would help deter some of the wildlife from harvesting our crops. We had been plagued with groundhogs constantly eating up our sunflowers. We also have loads of deer as well as foxes running through the neighborhood – as well as a dog that jumps through the yard like a year.
Thus, we wanted a garden that none of these creatures could access.
So, a tall planter box sounded ideal for our first garden.
Planning The DIY Planter Box
I searched the internet for planter table design ideas since I hadn’t made a garden planter box before. I found a simple but sturdy design on Instructables. This particular design called for building both the DIY planter box and the stand, which made for a garden table.The planter box itself was 6 ft. x 2 ft, stood about waist height, and was made of cedar wood. The planter stand was made of regular 2 x 4s, but stained to protect from the elements. This would be perfect for us.
Except for the cedar wood, I had all the other materials required for building a planter table. Cedar wood was recommended because it is naturally very resistant to rotting.
I purchased several planks of it from Home Depot and quickly got to work in the garage building the elevated planter box.
How To Build A Raised Planter Box
Following the garden planter box plans I found online, I constructed the cedar box. The planks went together with lots of pocket holes using my Kreg Pocket hole Jig.
I recently discovered the world of pocket hole joinery, so this part of the DIY planter table was a lot of fun, and gave me a lot of valuable experience.
Here’s the garden planter box starting to come together:
You can see all the pocket holes used to join the side planks to the base of the planter box.
I joined the base with pocket holes. They are underneath so you can’t see them in the picture.
Wood clamps were a necessity for building a DIY planter box to keep the planks aligned while I fastened them.
Also, the cedar planks from Home Depot were very cheap and warped. I used clamps to straighten them (until the box shape was formed).
Here’s a picture showing one of the end corners of the garden planter box:
Note, all of the pocket holes were used.
I am also using my clamp here as a spreader to force the long end pieces apart. The cheap cedar wood so warped that I could not get the side plank in by hand. I needed the spreader for assistance.
Here’s a picture showing the nearly finished cedar garden planter box:
The pocket holes made the DIY planter box very sturdy. Also, despite all the warped cedar planks I used, the box came out very straight.
The warping was only frustrating during construction. Yet, my clamps and spreaders overcame that hurdle.
The cedar planks sold at Home Depot were not wide enough to create the ideal box depth. So, I had to extend the height of the garden planter box by a little.
It was a bit too shallow for adequate growth of roots. So using more pocket holes, I made another layer and attached it to the top of the box.
Here’s a picture of how I fastened the second layer of the raised planter box. I’m using a face clamp to keep the surfaces flush as I inserted each pocket hole screw:
How To Build The Planter Box Stand
Next up was the stand for the DIY planter box. Construction went along very easily as I followed the instructions.
The stand consisted of a cross-shaped base to rest the planter box on, and 6 legs made of 2 x 4s (doubled up to provide the strength needed to hold the garden planter box when full of dirt).
I took the below picture while I was building the stand or table for the elevated planter box:
After the DIY planter stand was finished, I placed some square cedar cuts on the bottom of the legs. These served as feet for the stand-up planter table.
They would help to keep the 2 x 4s off the wet ground, and to help prevent it from sinking.
Finally, I applied some stain to the whole planter table to help its longevity outdoors. The planter stand required a stain because I used regular 2 x 4s.
I opted not to use pressure-treated wood because I didn’t want those chemicals so close to the plants. I used regular deck stain for the planter stand.
Technically, the cedar didn’t need a stain (because of its increased rot resisting abilities) but I chose to stain it anyway to get the most life out of the wood and enhance the durability of the planter stand.
It was important to use a non-toxic natural stain though.
Since we were going to use the raised planter box to grow organic produce, it was important to not use any chemicals in the garden planter box that could be absorbed by the plants. I had done my research ahead of time and ordered one online.
Here’s a picture of the completed DIY planter box:
Notice the height extension for the box was reinforced by an outer rim. This rim also provided some visual flair.
Next I located an ideal spot for the raised planter box outside.
I decided to put the garden planter box of the way from daily backyard use, yet in a place that received the most sunlight for the amount of tree cover we have.
Unfortunately, the ground there wasn’t perfectly flat. So I dug holes in the ground for the raised planter box legs to rest.
I dug the holes at various depths so that the DIY planter box would be level once I inserted it. It was a trial and error process but didn’t take too long.
Here’s a picture showing the box stand, with the legs partially below ground to make the structure level:
And, here’s a close up of the raised planter box resting in the stand:
Here’s a picture of the raised planter box after we planted everything. We used mostly pre-grown, organic plants for better odds since this was our first garden.
Fast forward a few months later, and our garden was thriving. We were happily surprised with the number of plants that fit in the planter table.
Tired of buying your produce from the grocery store? Trying to save money on decent organic produce? Looking to start living off the grid?
Think about building your own DIY planter box – you can definitely have a rich, plentiful garden with this box, and the raised aspect of it provides many advantages.
Our DIY planter box has stood up strong through all sorts of severe weather, and still looks the same as the day I put it outside. We had no issues with critters of any kind, and we got to use nutrient-rich organic soil. We later went on to create a DIY rain barrel to water our garden – which has helped our green goals.
In total, I spent around $50 for the cedar planks and natural stain for the planter table project.
The rest of the materials (mostly 2 x 4s, deck stain and pocket hole screws) were lying around my garage from previous projects.
Our garden certainly served us well this year, and we are looking forward to an expansion next year 🙂 This DIY planter box was just the start.
I like the way there is a separate stand which I would think would make it easier to move if needed.
Yes – definitely makes it easier 🙂
What a beautiful box! I would love to have one of those, too 🙂
Thanks, Lisa! It worked out really well 🙂
How awesome! 🙂
Thanks, Alison! 🙂
love this- I wish I was way more handy.
Thanks Kristin! Ash has pretty much taught himself everything so it’s possible 🙂
Such a great idea, I am going to have a go making one for my garden.
Thanks, Jo! It worked out really nicely 🙂
That is a gorgeous planter. And I love how you used the clamps as spreaders. Thanks for the tips on how warped the wood was.
Thanks, Leslie! Yes – the clamps worked out great.
This looks so nice!
Thanks, Cristina!:)
Thank you for such a great tutorial!
Thanks Rhiana!:)
I would love to make one of these!
Yes it worked out so well! Thanks for stopping by!
I have wondered how to grow veggies in my yard that is plagued by rabbits and deer. This would work! Alas, I could never build this as that’s not my skill or passion. However, now I know what to look for to buy!
#happynowlinkup
Haha yes the raised box definitely solved the rabbit and ground hog problem!
Love this! I want to make a couple raised planter boxes for our backyard. Thank you for this step by step!
#turnituptuesday
You’re welcome Barrie! Good luck with your garden:))
Yes! Love this! I need to accomplish these this year!
Thanks Jessi! It worked out really well:)
Too sweet not to tweet!
Awww! Thank you so much!
I so need to make a couple of these.
Yes- it worked out really well:))
My dad is quite the carpenter. I should have him make me one of these. 🙂
Haha yes! It will save lots of money:))
Thanks Jess! Sure thing!
My husband would like to try a garden again this year. We had one years ago that was successful while the neighbor’s dog was alive, but once he passed, the ground hogs became very bold. We tried EVERYTHING to keep them out to no avail. We also have very rocky soil.
This DYI raised plantar box would be perfect for us to try! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Karen, yes the raised box works well when you have groundhogs, rabbits, and foxes. Our yard is filled with groundhogs… bold ones – that they aren’t scared by our huge dog! However they didn’t touch our planter box! Best of luck with your garden this year!:)
Thanks for the great DIY I want to make one of these for my new deck area 🙂
You’re welcome, Michelle! It works out really nicely!
I no longer want to get down on my knees to tend a garden and this is the perfect answer! I think here in Florida this would be a better way to make sure my garden vegetables are planted in good soil, not that sandy stuff we have! Great idea! Thanks for sharing at Celebrate Your Story!
Hi Chloe, Yes this definitely solves both problems! It worked out really nicely for us and was a great sized garden:)
I am going to get this on Hubby’s to-do list asap! Thanks for sharing!
Haha sound great, Gabrielle! 🙂
What a great idea. I love your planter box better then the one I built. Thank you for sharing at Dishing it and Digging it link party.
Thanks Vanessa!! It worked out really well:)
Now that I’m gardening for only two I’m changing up most everything I do. I really want pretty things. Functional is important, of course, but this pretty planter box is exactly what I need. I’m going to show this to my talented uncle and ask him to make one for me. Thanks for sharing!
Aww it worked out really well, Robin! Thanks for reading 🙂 Good luck with your garden this year 🙂
Oh this looks lovely! Thanks for the idea I’ll have to try this.
Thank, Sue! It worked out really nicely and kept all of the critters away too!
I love this project. I like the way the height of the box adds interest to your yard or garden. Growing this is so rewarding! #Pitstop
Thanks Michele! It definitely is 🙂
I wish I could throw one of these together and have my own organic veggies… this is so great and it’s awesome that you can grow your own produce now!
Thanks Katrin! Yes – we hope to do even more this year 🙂
Hopefully we’ll get around to gardening this year and a raised planter like this would be perfect to keep the critters away.
It’s the perfect solution 🙂
This is clever! I need to try something like this in my garden 🙂
Thanks Medina! It worked out really well 🙂
Giving a copy of this to my husband – I need one of these (or two or three) Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW’s DIY link up – You’ll be featured in tomorrow’s party!
Haha thanks Helen! Haha they do fill up fast :))
Hi Angie! Thanks so much for your compliments:) I wanted to try raised beds too but we have so many critters! Especially some pesky groundhogs that aren’t scared of our big dog! The raised planter worked out so well!:) Good luck with your veggie garden- fresh produce is the best:) and thank you so much for the feature!!:)
Absolutely perfect timing! I just wrote a post on the benefits of raised beds that I’ll be publishing this week. I’m also sourcing plans for raised beds and identifying different solutions. Thanks for a post that fit perfectly into what we are planning right now!
Thanks Julie! Ohh I will check it out! We would love to do raised beds – but we have so many critters in our yard. Have a great week:)
This is so easy to make and does not cause harm to the environment too. I do not use plastics and go to terracotta mostly. I like this wooden box a lot.Thanks for joining the Bloggers Pit Stop
Thanks Menaka! I agree with terracotta and avoiding plastic. We loved having our garden last year – can’t wait for the weather to warm up:)
Hello. This post made the most clicked list on the Blogger’s Pit Stop. Congratulations. Be looking for a feature on Friday.
Kathleen
Bloggers Pit Stop
Wow thanks Kathleen!! So excited 🙂
Thanks Angie! Haha our dog does the same! Haha love the rolling wheels idea – that is creative thinking at its finest 🙂
Wonderful project guys! What a great solution this would be for us in keeping our dog who loves to dig out of the garden! Pinning for later, and thanks for sharing at Fridays Furniture Fix!
Thanks, Brenda! Yes – with the raised box, our dog could only get the plants that hang low – which was only a few tomatoes last year. Much better than digging up the garden 🙂
I wanted you to know that I featured this project on the Create Link INspire party that you linked up to. It’s such a great DIY. Thanks for including it.
Thank you SO much, Rachel! So excited to see!! 🙂
Oh I love this. And what a great tutorial. I would love to make one!
What a great spring project.
This post is perfect to share on the Fabulous Welcome Spring/Easter party over here:
http://ourholidayjourney.blogspot.com/2017/02/fabulous-welcome-spring-link-party.html
I hope you’ll come over and join the party!
Happy Spring.
Thanks so much, Sherry! Thanks for the link too – I’ll post it soon!:)
This is wonderful! What a great raised bed you’ve built. Best of all, you make it look like a do-able project. Thanks so much for the instructions!
Thank you for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
Thank you so much for the feature, Richella! We are so excited:) yes the project was simple and brought us a beautiful garden:))
Thanks Kerianne! Yes, one box fills up fast 🙂