We love our neighbors, but also love to have some privacy when sitting out on our patio/pergola area. Last summer, I built an easy DIY planter box and filled it with the perfect plants to keep away mosquitos, while also adding some seclusion….
Buying planters at Home Depot can be expensive. So, why not build your own? It’s really quite simple and can even be built with wood you already have on-hand. Need to find a use for that old pallet sitting around? Let’s build a planter. The wood suggestions below are just that, suggestions. But if you don’t have scrap wood, the wood I have listed is a very affordable way to build a planter and will hold up well against the extreme, ever-changing, outdoor weather.
As promised, I’m sharing the easy-to-follow plans, so you can build one too! So, let’s get to it!
HOW TO MAKE A MODERN DIY PLANTER BOX
Instructions are based on a 70″ long x 20 1/2″ wide; 36″ tall planter box. If building a different size, be sure to adjust measurements accordingly.
NOTE: Some of the pictures below show two planters. I chose to build two of these. However, these plans are for ONE planter. You’ll want to double the plans, if you want to build two.
Wood Needed for DIY Planter Box:
7-2x4x8 pine boards (Pressure Treated)
20-5/8 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 6 ft. Pressure-Treated Pine Dog-Ear Fence Picket
31-1 in. x 2 in. x 8 ft. Premium Kiln-Dried Square Edge Whitewood Common Board (To save money, 1x2x8 Furring Strip Boards would be a good replacement option)
Materials Needed for DIY Planter Box:
GRK Wood Screws 1 1/2″ (any brand wood screw will work; just sharing my favorite here)
Nail Gun Nails 1 1/2″ (If you don’t have a nail gun, a hammer will of course work too; or using screws)
Black Paint (My go-to black paint is Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black)
Stain (I chose Golden Oak Stain)
Heavy-Duty Trash Bags (2)
Soil
Plants
Tools Needed:
Kreg Jig (for pocket holes)
Nail Gun (Optional)
Amazon Affiliate Links Included
NOTE: If you’ve never used a Kreg Jig, here’s a great tutorial. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend buying one. You will use it all the time in the DIY realm! And it makes builds so much easier! Amazon has a great price for them! Here’s the link!!
Step One: Build the Structure
Cut two 2×4’s at 70″
Cut six 2×4’s at 34 1/2″
Drill 1 1/2″ pocket holes on one end of all six (34.5″) 2×4’s.
Using 2 1/2″ screws, attach one 34.5″ 2×4 onto each end of your 70″ 2×4. And one 34.5″ 2×4 in the middle of the 70″ 2×4. (Be sure to take note of how I placed the boards in the picture below. The end boards are flush with the ends of the long 2×4; while the middle board is flush with the edge of the long 2×4). See picture below for placement and further clarification….
Repeat this step for your remaining 70″ board.
STRETCHERS: Cut four 2×4’s at 31 3/4″ to fit long-ways between each 34 1/2″ 2×4. See picture below for more clarification….
Drill 1 1/2″ pocket holes on both ends of all four (31 3/4″) boards.
Using 2 1/2″ screws, attach each of these boards, half-way up, between your 34 1/2″ 2×4’s. See picture below for more clarification…(The easiest way to attach these is by laying your boards flat on the ground.) Once again, notice the placement of the horizontal (stretchers) 2×4’s. Two of them need to be flush with the edge of the end 2×4’s; and the other one needs to be full on flush with the middle 2×4. (As shown below)….
Once again, repeat this step for your remaining 70″ board. And you should have TWO sections that look like this (Only one section is showing below; but you should have TWO mirroring one another)….
Cut three 2×4’s at 12″.
Drill 1 1/2″ pocket holes on each end.
Attach the two sections together, (using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws) evenly spacing these three 12″ boards on the bottom….
Step Two: Build the Base
Cut Dog Ear Fencing to fit from one side of the structure to the other side. Your cuts should be approximately 18 1/2″. Using 1 1/2″ screws, attach each Dog Ear cut to the support boards. See picture below for further clarification…
Your DIY planter box should now look like this…
Step Three: Wrap the Planter Structure
Cut the Dog Ear Fencing to fit the ends: Starting at the bottom, attach each board using 1 1/2″ nails. Space the boards by using a scrap piece of the dog ear fencing in between each board that you attach….
Next, move to the sides of the DIY planter box: Cut dog ear fencing to fit, once again starting at the bottom and spacing with a scrap piece as you move up….
When finished wrapping the structure, your DIY planter box should now look like this…
And the inside should look like this….
I recommend painting the planter at this point. Easier to paint it BEFORE adding the slats….
Step Four: Add the Slats
Cut 13-1×2 boards at 19″. Stain (and let dry) each board before attaching.
Then attach all 13 boards to one end of the planter, using 1 1/2″ nails. Use a scrap 1×2 board for spacing. You should have 1 1/2″ between each slat. (NOTE: A 1×2 is actually 1 1/2″ wide; not 2″, as one may assume by the name)….
Repeat this step to the other end of your DIY planter box.
At this point, I recommend moving your planter to it’s new home, before adding more slats. The more wood you add, the heavier the planter gets. We actually had four guys move our two planters to our backyard pergola. These puppies aren’t going anywhere! They are solid!
Once your planter is in it’s new space, you’re ready to add the rest of the slats. Cut the side slats to fit. Make sure you cut them long enough to cover the end slats you already attached….
Attach them to your planters the same way you attached the end slats…being sure to leave 1 1/2″ between each slat….
And now you’re ready for plants! Add garden bed liner to avoid weeds. I stapled mine, to keep it in place….
Attach a barrier along the edges/sides using large, heavy-duty trash bags. This will help the soil to stay in place and not fall down along the sides…
My next step was to figure out the placement of my plants. I chose plants that would provide more privacy, while smelling good and also keeping mosquitoes away. Here’s a list of the plants I chose:
Lemongrass; Lavender; Rosemary; Pampas Grass; Purple Fountain Grass…
Through the summer these plants grew to be pretty tall, providing great shade and privacy…
This summer, I chose different plants for my DIY planter boxes…Hostas and an ornamental grass of some kind. (I know woodworking, not planting, haha…sorry!)
It’s so much fun to switch the plants out every year and figure out what new look I want to go with. I love the privacy these DIY planter boxes give us while out on our patio. Sitting out here in the evenings, on our outdoor furniture that I built last year, is so much more enjoyable….
Here’s a quick look at our patio space BEFORE the planters….
And that same angle with our new DIY planter box (times two 🙂 )….
Amazing how the planters completely change the look of the entire space….
Until next week,
Happy Building, Friend!!
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