How To Make Your Own Raised Planter Box

With Summer on its way here, it’s about time to get your outdoors (and indoors) looking like a million bucks! But you don’t have to spend a lot to get the fantastic look you want, because I’m going to walk you through the steps to build your own raised planter box!
I have made a few planters, but this is by far my favorite one.

This could be made for interior or exterior. Since this was made for an indoor space, I used a pond liner and a plastic planter box. I used pine lumber, so I didn’t want the lumber to contact the soil directly. My suggestion for exterior use would be to use cedar lumber; this is common for exterior planter boxes, and it’s OK to have direct contact with soil. Of course, protection wouldn’t hurt. Cedar is also known for repelling some insects.
Although the stand looks like metal, this is all made from wood. I used select pine and pine common board.

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Step 1: Cutting and Assembling the Planter

First, cut all the lumber down to the desired length. I wanted a clean look, so I mitered the corners of the planter box. You can also use butt joints if miter corners are challenging.
Next, drill pocket holes using the Kreg Jig in the bottom. Attach the longer sides first, and apply wood glue in the joint, securing it with pocket hole screws. Attach the two shorter sides to close up the ends. (Again, using wood glue at the connection points.)
Since pockets holes are only at the bottom, I used a band clamp to close up and tightened the joints.
Let that sit until the glue sets.

Step 2: Making the Planter Stand

When it comes to making the stand I kept it simple! I used butt joints and drove a dowel rod through it.

Making the Legs:
First, line up the 2 x 2 lumber as shown, then clamp it. Next, drill a 5/16 hole through both lumber. Then add wood glue between the joints by dropping a small amount in the hole and covering the dowel with glue.
Drive the dowel through both parts. When you can no longer drive the dowel in, use a flush-cut saw to cut it off.
Essentially you’ll be creating two ‘U’s.
Clamp and let the glue set up.

Building the Stand:
Now, locate the two legs and attach them using 2 x 2 lumber. Measure 4 inches down from the top, glue, and clamp this until it sets.
To finish this off, insert the dowel rod and drive it in.

Step 3: Cutting the Planter Shelf Slats

At the bottom of the stand, I added a shelf. The shelf also played a key part in the design.
To get the cleanest look, cut dados into the slats for the shelf. This allowed the two stretchers to be flushed.
I found it easiest to clamp the individual piece then cut the dados at once; if you have a dado stack, it will speed up the process.
Next, there will be two of these pieces that you will use for the ends, which you must address differently.

Carve out two sections of the end pieces. These sections will be in line with the dado cut previously. You can chisel this out or use an oscillating tool, which would speed things up dramatically.
Attach the shelf ends using the same method from the previous step, placing the shelf four inches from the bottom. Also, make sure the notched section is facing in and down. Glue, clamp, and add a dowel.

Step 4: Applying the Finish

After sanding down everything, apply the stain to the planter box and the slats. After applying two coats of finish, apply one coat of wipe-on-poly.
For the stand, tape off the bottom shelf and then apply paint of your choice. After the paint has dried, remove the tape and stain the shelf.

Step 5: Completing the Raised Planter Box

To attcah the slats, space each piece evenly and secure with two screws from the bottom.

Since this box will be indoors, I added a small pond liner in case the plastic planter overflows.
As mentioned previously, if you are planning to have this box outdoors, then no liner is required!

Planting
Use whatever plant you would like; be mindful of each plant’s required sunlight when determining where to place the planter. For example, I used Giant Iris plants which need 6 hours of sunlight a day and would need to be next to a large South-facing window to really thrive.

Adding Rocks
I used landscaping rocks to top this project off, which is my go-to option for wrapping up a planter.

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Project complete! This is an easy DIY planter box that should be a good project for beginners; for more detailed instructions, check out the plan for this Raised Planter Box project!

If you like this project and would like to learn even more amazing DIY projects such as these, check out our other articles and plans, or our YouTube channel for more creative tutorials, and don’t forget to share your finished project with us on Facebook and Instagram!