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Hello everyone!
We are in a heat wave here and I have been very busy cleaning up the yard and working on our deck in the back. Our MicroPro Sienna Sanctuary is coming along so great! It feels like it taking forever, as we only have time to slowly chip away at it everyday, but slow and steady wins the race right!? It's going to be so amazing once it's all finished, so be sure to tune into my Instagram channel (link below) to stay updated on the weekly progress of this monster project.
So while I've been cleaning up the yard, I found a large pile of our leftover pressure treated wood. It would be a shame to let any of that wood go to waste. I hate wood waste; it always seems like such a shame especially when you know that wood could be used to create something useful and amazing!
I started to think.....what could be something I could create using some of this wood?? It would need to be something I could use for outside.....hmmmmm. Right away I thought about planters. I could definitely use some new ones for the front of our house on each side of the garage!
My friend has the most beautiful custom planters outside her house and I have always envied them. I would imagine she paid a lot to have hers made, they are so gorgeous and are the first thing you see when you walk to her entrance. I knew that was it! I would attempt to make my own version of some large DIY custom planters to flank our garage.
The first thing I did was measure the brick area in the front of our garage. That would decide the size of my planters. I would want something to fill that brick section but not fully cover it. I decided on a 28" tall planter and around 18" wide.
I gathered up all the 1x6's and 2x4's I could find then started making my cuts. All of the pressure treated wood I am using is from MicroPro Sienna. This pressure treated wood is what we prefer to use for our decking. It's great because they use no solvents in their treated wood, making it a more eco-friendly and safe for garden beds and planters as well...which is perfect for this project! Whoop that makes me so happy!
*You can learn more about their unique pressure treating process here.
Planters
Cut list for 1x6's for 2 Planters:
-16 x 17 3/4"
-16 x 13 1/2"
Cut list for 2x4's for 2 Planters:
-4 x 10 3/4"
-4 x 17 3/4"
You will also need:
Saw, I used my mitre saw
2 1/2" outdoor wood or construction screws
Air nail gun with 2 1/2" brad nails
Scrap wood for base, I used 1/4" plywood
Scrap 2x2's or 2x4's for inside of box to hold it together
level
Drill
MicroPro Sienna Cut-N-Seal this product will protect the exposed, untreated parts of your wood from rot and decay
After I finished cutting all of 1x6's and 2x4's, I applied my Cut-N-Seal to all of the ends.
Once it dried, I started to make the side walls. I used some 2x2's and 2x4's I had on hand and cut them around 18-20" long. This doesn't have to be exact as it's just going to be on the inside of the box. These pieces are what's going to hold your box frame together.
To start on your first box, all you need to do is line up 4 of your 1x6's together on top of one another on a flat surface and then take your 2x2 and place it to the edge and attach it with your 2 1/2" screws. I always drill pilot holes first so that I don't split my wood.
You can swipe through the images below to see the steps....
Now you are going to place your longer cut 1x6's on the sides to make the front and back of the planter. I started and worked my way up, holding the board steady against the 2x2 and drilling offset of the other screws.
See gallery below to see what I mean....it's very simple!
So now you should have 3 sides assembled. As you are going, make sure all of your 1x6's are in line with the other ones so that things don't look uneven or become unlevel once standing up.
Now you need to attach one last wall, which is the shorter wall you constructed originally. I simply drilled pilot holes through the ends of my 17 3/4" boards and then into the ends of the 13 3/4" pieces. I used my wood screws to attach them together. Making sense?? Essentially in order to get this wall on, you have to drill from the outside of each end of your longer walls of your box (the front and back pieces) and then into the side wall. I forgot to take a picture of this step!! UGH! So I am showing you in the pic below where those screws go.
Ok so your box should be done! Next thing I did was add a base floor. I just grabbed some 1/4" presanded plywood pieces that we've had kicking around from previous faux shiplap projects and used my air compressor and brad nail gun to attach them from the bottom. I should also mention here that another option you could do would be to add your floor higher up into the box than I did. Most of this planter will be empty so there is really no need to have the floor right at the bottom. I just did it that way because I may want to add trees in them later on, but you do whatever you think works best for you! You can also inset the the floor so that it attaches to your 2x2's for a cleaner look, but honestly I don't even see it because the wood is so thin.
Last steps are making the legs. First place your 17 3/4" cut 2x4 to the top of your box. I used a small piece of my 1x6 as a measurement guide to know how far I wanted it to over hang from the box. I used my brad nail gun to attach it to the top. Once you are done that side, attach the other 17 3/4" 2x4 to the opposite side of the box. Now you should have 2 pieces framing the top of the box.
I then laid the box on it's side and took one of the 28" 2x4 legs. I placed it over the end cuts covering that area, making sure it was even with the top of the other 2x4 from the last step. (In this pic I realize my top 2x4's aren't attached yet, but I did end up doing it that way but just forgot to take the picture)
I attached the 2x4 with 2 screws through the top and into the cross 2x4, and one at the bottom into the box. I followed this around the box, attaching all remaining 3 28" legs.
So now you should have your 4 legs on, and 2 of your 2x4's across the top of your box. I decided to do a full frame of the top of the box with 2 more 2x4's cut to 10 3/4" and again used my air nail gun to initially hold them down and then put 2 screws into each end of the boards. You can see in the picture below what I mean.
Don’t forget to seal all your cut ends with MicroPro Sienna Cut-N-Seal. It is the key to completing protection of the wood!
Alright so at this point I was all done constructing my planter! I couldn't wait to put some beautiful plants inside and I absolutely lucked out at Walmart and found the most ginormous ferns I have ever seen! They are Boston ferns that measure 3 feet wide you guys!! I needed them and knew they would be perfect for the planters.
They are actually the perfect size to sit inside my planter. The plastic pots rest perfectly on top of the edge frame of the box! How lucky is that!? It's great cause when I want to water the ferns, they are so light I can easily take them off of the planter, water them, then let them drain for a few moments then set them back on top of the planter.
Well what do you guys think.....voila!!!
I absolutely LOVE how these turned out! They flank our garage perfectly and I just love
the warmth of the brown wood against my white brick, it adds such great curb appeal to
the front of our house. Now I should mention you could seal or stain your wood if you
would like. As with any natural wood, pressure treated wood will gradually fade over
time. To avoid this, I will apply a warm brown stain, which will also protect the wood
against weather and sun exposure.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this post today and feel inspired to make something beautiful for the exterior of your home. These are very simple to make as you can see! I always say...I am not the wood worker in this family...that is 100% Curtis, but I can tackle the odd project, and I knew this would be one I could successfully execute.
Now when I see them at the front of our house I feel proud and love the fact I utilized what would have been wasted wood scraps! It's a win win!
Thanks for stopping by today.
Dale