Modern planter box Plans

In this set of plans, I’ll show you how to build this modern planter box. This planter box, made
of Cedar and pressure treated Pine from your local home center, would look right at home on a
modern-styled patio. This is a fairly simple build, and I tried to present the build process in an
easy-to-follow, step-by-step format. Let’s get started!

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 Materials Needed For modern
planter box:

Gather the below materials before beginning the build. Make sure to sort through the Cedar
1x4s and 1x2s, as many of them are extremely bowed and damaged.

Quantity: Item: Purchase Here:

6 Cedar 1x4x8s Home Center (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.)

3 Cedar 1x2x8s Home Center (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.)

1 Pressure Treated 2x6x12 Home Center (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.)

2” Angle Iron or Aluminum,

6 feet Home Center (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.)
⅛” thick

1 roll Steel Mesh https://amzn.to/2P9GEap

1 roll Plastic Sheet https://amzn.to/2OxOAB6

1 box 1 ¼” Exterior Rated Screws https://amzn.to/2Mt48ss

1 box 2” Exterior Rated Screws https://amzn.to/2Msl4j3

1 box 2 ½” Exterior Rated Screws https://amzn.to/2vKwuVx

1 bottle Waterproof Wood Glue https://amzn.to/2OBoL3a

1 can Enamel Spray Paint https://amzn.to/2vLy1L8

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 Cut List For modern planter box:
It’s best to cut the parts below as they will be used, to make sure all of your pieces end up at
the correct length. This is especially important for the bottom boards and the trim, as you will
likely need to adjust those measurements.

Qty Description Length Width

8 1x4 Long Side 46" 3 1/2"

8 1x4 Short Side 19" 3 1/2"

2 1x2 Top Trim Long 47 3/8" 1 1/2"

2 1x2 Top Trim Short 19" 1 1/2"

10 1x2 Inner Bracing 12 5/8” 1 1/2"

7 Treated 2x6 Bottom Boards 17 1/2“ 5 1/2"

4 2” Angle Iron/Aluminum Legs 17 7/8” 2”

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 Build Process:
Step 1: Assemble The Short Side Panels

To assemble the short side panels, first measure up 1 ½” from the bottom edge of the bottom
board and mark a line. This will be the offset you need to leave to allow room for the bottom
boards to be installed later.

Next, using a t-square or other large square, line up your 1x4 boards. Find a scrap ⅛” spacer (I
used some HDPE cutoffs, but ⅛” plywood would work well) and add a few spacers between
the bottom 1x4 and the next 1x4 above it.

To place the 1x2 upright, first put a 1x2 on edge, aligned with the ends of the 1x4s. This will
give you the correct offset. Next, add glue where the 1x2 upright will be installed, then attach
the 1x2. I used 1” brad nails to temporarily attach the uprights, but you can just use screws if
you don’t have a brad nailer.

If you use brad nails to attach the 1x2s, come back and reinforce the joints with 1 ¼” screws. I
used two screws on each board, except for the bottom board which only had room for one
screw. 


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 Step 2: Assemble Long Side Panels

The long panels are assembled in the exact same way as the short panels, with one 1x2
upright at each end. The only difference between the two panels is an extra 1x2 upright in the
center of the panels, which adds more rigidity to the panels.

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 Step 3: Assemble The Planter Box Carcass

To assemble the planter box carcass, first clamp the panels together. The corners should all be
flush and the joints should all be tight. I found that clamping the 1x2 upright on the short
panels towards the outer 1x4s on the long panels really closed up the joints well.

It’s also a good idea to assemble the carcass with the panels upside down, resting on a flat
surface like a workbench. This will ensure the top edges are aligned after assembly.

To attach the panels to each other, drive 2” long screws through the face of the side panels into
the 1x2 upright of the long panels. I added 4-5 screws per corner, which made for a very sturdy
structure. The screws should be roughly 1 ⅛” in from the corners of the box in order to hit the
1x2 uprights.


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 Step 4: Attach The Bottom Boards

Before cutting the bottom boards to length, measure the actual spacing between the two long
panels to get the length for your bottom boards.

The bottom boards are attached with pocket screws, so you’ll need to drill pocket holes in the
boards before installing. I drilled three pocket holes on each end on each board.

I used 1 ¼” pocket hole screws to attach the boards, and this made for some tricky settings on
the pocket hole jig. The 1x4s aren’t quite ¾” thick, so I didn’t want the screws to go through. I
ended up setting the K5 jig to 1 ⅜” and then set the drill bit stop collar to a bit over 1 ½”. This
resulted in a hole that was deep enough to allow the 1 ¼” screw to go through, but not so
deep that it went through the side of the panel.

The boards are spaced roughly 1 ¼” apart, but this spacing doesn’t need to be precise. 


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 Step 5: Add The Top Trim

The last wooden pieces to add to the planter boxes are the 1x2 trim pieces that cover the top
edge of the panels. It’s best to take your measurements from your actual piece and cut the
pieces to length based on those measurements. You really want the 1x2s to be flush with the
outside face of the panels, so measure accordingly.

I attached the longer trim pieces first, using glue and 1 ½” brad nails, and then measured, cut,
and installed the shorter trim pieces in the same way. If you don’t have a brad nailer, you could
use screws through the top of the trim pieces, but the piece won’t have as clean of a look with
screws.


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 Step 6: Install Steel Mesh And Plastic Liner

First, cut the steel mesh to size with a pair of aviation snips, so that it fits into the bottom of the
planter box with some overlap with the side panels. Staple the mesh into place using ½”
staples and cut away any excess around the 1x2 uprights. I used two foot wide steel mesh, so
I used two pieces for the bottom of my planter box.

Next, attach the plastic sheeting inside of the planter box, making sure the plastic runs all the
way up to the inside edge of the trim. Attach the sheeting using the same staples as before.

Trim away the excess with a utility knife.

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 Step 7: Cut Metal Legs To Length, Paint, Sand, And Install

I used ⅛” thick 2” steel angle iron for the legs on my piece, but you could use aluminum as well
if you don’t have a way to cut steel. You could also purchase the steel from a steel yard and
have them cut it to length for you.

After cutting the legs to length, I ground down any sharp edges at my belt grinder, but an angle
grinder or files would work as well.

The legs are attached with six screws per leg, and it’s important that the screws run into the
1x2s and 2x6s inside the planter box, so that they’re attached as strongly as possible. I spaced
my screw holes 1 ½”, 7 ¼”, and 14 ¼” from the top end of the legs, respectively.

Once you drill the holes, remove any surface contaminants with Acetone, then apply a few
coats of enamel spray paint to the legs.

To attach the legs to the planter box, I used construction adhesive and 2 ½” screws. Make sure
to sand the planter box and round the corners prior to installing the legs, otherwise they won’t
sit flush because of the radius on the inside of the angle iron.


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 Step 8: Enjoy Your Modern Planter Box!

Hopefully you’ve come out on the other end of these plans with a brand new, incredibly
beautiful planter box. If not, please contact me using my Contact page with any questions you
might have.

Thanks for supporting me by purchasing these plans. The income generated from plan sales is
one of my main sources of revenue and helps keep the lights on in the Crafted shop. If you
enjoyed the plans, I’d appreciate you spreading the word about Crafted Workshop. If every one
of my subscribers told ten of their friends about my videos, I’ve be at over half a million
subscribers. That’s powerful stuff!

Again, thanks for the support and, until next time, happy building!

Sincerely,

Johnny Brooke
Founder, Crafted Workshop

@craftedworkshop

P.S. If you found any errors in these plans, please let me know so that I can fix them for future
readers. Thanks!

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