Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- Full of wet potting soil it weighs about 34 lb, carried by 6 screws into 2 studs.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1×6 cedar board, 6′ (board) | $18.00 |
| 1 | 2×2 cedar, 8′ (board) | $7.20 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ coated exterior screws (box of 100) | $10.00 |
| 1 | Plastic window-box liner or tray (sized to the inside) (each) | $10.00 |
| 1 | #10 × 3″ cabinet screws (into studs) (box of 50) | $10.00 |
About $55 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Back board The top one is the hanging rail, above the soil. | 2 | 30″ | 5 1/2″ | 1×6 cedar board |
| B | Front board | 1 | 30″ | 5 1/2″ | 1×6 cedar board |
| C | End board | 2 | 5 1/2″ | 5 1/2″ | 1×6 cedar board |
| D | Bottom 7 drainage holes, 1/2″. | 1 | 28 1/2″ | 5 1/2″ | 1×6 cedar board |
| E | Back corner cleat | 2 | 10 1/4″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 cedar |
| F | Front corner cleat | 2 | 4 3/4″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 cedar |
Cut list
1×6 cedar board, 72″ → A 30″ · A 30″ · C 5 1/2″ · C 5 1/2″
1×6 cedar board, 72″ → B 30″ · D 28 1/2″
2×2 cedar, 96″ → E 10 1/4″ · E 10 1/4″ · F 4 3/4″ · F 4 3/4″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw or miter saw
- Stud finder
- Level
- 1/2″ spade bit
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Drill the drainage holes
Draw a line down the middle of the bottom board (D). Mark 7 hole centres on it, about 4″ apart, starting 2″ from each end.
Clamp the board over a scrap and drill each hole with a 1/2″ spade bit. Stop when the point pokes through and finish from the other side, so neither face splinters.
Drainage holes let extra water out. Without them, water pools in the bottom, roots rot and the box rots from the inside.
✓ 7 clean holes, all on the centre line.
STOP. A spade bit can grab and twist the drill: hold it with both hands and clamp the board.4Join the back boards with the corner cleats
Lay the 2 back boards (A) face down, edge to edge, ends flush. The top one is the hanging rail: it stands above the soil, so the screws into the wall stay dry.
Lay a back cleat (E) across them at each end, 3/4″ in from the end (the end boards fit in that space) and 3/4″ up from the bottom edge (the bottom fits under it).
Drive 2 screws, 1 5/8″ exterior, through each cleat into each board.
- Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of the end of a board, or the board will split. Then countersink so the screw head sits flush.
- Tip Cedar splits easily: predrill every screw, not just those near the ends.
✓ The boards are tight edge to edge and the panel is square: measure the diagonals.
5Add the ends and bottom
Stand the back panel up. Fit the bottom (D) under the cleats, tight against the back, and drive a screw through the back into the bottom's edge every 6″.
Set the end boards (C) against the cleats and the ends of the bottom, flush with the back's end. Drive 2 screws through each end board into the cleat and 1 into the end of the bottom.
No glue: a planter takes a soaking every time you water, and screws hold better through wet seasons.
- Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of the end of a board, or the board will split. Then countersink so the screw head sits flush.
✓ The ends are square to the back and the bottom sits flat with no gap against the back.
6Add the front
Screw a front cleat (F) across the inside of the front board (B) at each end, 3/4″ in from the end and 3/4″ up from the bottom, 2 screws per board.
Set the front against the bottom and ends. Drive screws through the front into the bottom's edge every 6″, and 2 through each end board into each front cleat.
- Tip Small gaps between boards are fine: they let the wood breathe. The liner holds the soil.
✓ The front is flush with the ends and the bottom at every corner, and the diagonals across the top match.
7Sand and protect the cedar
Sand every face and edge of the planter with 120 grit, then 180 grit, always moving along the grain (the lines in the wood). Sanding across the grain leaves scratches that the finish makes darker.
Cedar resists rot by itself. Leave it bare to weather silver-grey, or brush an exterior penetrating oil on the outside faces only.
Don't finish the inside where soil sits: finishes trap water against the wood there and peel.
Let any oil dry for 2 days before planting.
- Tip Pine goes blotchy under stain. If you want colour, brush on a pre-stain conditioner first, or use a gel stain.
- Tip Finish the back and underside too. Wood that is sealed on one side only can cup as the seasons change.
- Tip Work in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room. Below about 50°F (10°C) most finishes dry slowly and cloudy.
✓ The surface feels smooth and even, with no drips on the edges and no dull, dry patches.
8Fit the liner
Buy a plastic window-box liner or tray that fits inside: up to 25 1/2″ long and 4″ wide, between the corner cleats.
Indoors, use a liner without holes (or with holes and a drip tray), so water never reaches the floor. Outdoors, drill a few 1/4″ holes in its bottom over the box's drainage holes.
✓ The liner drops in and sits flat on the bottom.
9Hang the planter on the wall
Slide a stud finder along the wall and mark every stud with a pencil. Studs are usually 16″ apart, measured center to center. Confirm one by drilling a tiny test hole where the trim will hide it: you'll feel the drill bite into wood.
Hold the piece at the height you want and draw a level line along its top with a level.
Drill pilot holes through the back or hanging rail where it crosses a stud, then drive #10 × 3″ screws into the studs: 6 in all.
- Tip Before drilling, check the wall for pipes and wires: avoid drilling directly above or below outlets and switches, and behind sinks.
✓ Every screw went into wood (they pull tight, not spin). The piece doesn't move when you pull on it firmly.
STOP. Drywall alone won't hold it. Never hang this with only drywall anchors. Keep the load under about 60 lb, and never hang it over a bed or crib.10Plant and water
Fill with potting mix, not garden soil: it drains better and weighs about half as much wet.
Water slowly the first time and watch the bottom for a minute. Full and wet, the box weighs about 34 lb.
✓ After watering, the box hasn't moved, and water comes out only where you expect it.
STOP. Don't lean on it, hang things from it or use it as a shelf.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.