Home Outdoors Planters
Rachel BroughamUpdated: Feb. 29, 2024
If you're short on space or don't want to dig up your yard to put in plants, planter boxes are a good option. Here are 12 DIY planter boxes you can make in a day or two at most.
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Raised Wooden Planter Box with Benches
This DIY wooden planter box features built-in benches for leisurely gardening. Having a raised wooden planter makes gardening easier on your back and knees and with these benches you can even sit while pulling weeds!
If you notice a bug problem in your garden, check out the 10 worst garden insects and how to get rid of them.
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Easy Window Planter
You can build this wooden planter box in less than an hour. You’ll need to cut out holes with a jigsaw and attach the outdoor planter boxes to the house with some screws. Use the clay pots to add some color and up your home’s curb appeal.
Here are some more ways to add curb appeal for less than $50.
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Straw Bale Outdoor Planter Box
If you want to try straw bale gardening on a small scale, make a straw bale planter box. It does take 10 to 14 days to condition the bale, but after that you’ll have it planted in no time.
In case you’re wondering, here are the 11 best plants for container gardening.
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Deck Railing Planter
If you have a deck, consider building this super-simple deck railing planter. With just a few materials and an hour of work you can learn how to make a wooden planter box like this. This planter adds color to your outdoor living space.
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Mini Planters
What about everyone who doesn’t have a yard in which to put a planter box? This DIY air plant planter is perfect indoors or out.
You can also use recycled glass jars for simple mini succulent planters.
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Self-Watering Planter Boxes
OK, this self-watering wooden planter box takes two days to build, but it is definitely worth the effort. Here are eight reasons to build it!
- It saves your back and knees.
- You’ll have fewer weeds.
- It waters your plants while you’re away.
- It saves water.
- You’ll have fresh veggies steps from your back door.
- It’s easy to create the perfect soil.
- It protects your veggies from hungry critters.
- It’s a handsome addition to your patio.
Find complete DIY how-to instructions here.
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Bamboo Planter Box and Trellis
This unique planter will probably take a couple of days to build, but it’s worth it. The bamboo is beautiful, especially when your vining plants incorporate with the trellis. Put several of these planter trellises together and you have a living privacy screen.
Complete, detailed how to make a wooden planter box instructions are here.
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Deck Rail Planter Box
This sturdy deck planter has a clever design so it can rest securely on a 2×4 or 2×6 deck railing or sit on a patio, porch or deck floor without tipping. And, it’s easy to modify the plans to whatever length you want.
Here are the complete DIY how to make a wooden planter box instructions.
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Raised Mini-Garden Planter
This attractive planter provides 8 square feet of planting space—enough for a bountiful salad garden. Need more planting space than that? Make multiple planters!
Check out the complete DIY how to make a wooden planter box instructions here.
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One-Day Garden Planter Box and Pond
This planter box has space for regular plants and water plants. It may take beginners more than a day to build this, but it’s not overly complicated and requires only basic tools.
Learn how to build this planter pond with this complete tutorial.
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Cedar Planter Stand
This space-saving planter box stand is made in the USA from western red cedar. The 20-inch-wide removable planter boxes are made in Italy and they come in eight colors. All assembly hardware is included. Get all of the ordering information here.
Love the look of cedar? Here is a cedar potting bench project you’ve got to see.
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DIY Planter with Stand
This project is inexpensive and will take you less than a day, once you have all your materials, plus it’s a great way to brighten up your outdoor living space or use it indoors.
Originally Published: April 18, 2019
Rachel Brougham
Rachel Brougham spent years working in newsrooms, for television and newspapers, and has won several awards for her writing. In 2015, she left her full-time job as a newspaper editor to focus on freelance writing and editing. She has been a Family Handyman contributor since 2017.
In 2019, Rachel lived through a major remodeling project on her home, and she uses that experience to inform her Family Handyman content. She's also an avid gardener (both native plants and vegetables), enjoys keeping up with decor trends and spends a lot of time traveling, cooking and hanging out with her family and their giant dog.
