decorative rustic planter

Thick, rustic-looking pallet wood acquires an attractive patina over time and is ideal for making all sorts of decorative planters. A large pallet-wood planter looks great on a wood deck or balcony.

When recycling pallet wood, remember to protect your hands with gloves. Mark your cutting lines on the pallet before you start sawing. The boards used in this example were about ¾ in (2 cm) thick and cut to lengths of 1 ft (30 cm) and 10 in (26 cm). Use a handsaw or power jigsaw to cut the wood.

To cut a perfect 90° angle, use the handle of your handsaw, which is shaped so you can quickly measure 90 degree angle. Place the handle against the edge of the board, with the blade lying flat on the board's surface. Trace a line using the blade as a straightedge. Sort the boards by length; 1 ft (30 cm) to one side, 10 in (26 cm) to the other. Smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Next, assemble the 1 ft-long boards to make two planter sides of the same height. This is easily done if the boards you have are all the same width. If the boards are of different widths, you may need to mix and match them. In the example, two wide boards and one narrower board were used for each side.

garden p

Nail the boards to two battens that are 2 in (5 cm) longer than the height of the planter. Nail each batten ¾ in (the thickness of the boards) from the end. Once you have assembled the first two sides using the 1 ft-long boards, nail the shorter 10 in-long boards to the battens.

pallet wood boards

If you follow the pattern and measurements in this example, you will have a planter that can hold a standard 10 in diameter flower pot. To make other types of rustic planters, try using scrap lumber from floorboards, roofing, and so on.

Other recycling pallet projects:
coffe table
wood deck

May 2008 [garden]
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