This Raised Planter Table is a fun project for those of you who want to get some use out of your table saws, Like me! A perferct way to add square footage and height to your garden and fabulous for patio living or an edible salad garden, perhaps even decorative flower boxes for just under your window! I have designed this plan to use Cedar or Redwood Fence Boards so that you get the benefit of that specie of wood for a fraction of the cost!
$25-$50
- Tape Measure
- Sander
- Drill
- Table Saw – can also use a Circular Saw, Jig Saw or a Router
- Miter Saw – can also use Table Saw, Circular Saw, or Jig Saw
- Nail gun – can also use hammer and nails or screws, just be sure to countersink if you choose screws.
- 2” Galvanized Nails or Screws
- Wood Glue
- Wood Filler
- Sanding Supplies
- Finishing Supplies
- 4 – 4×4 at 34” Legs
- 8 – 1×4 at 14 1/2” Side Panels
- 8 – 1×4 at 33” Front and Back Panels
- 3 – 1×6 at 35 1/2” Bottom
- 2 – 1×6 at 42 1/2” Top Trim
- 2 – 1×6 at 24” Top Trim
Consider using a specie of wood suitable for outdoor use such as cedar, redwood, teak, etc., and be sure you choose galvanized or coated hardware to avoid rust. Be sure you finishing materials and products are suitable for outdoor use as well.
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Create your Legs: Use your Table Saw with a Dado Blade to create a 3/4” x 3/4” Dado on two adjacent sides of each leg as shown below. You can also create these grooves using the table saw without a dado blade, by simply setting your depth to 3/4” and running your post across it a number of times until you have a 3/4” groove. You can also use either a circular saw, or jig saw by setting your depth to 3/4” and running it along your post a series of times in a row until you have carved out a 3/4” gap. A router with a straight bit or one part of a mortise and tenon bit will also work!
Leg Layout: The diagram below shows the layout of the legs once you have created your grooves.
Attach the Side Panels: Your boards should be pretty snug in a rug in your grooves and you may need to pound them down into place using a mallet. This is purposeful so you don’t have so much wiggle room that it is difficult to secure them in place. Once you slide all 4 boards into place on a side, you will secure them by nailing or screwing directly through leg on the shallow side that remains after the grooves you created. For an example, click here to view the inspiration piece for this project, you can see the fasteners when you enlarge the picture.
Attach the Front and Back: Do this in the same manner you did for the sides, use a mallet or something to hammer them down into place and then screw or nail them in through the front and back edges of the legs.
Fasten the Bottom in Place: Notch out 2” squares from the corners of the outside bottom panels. Attach the bottom panels to the bottom most front, back and side panels using nails or screws. If you use screws be sure to countersink and you will leave 1/4” on either side of the center bottom panel which will aid in draining for the planter box. If you need additional draining you can simply drill holes along the bottom in the locations you see fit. Don’t get too crazy and create a planter box of swiss cheese, but be sure the water you put into the box will drain out fairly well or you will croak your plants like I typically do!
Add the Top Trim: Miter the corners for the most professional appearance and secure to the front, back, sides, and legs using nails or screws.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
**Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you provide an adequate link back to the appropriate post! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it.
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