How To Build A Pallet Planter

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Pallets are just so versatile and can be turned into almost anything but they can also be often overlooked and simply sent to the tip. I’ve had 2 sat around in my garage for over a year or so because I had no idea what to do with them. I see amazing creations online all the time but I honestly never thought I would be able to do any of them by myself. And then we found ourselves in lockdown due to the Coronavirus. Weeks were passing by and I was trying to find activities to keep all of us busy and so one pretty boring day, I grabbed a pallet and without having a clue about what I was doing I decided to give some DIY a go. The great thing about pallets is that there is plenty to play around with, they are (usually) free to source and if it goes wrong, what does it matter? At least you had a go and you could try and turn it into something else instead. I decided to build a pallet planter for our wall and this is how I achieved that.

How To Build a Pallet Planter:

Step 1

Grab yourself a pallet and a saw. If you want a large planter, you can just leave the pallet as it is but please note that you will need extra wood to create your plant beds. I was going for a planter with 2 rows of beds…

So, you can see that this has 3 potential beds on it which means you will need to saw off the top row to give yourself a smaller version.

I even didn’t go to the effort of measuring up the height of the top because I quite liked the idea of it being a bit imperfect but if you want yours level, just measure and mark each plank of wood with a pencil and then cut.

Step 2

Using the part you have taken off, remove the planks of wood from the main frame to give yourself a base for your new beds. Attach this to your planter pallet using nails or screws.

It’s all so perfect because they are already the correct size for this! If you get a slight gap like mine, you can simply pop another piece of wood inside to be on the safe side or just leave it as you will be adding a liner later on.

Step 3

The pallet wood can be quite rough in places so give it a quick once over with some sandpaper, paying close attention to those top areas you have sawn off.

Again, none of this has to be perfect as you want a rustic look anyway.

Step 4

Enrol some help and get painting! We used a Cuprinol paint called Willow for our pallet planter.

Step 5

Line your beds with a good garden liner that will protect your wood from the compost and damp but will allow water to drain away. You can keep this in place with staples or tacks.

Step 6

Fill the beds with compost and plant them up. You could also do this at the end, I just found it easier doing it on the ground.

Step 7

To attach your pallet planter to a wall you will need an electric drill, screws, rawl plugs and wall brackets. Lift your pallet planter up to your chosen wall and mark the position you would like it. Drill your holes with your electric drill, push the rawl plugs in and then screw the brackets on. You will need 3-4 brackets to hold it in place. Once this is done, lift your pallet planter up to sit on the brackets and screw them into place. If you want to be able to remove your planter from the wall to replant in the future, do not screw the bracket on too tightly.

And if you’d like to have a go at making a kid’s garden like ours below the planter, you can read how-to here.

If I can build this pallet planter with 2 kids around, anyone can. It was so simple and so much fun too plus it saved me money as I didn’t have to buy new!

Now, let’s hope my plants grow!

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