Flower boxes are exactly what they sound like – boxes that hold your flowers in a decorative fashion. They can be made out of many different materials, the most popular of which are wood or plastic. More ornate flower boxes can be made out of copper or other, more expensive materials. They can be placed directly on the ground, on your deck, or hung from a window – it’s all up to you to figure out where the boxes will look best. Here are some tips on how to save some money and make a wooden flower box on your own:

Figure out your dimensions

Before you can start building or even buying your supplies, you need to figure out how big you want your flower box to be. Is it going to be a small square box that sits on the corner of your deck? Is it going to be a large rectangular box that spans the entire outside of your deck? Make a plan in your head of where the box is going to go, and then figure out how much space you want it to take up, the amount of wood you need to buy depends on it.

Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need for your flower box project:

• Wood (Redwood or Pine work best for the outdoor elements, but the choice is yours)
• Wood screws
• Electric drill
• Table or hand saw
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Putty
• Stain or paint
• Paintbrush
• Sandpaper

Measuring and cutting the wood

Regardless of the size or type of wood you chose, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Both of the longer sides will be equal in length, and both of the shorter sides will be equal in length. The bottom piece needs to be large enough to fit over all four sides once they’re put together. The first thing you need to do is measure the pieces and make your cuts. Pay special attention to the measurements, because if you cut too much, you’ll need to start with a new piece of wood.

Constructing the box

Your next step is to start putting the box together. You can start by screwing one of the longer ends into one of the shorter ends. The shorter end of the box will be sandwiched in between the two longer ends. To keep things sturdy, you can use a clamp to hold everything together while you’re screwing. The final step is to screw the bottom piece onto the box.

Putty and sanding

Slap some putty on top of all your screw holes. If they’re sticking out of the wood too much, go back and screw them in a little deeper. Once the putty has dried completely, sand it down until it’s completely flush with the surrounding wood.

Drainage holes

To allow for the most efficient flow of water through the soil, you’ll need to drill some drainage holes. Flip the box over and start drilling. A good rule of thumb is to have 4-6 drainage holes per square foot of space. The holes should be about 1/8 of an inch in diameter; or you can just check out the nearest plastic flower pot you have and match up to those. You can go one step further and add some mesh screen to the inside of the flower box to prevent soil from washing away through the holes (note: any painting or staining should be done prior to adding screen).

Staining or painting

Now that you’ve constructed your flower box, the only thing left to do is finish is up with a few coats of stain or paint. It will not only make it look a lot better by enriching the wood’s natural color, it will help protect the box from the elements.