by Caroline Tigeress

Created on: November 04, 2009

Wooden flower boxes can be easily constructed from scrap materials. In my youth, I would make them out of old pallets. Pallets are easy to find and often obtainable for free in various warehouse districts. They often are already beaten up a bit, so you automatically get that, 'aged' type of appearance that is so popular these days.

When you get your pallet home, inspect it first for rusty nails and things of that nature. These you want to be careful of, you want to be building a planter and not getting a tetanus shot.

The basic tools you'll need:

A claw hammer, or any other hammer and a pry bar.

A saw of some sort. As this is a small project those twelve volt rechargeable models are ideal for this, but a good handsaw will work just fine.

A drill of some sort. Again, the twelve volt rechargeable are easily used here.

Useful things to think about having around:

A non-toxic based sealant & brush

Exterior latex paint & brush

Decorative Acrylic Paints & brush. If you want to get fancy and paint on your container, these can be had for a song at your local craft store, and many PBS stations carry the Folk Art television programs that teach you the one-stroke painting process. It's fun, easy, and a good way to get kids introduced to your project.

I begin by dissecting the palette. I then sort the lumber into the component pieces, the two by four's and the planking. If you're working with kids, this is not the time for them to be around. Nails can go flying easily, and swear words as well.

The planking is the important part right now, so I saw three of the planks to the length I'm after. Often times I just use the whole thing, as it makes a pleasant display alongside the drive way.

Simply hammer (I use the nails I've removed during the dissecting process - when in doubt, recycle) the three pieces together to form a long trench. I space the nails out about ever eight inches or so, alternating on each side. Alternatively, you can use a screwdriver attachment on your drill if you'd like something a bit stronger.

I saw one of the other planks up into pieces to make, end caps, then hammer or screw them in. Drill holes in the bottom every eight inches or so for drainage.

From there, take one of the two by fours, hack it up so that they are making, 'feet'. This will prevent your new planter from resting on the ground and quickly rotting.

Now that we have the basic planter done, you can choose to finish it, or not. My gardens are largely of the eclectic 'messy'

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