After deciding to start a garden, I realized I needed some raised garden beds. I figured they wouldn’t be too difficult to build and we opted to use cedar fence pickets to get the weather-resistant properties of cedar without the huge price tag.
We didn’t make a plan before we started and ended up having to pivot. Originally, these tall planters were supposed to be traditional-looking raised garden beds with legs.
Well, we assembled the first one and I really wasn’t a fan of the look. Sure, these planters are for vegetables, so function is the primary goal, but I still wanted something I was excited to look at.
So we pivoted and added enough cedar fence pickets to fully cover the legs and be slatted from top to bottom.
Now we have tall planter boxes that are great for vegetable gardens, flowers, or they can be worked into your outdoor living space as a statement planter!
Alright, let’s dive in and start DIYing!
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How to Build a Tall Cedar Planter
Recommended Tools:
- Miter Saw (we use this blade with ours)
- Drill
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
- Brad Nailer
- Optional: Table Saw or Circular Saw (see step 7)
- Clamps
- Measuring Tape (new to DIY? Be sure to check out this post with measuring tips)
- Safety Equipment
Shopping List:
- (3) 2x4x8s for either a short or tall planter
- (13) cedar fence pickets for the short planter and (16) for a tall planter
- Exterior wood glue (we like Titebond 2 – Titebond 3 is even more water-resistant, but it is a lot runnier/harder to work with in my opinion)
- 2 ½” exterior Kreg screws
- 1 ¼” exterior wood screws
- 1” nails
- Tung oil
- Optional: Landscape fabric
- Optional: Steel Hardware Cloth Rolled Fencing 1/4-in x 1/4-in – Mesh Size
- Optional: ⅜” staples
Not every Lowe’s sells cedar 2x4s – ours were unlabeled and found in the garden section. Cedar is a great choice for outdoor projects since it is naturally rot-resistant. Not saying it’ll never rot, but it’ll take much longer than pine would!
We opted for the cedar 2x4s over treated pine 2x4s because we didn’t want the chemicals from the treated pine to leach into the soil. Using treated pine 2x4s will make these planter beds even more cost-effective though.
Dimensions + Cut List:
The final dimensions for the shorter of these DIY modern garden beds is 47 ½” L x 24” W x 22 ⅝” H.
The taller planter is 47 ½” L x 24” W x 33 ⅝”H.
We originally planned on making these beds 72” wide, but after doing some math on how much the soil may weigh after filling them and getting wet, we got a bit wary and decided to cut the dimensions down a bit.
So far, so good. They’ve held strong through several thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall. How will they fare over the years? Only time will tell!
To make your own raised garden bed in the shorter size, make the following cuts:
- (4) 2x4s at 22” for the legs
- (2) 2x4s at 39 ¼” for the front/back stretchers
- (2) 2x4s at 19 ¾” for the side stretchers
- (1) 2×4 at 19 ¾” for the middle support
- (8) cedar fence pickets at 47 ½” for the long sides
- (8) cedar fence pickets at 22 ¾” for the short sides
- (3) cedar fence pickets at 46” for the bottom slats
- (2) cedar fence pickets at 21 ⅞” for the top frame side pieces
- (2) cedar fence pickets at 45” for the top frame
For the larger size, you’ll make the legs 33” instead of 22”. The only other change is that you’ll need 12 cedar fence pickets instead of 8 for both the long and short sides.
Note: if you use rough-sawn cedar 2x4s like we did, your cut list will likely change. The rough sawn cedar isn’t exactly 1.5” x 3.5” like typical 2x4s are, and there is more variation between the sizing.
We always recommend cutting the boards for your project as you go along rather than making all of the cuts up front. This allows you to make adjustments based on the cuts you actually made and the real thickness of your boards. Both rough sawn wood and cedar fence pickets tend to have more variation than typical boards from Lowe’s!
STEP 1: ASSEMBLE THE FRONT/BACK FRAMES
Using the 1 ½” settings, drill (2) pocket holes on both ends of the middle support, and side, front, and back stretchers.
Decide on the height depth that you want for your planter – like the depth of actual dirt. For us, we decided on 12” for most of the planters, so we marked 12 ⅝” from the top of legs. The extra ⅝” is to account for the cedar fence picket slats that will be on the bottom. We also did one that was about 17 1/2″ deep to allow for things that like deeper roots.
Using glue and 2 ½” Kreg screws, secure the back stretcher between two legs. The top of the stretcher should be flush with the mark you made on the legs.
Repeat with the last two legs and the front stretcher.
STEP 2: ATTACH THE FRAMES
Using glue and 2 ½” Kreg screws, secure a side stretcher at the same height on the legs as you installed the front/back stretchers. The stretchers should be flush with the outside of the legs.
Next, install the middle support halfway across the front/back stretchers. It doesn’t need to be precisely measured – you can eyeball it.
Once the three pieces are attached to one of your planter frames, secure them all to the second planter frame to form a box.
STEP 3: INSTALL BOTTOM SLATS
Using glue and (2) 1 ¼” screws into each side support board, secure the bottom slats. Again, these do not need to be precisely spaced and measured. Just eyeball the gaps.
STEP 4: INSTALL SIDE SLATS
Before installing the slats, mock up the order that you will install the slats. Some cedar fence pickets might fit better together than others, so we like to decide which order they will be installed in prior to adding glue.
When installing the slats, you don’t want there to be big gaps and the top slat should always line up with the top. The bottom may or may not line up perfectly. Theoretically they should, but cedar fence pickets can vary in the actual width. Once it’s outside, particularly if it’s going in dirt or mulch, you won’t ever notice if the bottom isn’t perfect!
Using glue and 1 ¼” exterior screws, secure the slats to the 2×4 legs. We used (2) screws per slat into each leg.
As you’re installing, try to keep your screw holes straight for a more polished look.
STEP 5: INSTALL FRONT/BACK SLATS
Next, install the slats on the front and back of the planter using glue and 1 ¼” screws. We recommend laying out your slats prior to adding glue and installing just like we did in step 4 for the side slats.
STEP 6: ADD SUPPORT
Using glue and 1” nails, secure an 11” cedar fence picket to the inside of one of the long sides. This piece should be placed roughly in the middle and should line up with the top of the top slat, but it doesn’t need to be perfectly measured.
We added (4) nails to each of the cedar fence pickets.
Repeat with the second long side and remaining 11” cedar fence picket.
OPTIONAL STEP 7: ADD TOP FRAME
From a structural standpoint, this top frame isn’t doing much – it’s really there for to make the planter feel more finished. Instead of using a full 5 ½” wide board or splurging on cedar 1x3s, we ripped some cedar pickets down into two 2 ½” wide pieces. You can rip them down using a circular saw or table saw.
For this step, you can definitely miter the corners if you prefer. We opted for straight cuts since this is a quick outdoor planter for a veggie garden and not a piece of designer furniture.
We wanted each board to be anchored into at least one of the corner 2x4s for extra stability, so the pieces are offset. Each board should sit flush with one corner and stop about 2 ½” short of the next corner. We attached the top frame pieces using wood glue and 1″ nails. If you don’t have a nailer, screws work too!
Note: you won’t see our support board in the photo of the planter at this step. We forgot to install it prior to the top frame going in and had to add it after. It’s easier to install without the top frame getting in the way.
STEP 5: SEAL YOUR DIY TALL PLANTERS
Normally, we use a more intense exterior stain and sealer for our outdoor builds, but because these planters are likely going to be growing vegetables, we decided to go with pure tung oil instead.
Tung oil is both food safe and durable for outdoor use, but it needs to be reapplied every 6 to 12 months.
Obviously, we’re not planning to empty out the soil every year just to refinish them, but we do plan to reseal the exterior once a year to help the beds stay looking their best.
It’s actually our first time trying tung oil, so we’re curious to see whether it will preserve the fresh cedar color or if the wood will still weather and gray quickly. Only time will tell!
STEP 6: ADD LANDSCAPE FABRIC
We lined the inside of the beds with landscape fabric to help keep the dirt in the upper pocket of the planter. Luckily the 4’ wide landscape fabric was a great size for these beds. We secured it with ⅜” staples.
OPTIONAL STEP 7: ADD STEEL MESH
At the time of building these, I had yet to plant a vegetable, so I definitely wouldn’t call myself an expert on what’s necessary, but we did decide to attach ¼” steel mesh fencing to the bottom of our beds before filling them.
Why? We made some DIY large planters a few years ago and though we love them, mice have decided that the bottom makes an incredible home. We’re hoping this steel mesh will prevent them from sneaking into the bottom of the planters.
To attach it, we used ⅜” staples and cut the steel mesh to size with Fiskars PowerSnips.
There you have it! Now you know how to build your own DIY tall planters! These tall planters make for the best raised garden beds – stylish and practical for growing herbs, veggies, or flowers. We’re thrilled to not have to bend down a ton to tend to the garden!
If you’re looking for some more traditional raised planter beds, you know, the ones that are in-ground and don’t have a bottom, then check out this DIY raised planter bed tutorial.
