DIY Potting Bench

This is how I spent my 4th of July weekend!

Well, not the WHOLE weekend, just a few hours. I also spent a goodly amount of time eating corn on the cob and watermelon. And I admit, I DID spend the lion's share of my time in the pool, squirting my kids in their faces with a Super Soaker until they banded together like Voltron and flipped my floating lounge chair over.

I think we can all agree, that's how the Founding Fathers would have wanted it.

It was a great weekend.

And here we are now!! Together again. Any Monday that finds me staring fondly at something I made despite my criminal lack of formal training with power tools is a good Monday. I made this. I love saying that.

Make one with me, after the jump!!


I have been really covetous of inspired by all the beautiful and functional potting benches I've been seeing in the home & garden mags lately. Flea Market Gardening, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, I want to have all of them. But I can't.

Hmph.

But that's okay, because I've made my own, and so can you! First, you'll need a very meticulous and precise diagram of your future potting bench.

Not pictured: precision or meticulousness.

Then you'll need to purchase your building materials. I bought six 2"x 4" beams that were 8 feet long, and one 4'x8' sheet of plywood.

This gave me enough lumber, plus a bit left over, to make exactly what I wanted! Except the lumber was mislabeled, and instead of being 8 feet long, all my 2x4s were 7 feet 8 inches. I was really peeved, but not so much that I was willing to heave it all BACK into the van and exchange it. Also, and did you know this, because I did not, 2x4s are really 1.5"x3.5". SAY WHAT?

I was scandalized by this, but I've been assured it's totally normal. Anyway.

SO. I had to adjust my specs a bit and revamp some of my plans, but I perservered. I also decided to make a crucial change to the upper shelf. Instead of having a fixed shelf, I wanted to make it removeable, so that if I ever need the bench to just be a temporary table, it can be. Neato!!

I also wanted the upper shelf to be cuter. This was very important. So in place of boring old wood uprights, I painted some cute flower pots white and attached the shelf to them.

Ooh!! I almost forgot! I was recently given some cool carved crown moldings, and I thought, "what the hey??" So that's on there too. And I painted it with some leftover pale green from my kitchen, just some cheapo Valspar paint in "Lindhurst Spring Eve". The green is on the bench top and its legs, and on the molding and flower pots I used some of the leftover white paint that's on my bathroom cabinets.

My garden tools hang from hooks on one side;
My little red watering can hides underneath,
out of the way.

Two white flower pots support the upper shelf,
and the whole thing is easily removed!

Pretty dang inexpensive, for a potting bench! Less than $30 for the wood, and I had paint on hand. I'll have to apply some weather sealer to it to keep it safe from the elements, but not bad for a little weekend project!

Chalk paint makes great, easily changeable labels.
Jobe's Plant Food Spikes and Miracle Gro at my fingertips!

I love this grapevine molding!

Peat pots and sissal twine! If only the weather
was more conducive to gardening...

Nosy old Dexter is in about 30 of my shots,
so I had to include one...

I hope this Fourth of July finds everyone (even my overseas friends, Hi Hannah!!) happy and well. We've got big plans ourselves (more swimming, more watermelon) and this box of fireworks we bought from a local cheerleading squad fundraiser:

This won't do NEARLY enough damage.
We'll be buying more.

I may even do a little gardening...

With my new potting bench!!