How To Make an Indoor Planter Box

Pre-finish sheet goods

• It’s faster to pre-finish a 4 x 8-ft. sheet than to do several small parts, and the finish is more consistent.
• After whitewashing the Baltic birch with white gel stain, I top-coated with a water-based polyurethane. Unlike an oil-based finish, it won’t yellow over time.

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Profile the edges of the trim cap

• Using a router, profile the nose of the cap.
• For this project I used a 3/8-in. round-over bit to create a simple, classic line.
• Sand all the parts to 180 grit.

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Stain trim to match

• Poplar is a good choice for the trim on this planter box—it’s readily available and works easily.
• To color-match the luxury vinyl flooring used for the bathroom tub deck, I started with a homemade iron oxide stain, followed by amber shellac.

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Apply finish to the trim boards

• Once all the trim boards are stained, apply two coats of clear finish.
• For the final step in my color-matching process, I chose an oil-based topcoat because it will imbue a slight yellow tone.

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Assemble the planter box

• You could use pocket holes and screws for this job, but the plywood end grain would show on the corners of the box.
• With a lock miter joint, you can get a continuous grain pattern as well as a strong glue joint.
  • PRO TIP: This method requires a router table and a lock miter bit—and some patience. But this is a great joinery method to learn for this and other projects.

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Cut holes in planter base

• Using a jigsaw, cut three evenly spaced holes in the planter base.
• Size them according to your planter pots. Once the holes are cut, sand any rough edges and check the fit.
• The planter pots should slide in right up to the rim.

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Attach the ledger

• Position the ledger 1 in. down from the top. It will hold the planter base and you’ll staple the plastic liner to it in Step 9.
• Using a combination square as a guide, I used instant-grab construction adhesive and 3/4-in. brad nails to fasten the ledger parts.

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Attach the feet

• Position the feet to raise the planter box off the ground about 1-1/4 in.
• I used scrap wood from my shop and attached the feet with the instant-grab construction adhesive.

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Line the box with plastic

• This is an indoor planter box; line it with 3 mil plastic to prevent damage from overwatering.
• Staple the plastic to the front ledge first, then the back, leaving plenty of slack – do the sides last.
• Trim the excess with a utility knife.

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Paint the interior and base

• Because I planned to fill the top of the planter with black river rocks, I applied two coats of black oil-based paint to the base and inside edges of the box to make them less noticeable.
• Paint the inside to match the rock you choose.

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Attach the trim

• Using construction adhesive and brad nails, attach the skirt trim pieces.
• Do the cap first, then attach the upper and lower skirts.

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Fill planter top with river rock

• I found inexpensive black river rock at dollartree.com ($1 per 32 oz.).
• Cover the pots completely for a traditional planted look.

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Cutting List

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