Elegant Planter - directions for building a container

Flower & Garden Magazine, March, 2001

A beautiful plant deserves an equally lovely planter. Even your most prized flowers will feel right at home in this stunning, yet simple-to-build project. The project shown in the photo is an excellent example of how to turn the flaws in a lower grade of lumber into attractive features. Far from detracting from this project's beauty, the numerous knots in the wood that the designer selected actually add to the planter's elegant appearance.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut fourteen vertical side pieces (A).

2. On a flat surface, clamp together four of the vertical side pieces (A), edge to edge, with their ends even.

3. From what will be the bottom end of the vertical side pieces (A), measure 1 1/2 inch from one end and square a line across all four boards at this point.

4. At the bottom end of the two outermost vertical side pieces (A), measure in 1 1/2 inches from the outside edge of each piece and mark this point across the line that you made in step 3. These marks will show you where to attach the long foot piece (B).

5. Cut two long foot pieces (B).

6. Place one long foot piece (B) across the four-board side panel, with its top edge below the line on the vertical side pieces (A) from step 3 and its ends between the lines from step 4. The bottom edge of the long foot piece will overlap the bottom ends of the vertical side pieces by 2 inches.

7. Attach the long foot piece (B) with two 10d finishing nails into each vertical side piece (A). This will be the inside face of the side panel.

8. Repeat steps 2-4 and 6-7 to make a second four-board side panel.

9. On a flat surface, clamp together three vertical side pieces (A), edge to edge, with their ends even.

10. From what will be the bottom end of the vertical side pieces (A), measure 1 1/2 inches from one end of the boards and square a line across all throe at this point.

11. At the bottom end of the two outer vertical side pieces (A), measure in 1 1/2 inches from the outside edge of each piece and mark this point across the line that you made in step 10. These marks will show you where to attach the short foot piece (C).

12. Cut two short foot pieces (C).

13. Place one short foot piece (C) across the three vertical side pieces (A), with its top edge below the line from step 10 and its ends between the lines from step 11. The bottom edge of the short foot piece will overlap the bottom ends of the vertical side pieces by 2 inches.

14. Attach the short foot piece (B) with two 10d finishing nails into each vertical side piece (A).

15. Repeat steps 9-11 and 13-14 to make the second three-board side panel.

16. On the inside face of each side panel, measure 12 inches up from the bottom edges of the foot pieces (B and C) and mark a line across all the boards at this point.

17. Cut four side braces (D).

18. On each side panel, place a side brace (D) facedown above the line that you marked in step 16, centering the side brace across the boards. Screw through each side brace into the adjacent vertical side piece (A), using one 1 1/2-inch screw at each vertical side piece.

19. Using the illustration as a guide, form a box from the side panels by placing the three-board panels between the four-board panels. Be sure to line up all their bottom and top ends. Clamp the panels together; then nail them in place with five evenly spaced 10d finishing nails through each joint.

20. Bore ten to fifteen 3/8-inch holes through the plant rest (E) to provide drainage for the planter's future inhabitant.

21. Place the plant rest (E) inside the box, so that it rests on top of the side braces (D).

25. Cut two short arch pieces (F).

23. To mark the arches on the short arch pieces (F), start by laying the two pieces on a flat surface, edge to edge and ends even.

24. Find the center of both short arch pieces (F) lengthwise and square this point across the width of the boards,

25. Set your compass to a 7 1/2-inch radius and place the point of the compass on the center line of the outside edge of one short arch piece (F). Scribe an arc on the inside edge of the other short arch piece. Then place the compass point at the center of the outside edge of the short arch piece that you just marked and scribe an arc on the inside edge of the other short arch piece. Use a jigsaw or a coping saw to cut the arcs.

26. Cut two long arch pieces (G), and repeat steps 24-25 to mark and cut the arcs on them.

27. Place a short arch piece (F) across the top of one three-board side panel, straight edge flush with the top ends of the vertical side pieces (A).

28. Drive a 6d finishing nail through the short arch piece (F) into the edges of the vertical side pieces (A) on the adjoining four-board side panels. Then drive two 6d finishing nails through the short arch piece into the face of each adjacent vertical side piece in the three-board side panel.

29. Repeat steps 27-28 on the opposite three-board side panel with the remaining short arch piece (F).

30. Place a long arch piece (G) across the top of one four-board side panel, straight edge flush with the top ends of the vertical side pieces (A).