With just a few pieces of basic timber, we’re going to show you how to turn a basic pot into a trendy, photo-ready planter that’s sure to bring some natural style to your home and your Instagram timeline. It’s easily accessible and gives you loads of opportunities to get creative and make it more bespoke to you.
Build guide
View instructions
Lay down your tarpaulin and put your workbench in place.
Place your planter on your workbench and measure its dimensions. This planter will sit within the frame. You’ll need to determine the height you’d like the planter to sit at in order to allow the pot to sit higher than the finished leg size. This is purely for decorative purposes.
Mark and cut your four legs to size using a handsaw.
Then cut your two cross members to size - these need to be 1cm wider than the diameter of the pot.
Measure and mark the position of the cross members on the legs. This should be 4cm shorter than the total height of the pot.
Then hold the cross members in position one of the legs, making sure they’re square all the way round, and mark both sides. Repeat this for the rest of the legs.
Take your set square and make a mark at the centre point of these lines on each leg.
Then mark the middle of the ends of the cross members. These are the drilling locations for the dowels.
You’ll need to create a half lap joint, starting by marking the centre point on one of the cross members. Place the other cross member on the centre point mark and mark along both sides. Follow these lines around on both sides using your set square but stop halfway down the side. Then join the lines together.
Clamp your marked cross member into position on your workbench and cut down through the lines using a tenon saw.
Then set the depth on your circular saw and cut lines through the remaining marked up area, before using a chisel to tidy up the joint.
Repeat this process for your other cross member. Check that the half lap joints fit together well. You might need to chisel out the notch a bit more in order to get a snug fit.
Add tape to a brad point drill bit at half the depth of the dowel. With your cross members clamped to the workbench, drill through the marks that were made earlier on the end of each of them.
Then drill through the dowel holes you made on the legs too.
Take one of your cross members and two of your legs and apply wood glue to the dowel holes on each of them.
Insert dowels and connect a leg to either end of the cross member.
Clamp them in position and wipe away any excess glue before allowing some time for the glue dry. Repeat this process for the other cross member and remaining legs.
Top tip Cut some other timber the same size as the cross members and put them between the bottom of the wooden legs. This will keep the frame square whilst it’s drying.
Once everything is dry, attach your pieces together using the half lap joint and check that everything fits together. Then take them apart again and go over everything with a palm sander. This will help to get rid of any excess glue and leftover pencil marks, while also giving the wood a nice finish.
Once you’re happy with it, you can apply wood glue to the half lap joint and secure it in-place with clamps before giving the glue time to dry.
To help it look at home in any room of your house, why not finish it with a wood stain or paint of your choice.
And there you have it, your very own bespoke ‘Instagrammable’ planter on legs.
