DIY window box planters

Flower boxes provide quick color. (public domain photo)

While you're working on your gradually awesome fantasy garden, why not put together some container gardens to brighten things up? Making an unconventional but useful window box planter is a simple project. A window box planter should be unique to each household. I love the challenge of making them from unusual items. Here's two easy, inexpensive window box planters you can make.

Dollar store window planter

The first project is made from inexpensive plastic dollar store containers. It's not exactly a planter box, but functions as one. This planter can be used indoors or outdoors on the windowsill.

Collect several shapes, sizes and colors of plastic bucket type containers from the dollar store. Arrange them in a pleasing row pattern. You'll need a 2x4 lumber scrap approximately the same length as that row, a heavy duty electric drill and 2 ¼ inch screws (one for each bucket).
Sand the 2x4 smooth with a piece of medium grit sandpaper. Remove any excess dust with tacky cloth or a vacuum. Paint the 2x4 for the base with spray paint. Be sure to use outdoor paint.

The paint on the base should dry 24 hours prior to the next step.

Line the buckets up in a row pattern upside down. Place the planter base on top. Align it properly.
Use the electric drill and a Phillips head screw bit to finish the planter. Position each screw so that it's centered on the wood base and will go through the center of each bucket to hold it fast to the base. Turn the finished planter right side up.

Clay pot planter

The second box is made in a similar fashion as the first. This will be a miniature planter box resembling three prettily painted clay pots in a row. As before, line the pots up in a row and use a piece of scrap 2x4 approximately the same length.

The base will have to be sanded and painted. Paint the little pots as well. Both will need to dry overnight. In the morning paint a pretty design on the little flower pots and let it dry.

You'll notice a small hole in the bottom of each pot. Place the little flower pots on the base. Mark the spot where the bottom hole of each pot will sit with a felt tip marker. Remove the little pots from the base.

Drill a screw, very straight into the planter base at the marked spots. Don't let the screw go through all the way. It should protrude slightly on the other side so that each pot can be positioned. A small piece of scrap wood that fits at the bottom of each pot will be needed to finish the project.

Each individual pot will be attached separately to the planter base. Holding the wood base sideways, position an individual pot over the screw at one end so that the screw is centered in the hole. The small piece of scrap wood is then place inside the pot.

While holding the pot and the small scrap wood in place, slowly finish putting the screw through all three pieces to hold the planter together. Take care that fingers are out of harms way when doing this step.

Continue with this step until all the pots have been attached to the base. Turn the finished window box planter right side up. Both planters will need rocks or gravel at the bottom for drainage prior to adding soil and plants.

This article was previously published by this author on a closed Yahoo! property.