These pieces of wood were old bed slats which had a few layers of stain and varnish on them. I did not want to spend hours sanding it all off, so I put them through a thickness which removed it all in minutes. The best machine every if you build using recycled wood.

I used a table saw to cut the wood smaller ready to build my planter. The sizes cut were

• 20 x 410mm x 35mm x 20mm 
• 20 x 300mm x 35mm x 20mm
• 4 x blocks for the legs
• 4 x 360mm x 90mm for the base

The base was built by nailing the 4 side together. The first layer is to keep every thing from falling out of the bottom. They were glued and nailed in place using a nail gun.

The legs were also glued and screwed into place in the 4 corners of the base.

The pattern was then repeated over and over until all the pieces were gone. Glue was applied to every piece and secured with a nail gun so I could carry on and not wait for the glue to dry.

You can build it as tall or short as you like it is all personal preference.

The wood was stained using dark mahogany wood stain. In hind sight it would be easier to stain and varnish all the wood before putting it together. Two coats of outdoor varnish were added to protect the wood from the elements.

Soil suitable for succulents was added and some stones to give it a nicer look.

This is the planter complete. Modelled for you today by my 2 little jack Russell dogs who seem to jump into all my pictures.

A cute little planter made from scrap but costing me next to nothing.

If you are looking for more ideas to utilise all your scrap wood check out this jewellery stand/Scrunchies stand or check out the stunning headboard made from scrap wood and old kitchen cupboards.