Put Together a Tiered Planter From Just a Few Crates

12 Materials
$30
2 Hours
Easy

Summer has arrived and I wanted to spruce up my front porch in honor of the season. I happened to have a few crates that I’d been using as decor around my house, but I had gotten some paint on one of them and knew that it was time to find a different use for them. This DIY tiered planter is just the project I had been looking for! It adds a pop of color to my porch and invites my guests into my home with beautiful flowers and greenery. Want to know how I did it? Follow my step-by-step tutorial below to make your own today!


Tools and Materials

Tools and Materials:

  • 2 wooden crates
  • Spray primer
  • Spray paint
  • Wood glue
  • 1”x2” piece of wood
  • Sealant
  • Drill
  • Screws
  • Landscape fabric
  • Staple gun
  • Soil
  • Plants
Prime the Crates
Paint the Crates


I started out by priming the crates. When working with spray paint or primer it’s important to work in light coats to avoid any drips. You can always come back later and add another layer if needed.

Paint the Crates

Once the crates were fully primed and dry, I spray painted them with a nice light blue color. This will brighten up my porch for the summer.

Glue the Crates Together
Glue the Crates Together


Because I was creating a tiered planter, I needed to prop up the back of the top planter. I cut a few pieces of 1”x2” lumber to the height of the bottom crate and propped up the back of the top crate.

Glue on Legs

Then, using a bit of wood glue, I attached the legs to the back of the top planter and attached the bottom planter to the top planter. Then I left it to fully dry. If you want, you can add some screws to give it a sturdier base. Originally I wasn’t planning on adding screws, but as you’ll see in a later step I changed my mind and added a few.

Seal
Seal


Once my planter had fully dried, I sprayed on a clear coat to seal it. It’s going to live outside and be exposed to the elements so I wanted to make sure that I did the necessary steps for that to happen. You can use a clear poly if you want, but I just find it easier to spray on a sealant and let it dry.

Reinforce the Legs
Reinforce the Legs


I wanted to add a screw in each leg just to make sure that they were sturdy enough to hold up the dirt and plants I would be adding soon. I drilled a hole through the top of the box and then added a screw to secure it nicely.

Line the Crates
Line the Crates


The crates had some pretty large holes in the bottom and sides of them. I didn’t want to cover these parts up completely because the plants need a way to drain excess water. Landscaping fabric was the perfect solution! It’s breathable and will provide excellent drainage for my plants. It’s also quite easy to work with.

Staple the Lining

I cut a piece of fabric to fit inside my crate and stapled it in place in the crate.

Add More Lining

I added a second piece crosswise to the first just to make sure that no dirt would be able to escape.

Add Soil
Add Plants


I filled the crates with soil and then planted some annuals. These plants do well in all seasons so I won’t have to trade them out with other plants as the year goes on. 

Add Plants

I chose petunias and other plants that like to hang, which makes the crates look full and lush.

DIY Tiered Planter


DIY Tiered Porch Planter

Once everything was done I took my tiered crate planter outside and set it up to greet my guests! What kinds of plants would you use for your planter? Let me know in the comments below!

Resources for this project:
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Sarah Vanderkooy
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