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Paver Planter: Make Large Outdoor Planter Boxes

Make a paver planter! DIY plant boxes with a modern look are easy and inexpensive to make with square concrete pavers and adhesive.

How to build planters using pavers

Are you ready to learn how to build a paver planter? I have such a cool (and easy) tutorial for you today!

I am the first person to admit that I am not a do-it-yourselfer by nature. Which in my family feels a little bit weird because my parents can build anything.

Don’t get me wrong – they passed on some good skills to me. I can knit and sew and decoupage . . . but I didn’t learn the DIY part. And the thing is, I want to learn! But I don’t know where to begin. Does anyone else feel that way?

For me the best way to learn is to watch someone do something and then do it myself. I’ve been wanting to spruce up my porch a bit and that is when I heard about an awesome paver planter class that The Home Depot is teaching: how to build a paver planter!

Paver Planter Boxes

So cool, right? The Home Depot actually does these type of classes monthly, called “Do it Herself Workshops,” and they are perfect for people like me. So along those lines, I was able to receive instruction on how to build paver planters, and I’m excited to show you how to do it today!

It’s so easy. Let’s begin.

Pavers with wood and epoxy and Thompsons water seal

Gather These Supplies

  • Four 12 x 12 pavers
  • Two 8 foot 2 x 2s
  • Circular saw
  • Power drill and bits
  • Caulking gun and construction adhesive
  • Utility knife
  • Sandpaper block
  • Paintbrush
  • Stain
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • 2 bungee cords
  • 3″ exterior deck screws
  • Small roll of landscaping fabric
  • Soil and plants!
Cutting 2 x 2s with a circular saw
Cut 2 x 2s on the ground

The first step in building your paver planters is to cut your 2 x 2s into four pieces of 16″ and eight pieces of 12″. If you don’t know how to use a saw – don’t worry.

The Do It Herself workshop is interactive and hands-on! It’s a great opportunity to fine tune your DIY skills and pick up tips and advice from the pros.

Sanding 2x2s with a sanding block
Staining 2 x 2s with a brush wearing gloves
Wiping away stain from 2x2s with a rag

You are then going to sand and stain your wood. I’ve always found the easy way to stain is to brush it on and wipe off the excess with a cloth. Let everything dry.

Screwing the wood frame together with a drill

Pre-drill and countersink the 2 x 2 pieces together, with the 16˝ pieces forming the legs, and the 12˝ pieces forming the support between the legs. This is where me and a friend of mine who was helping went off the grid a little bit.

We screwed together the base of the frame first. Then we did two sides separately:

Adding epoxy to a 2x2
Attaching a 2 x 2 to a paver with epoxy
One side of a planter laying on the ground

We placed a thick bead of adhesive along the inside edges of the frame, added the paver, and screwed it all together (be careful not to get the adhesive on the paver or wood frame). As I said, we made the bottom, and then in this step we did two sides.

Addding epoxy to the bottom of a paver
Placing the base on the bottom of a planter

We then set the pavers in a square as shown, so that we could drop the base right on top. Next step is to add adhesive – place the base in – and then set the remaining screws. Then we placed a bungee cord around the entire planter to hold it together and let it dry overnight!

And guess what . . . ? It was so fun and easy that we made TWO!

How to make a paver planter
How to make paver planters

To finish, you’ll line the planters with landscaping fabric and add the plants of your choice. You can also drop pots directly into your paver planters.

How to make a paver planter
Concrete paver planter
paver planter box

Building a paver planter makes me feel like a DIY whiz! I’m ready to tackle other projects. So I’m going to tell you what you need to do – grab a girlfriend (or two or more) and head to The Home Depot on the third Thursday of each month for The Home Depot’s DIH Workshop.

paver planter boxes

What do you think of my amazing planters? I hope you like them!

How to make paver planters
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4.91 from 10 votes

Paver Planter

Learn how to make a DIY planter using concrete garden pavers! This is a really easy project, and will look great on your porch. It's inexpensive to make, too.
Prep Time1 hour
Active Time3 hours
Total Time4 hours
Type: DIY Projects
Yield: 1 planter
Cost: $25

Equipment

Materials

  • 4 12 x 12 pavers
  • 2 8-foot 2 x 2s
  • Caulking gun and construction adhesive
  • Sanding block
  • Stain
  • Pencil
  • 3" exterior deck screws
  • 1 roll landscaping fabric small roll
  • Soil and plants

Instructions

  • Cut your 2 x 2s into four pieces of 16" and eight pieces of 12" using the circular saw.
  • Sand and remove any dust with a tack cloth.
  • Stain your wood – brush on the liquid stain and wipe the excess off with a cloth. Let dry.
  • Pre-drill and countersink the 2 x 2 pieces together, with the 16˝ pieces forming the legs, and the 12˝ pieces forming the support between the legs.
  • Place a paver down on the ground. Place two of the 16" pieces on each side, and one 12" piece at the bottom.
  • Place a thick bead of adhesive along the inside edges of the wood frame, glue to the paver, and then screw the wood pieces together.
  • Set the pavers in a square with the bottoms up, and place beads of adhesive along the bottom of the concrete pavers.
  • Place the base into the adhesive and set the remaining screws. Place a bungee cord around the planter and let dry overnight.
  • To finish, line the planters with landscaping fabric and add the plants of your choice. You can also drop pots directly into your planters.

Video


Check out the rustic pumpkin stand I did with the help of the DIH workshop as well! I’d also love for you to visit these other posts:

4.91 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)
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Pia

Sunday 19th of June 2022

Very Nice