Blue Bin Planter Box

Required Materials:

2 - Pressure treated 2”X4”x10’
2 - Cedar 2”x4”x8’
13 - 1”x6”x6’ Cedar fence boards
3 - 5/4”x8’ Cedar deck boards
Outdoor wood glue
1 ¼” Deck screws
2” cedar coloured deck screws
3” Cedar coloured deck screws

Required Tools:

Drill
Countersink bit
Miter Saw or Miter box
Table saw or Jig saw

Step 1

Build pressure treated 2x4 base frame. The outside dimension of this frame should be approximately ½” larger than the widest dimensions of the blue bin.

Step 2

Cut 1x6 Cedar fence boards to equal lengths. These lengths should be approximately 2” longer than the height of the blue bin sitting on the 2x4 platform.

Step 3

Install fence boards on sides of 2x4 platform, centering on each side of the platform. You may have to cut down the width of the last boards on each side to fit the required dimensions. You can always size the base platform to fit the fence boards exactly. Attach all of the boards to the base using 1 ¼” decking screws. Make sure you pre-drill fence boards to prevent them from cracking.

Step 4

Cut some 1 ½” wide strips of fence board lengthwise. Cut them to the required length and install the 1 ½” strips of fence board onto the inside top edges of the 1x6 boards. Make sure the blue bin is in place before doing this.
Screw 1 ½” strips by pre-drilling and using 1 ¼” deck screws.

Step 5

Take 5/4”x6” Cedar deck boards and cut into 3 ½” and 2” strips lengthwise. Use 3 ½” strips as baseboard and install with the cut side facing the bottom. You can miter the corners for a more finished look or simply butt joint them. Screw them down to the top edge using the 2” Cedar coloured screws.

Step 6

Install the other half of the 5/4”x6” Cedar deck board material (the 2” wide strip) as the top molding. Install these pieces the same as the baseboard, but, with the cut side up. Screw them down to the top edge using the 2” Cedar coloured screws.

Step 7

Cut the 2x4 Cedar as the top finishing cap. Take the overall length and width of the unit and add 1” to each overall dimension before cutting. This will ensure a ½” overhang on the outside edge of the cap. Cut these pieces on the flat, that is, the wide edges facing up and down. You can miter these pieces as well for a finished look or simply cut them straight and do butt joints. Screw them down to the top edge using the 2” Cedar coloured screws.

Step 8

To cover the corners where the fence boards meet, you can use leftover fence boards and rip them into narrow strips of 1” and 1 5/8”
When you join these two pieces in a 90” joint, they will have the same projection on either side and give you a nice corner piece to cove the edges. Glue and nail the joint, cut them to the required length and install them on the vertical outside corners.