Many times, while looking through articles on gardening or at photos of great gardens, you’ll see a fantastic looking wooden accent or centerpiece that really wows you. You may also think, “I wonder how difficult it would be to make something like that?” because, oftentimes, that is exactly how DIY projects get started.
The beauty that wooden accent pieces such as garden trellises or planter boxes can add to your garden is easily spotted when you look at some of the popular websites featuring gardens. It can make all of us want to turn into weekend carpentry students simply to be able to craft some of the amazing pieces that you see. For example, a steam engine driven train made completely of wood that had railcars that served as planter boxes was just featured on a popular website, and the project and its blueprints quickly went viral.
However, that doesn’t mean that all woodworking projects for the garden and home should be attempted as DIY projects. Ultimately, it depends on your particular level of skill when working with wood that determines if something is a smart project for you to attempt. You are aware of what type of woodworking is in your wheelhouse, and the tools that you have on hand.
Woodworking projects for the garden and home can be a great way to spend time with your spouse and children, and can actually become a great time for the entire family to enjoy. If you would like to try your hand at some woodworking projects for your garden and home, have a look at a few of the ideas that we have listed below and see if anything sounds like an interesting project to you. The projects have a synopsis and estimated completion timeline included in the article to help you decide if it is a task you may want to undertake.
What types of projects can you build by yourself for use in your garden?
Table of Contents
There are literally thousands of options for projects that you might enjoy building for use in your garden. The great thing about woodworking projects for your garden is that they can be useful and functional projects, or they can be purely for decoration. The choice is yours.
In addition, with the up-cycled movement, many people are choosing to use both recycled and new material in order to craft woodworking projects for the garden. Some people use solely recycled material in order to keep the cost of their woodworking projects exceptionally low, and to help reduce the strain on the local environment.
All of the woodworking projects listed below can be made from new material, recycled material, or a combination of both. Have a look and see if any of them pique your interest, and learn a little about some of the popular trends in woodworking projects for the garden and home.
Garden Trellis
The wooden garden trellis is one of the best woodworking garden projects that a beginner can start with. This is also a great woodworking project to do if you have younger children that want to help you with your woodworking projects.
A garden trellis is used to help stabilize vines and long flower stems. It fits directly into the flowerpot or flowerbed, and the plant growth is then trained to grow into the spaces between the slats on the trellis. This is a great way to use recycled material such as old baseboard slats, fence slats, or pallet boards. When you purchase your trellis material new, you can find many different size options for your rails and slats, often in your local garden center.
The garden trellis is a breeze to assemble once you have your framework laid out. A simple staple gun can hold most garden trellis frames together easily, making this an excellent part of the project to allow children to assist you in performing.
Raised Planter Boxes
Raised planter boxes are a fairly simple to build woodworking project that is great for both new and recycled material use. The entire premise of the raised planter box is very helpful to the gardener, especially for those attempting to grow fruits and vegetables. By elevating the planter box, you’re keeping the fruits and vegetables off of the ground and away from many of the pests that love to munch on your growing garden.
It’s also great for flowering plants, and also helps to ensure that your plant growth gets adequate drainage and aeration for the root systems. Although most raised planter boxes follow a simple square diagram, some can be very decorative and intricate woodworks. This usually depends on the skill level of the woodworker.
The raised planter box takes very little specialized skill to assemble as well. Typically, a few nails or wood screws will hold the entire project together, depending on the wood size and type. This is a relatively easy woodworking project that you could have younger children assist with, as well, making it a great project for the entire family to enjoy together.
Potting Benches
Potting benches are a great addition to any garden. They range from the very basic design that is a wooden slab on 4 legs to very intricate and detailed designs to cover every aspect of the gardener’s tasks. A potting bench is also a great family woodworking project because it is quite easy to fashion one using a design that makes it easy for the whole family to get involved in the project.
In some of the basic designs, usually a bin or a few bins are built onto the wooden slab in order to store gardening tools and supplies, but there don’t need to be any additions built onto the slab if you prefer a simple worktop. Some of the more complex designs include tool storage, areas for preparing flower pots or flower tubs, and storage for young plantlings as they are taking root. Again, the sky’s the limit with potting benches, and however large your woodworking skill may be, you can build a potting bench to match it.
Another great thing about potting benches is the ability to make them out of nearly every type of wood, and that you can use either new or recycled materials in nearly every design of the potting bench. In addition to single top work bench styles, there are also multi-tiered styles that can be as simple or as difficult as you would like to make it. It goes without saying that this is a design that can be for any skill level of woodworking because of the ease of design adjustment.
Potting Benches Using Fence Slats
One great take on the original potting bench design that has been seen lately is the use of recycled fence slats as a back wall of sorts for the potting bench. This not only makes the potting bench feel more finished, it also lends it a little bit of privacy by giving a rear wall to the bench instead of an open back.
This type of potting bench doesn’t require much more woodworking skill than the original bench on four posts style, but can lend a much more finished look. This is a great woodworking project that smaller children can help you in assembling as well.
Kids planter gardens are a whimsical take on the original raised planter bed idea. Raised planter boxes are a fairly simple to build woodworking project that is great for both new and recycled material use. The entire premise of the raised planter box is very helpful to the gardener, especially for those attempting to grow fruits and vegetables. By elevating the planter box, you’re keeping the fruits and vegetables off of the ground and away from many of the pests that love to munch on your growing garden.
It’s also great for flowering plants, and also helps to ensure that your plant growth gets adequate drainage and aeration for the root systems. Although most raised planter boxes follow a simple square diagram, some can be very decorative and intricate woodwork’s. This usually depends on the skill level of the woodworker.
The raised planter box takes very little specialized skill to assemble as well. Typically, a few nails or wood screws will hold the entire project together, depending on the wood size and type. This is a relatively easy woodworking project that you could have younger children assist with, as well, making it a great project for the entire family to enjoy together. Many styles incorporate kids cartoon character shapes and colors for the planter boxes, and are a great way to get your kids interested in gardening and woodworking, both great activities to keep them out of trouble.
Veggie Hod/Garden Trug
A veggie hod or garden trug is really just a vegetable basket specifically designed to haul vegetables in from your garden. Typically, in a DIY style veggie hod, the handle and upper rim of the basket will be made of wood, and the actual basket is usually fashioned of metal mesh. This is to keep your vegetables from falling out, but also allowing them to breathe while they are inside of it, and also to allow any hitchhiking insects to escape prior to going into your home.
A garden trug takes a little more skill when it comes to woodworking, simply because of the fact that the measurements need to be fairly exact in order for the pieces to fit together as they should. Also, working with the metal mesh can be a little trickier than working with other materials, so this isn’t a project that is recommended for smaller children if you are doing these home and garden woodworking projects as a family.
However, for a mid-skilled woodworker with a few hand tools, and a reliable saw, this can be a great home and garden woodworking project for a weekend, and can also give you a very useful tool to use in your gardens once the project has been completed.
Indoor Succulent Holders
Indoor succulent holders are all of the rage these days, and can be found in many designs, simple and complex. For this example, we’re using the 3D initial wooden boxes, where a letter is constructed of wood, then the outline of the letter is also constructed of wood. Once they are fit together, they form a box. These boxes are great for air plants, like succulents.
This is a much more detailed and intricate woodworking project, and it is best for the advanced woodworker. However, if you are skilled with a saw, you should be able to fashion one of these indoor succulent holders without too much of a hassle. A table saw or miter saw is necessary, so if you aren’t comfortable using one, then you may not want to undertake this project.
If you wanted to use the letter A, you would first fashion the A from wood, then cut another, slightly larger A to serve as the outer part of the box. In the space between the letter and the frame, that is the “box” to hold the succulents. Because of the ability of succulents to grow pretty much anywhere off of simple oxygen, these planters can be hung anywhere and don’t need much other care other than the occasional light spritz of water directly on the plant.
Because of the intricacy and use of saws, however, this isn’t a project that is recommended for doing with children. It also isn’t recommended for people who aren’t comfortable using a power saw.
Decorative/Whimsical Planter Boxes
As we discussed in the earlier sections of the article, there are many different styles and shapes of planter boxes. There is the steam train engine and railcars from the previous section, in addition to an entire world of whimsical and youthful ideas. The sky is really the limit when it comes to what type of planter you choose to design and build for your garden woodworking projects. However, the important thing to remember is that in order to DIY a woodworking project is supposed to be a fun way to add beauty and unique stature to your gardens and flowerbeds, so it’s important to stay within your skill set so that you don’t become discouraged mid-project.
The great thing about building decorative and whimsical planter boxes is the ability to really make it your own instead of buying a cookie cutter pre-made box. If you are into Disney, Pixar, Scooby Doo, ribbons, ballet, or any sport, it can be reflected in your woodworking project. You would pay quite a high sum of money in order to have a carpenter fashion one of these custom pieces on request.
The Joy Of Building Things Yourself For Your Garden
There are many reasons that woodworking is considered therapeutic or stress relief. It can be a great way to add beauty and decoration to your garden, but it can also be a very cost effective way to add decorative or utility pieces to your home and garden . By fashioning your own woodworking projects for the home and garden, you can save a great deal of money. That amount can be greatly increased by using recycled or used material.
In addition to saving money, it is also a great way to pass your free time with an enjoyable hobby that also results in a great project for you to show off to your family and friends. Working with wood can be a favorite pastime for your whole family, and it is a great hobby to get kids interested in as well. The beauty that wooden accent pieces such as garden trellises or planter boxes can add to your garden is easily spotted when you look at some of the popular websites featuring gardens. It can make all of us want to turn into weekend carpentry students simply to be able to craft some of the amazing pieces that you see. For example, a steam engine driven train made completely of wood that had railcars that served as planter boxes was just featured on a popular website, and the project and its blueprints quickly went viral.
However, that doesn’t mean that all woodworking projects for the garden and home should be attempted as DIY projects. Ultimately, it depends on your particular level of skill when working with wood that determines if something is a smart project for you to attempt. You are aware of what type of woodworking is in your wheelhouse, and the tools that you have on hand.
The Typical Timeline For The Projects Found Here
All of the woodworking projects that we have highlighted here in this article can be completed in no more than a weekend. Depending on your skill level and speed, it can actually require much less time to complete. However, only you can be certain of the skill level that you are currently at. That being stated, of course, any project where you are allowing young children or inexperienced woodworkers to help will obviously move along more slowly than a project you are working diligently at yourself.
The garden trellis, planter boxes, potting benches, and kids planter gardens are basic and simple one day projects that you can also have smaller children assist in completing. The veggie hod, indoor succulent holders, and decorative planter boxes require at least a mid-level skill range, and aren’t age appropriate for children not yet in their teen years. Also, these projects will take around 2 days to complete from start to finish, less time for a higher level of skill.
The decorative planter boxes are the most time-consuming project listed here, and it is nearly impossible to put a start to finish timeline on projects of this type, as they are as complex and detailed as you draw them out to be. These projects usually require a much higher skill level and also a great number of power tools to complete. They are not suggested as family woodworking projects.
Do These Projects Require You To Have A Wood shop?
For the beginner level woodworking projects listed in this article, you need only a few basic hand tools and the occasional power tool. However, they do require at very minimum a table saw, some requiring scroll saws, jigsaws, or other specialty woodworking saws. The general guideline for woodworking projects is that if you do not own at least a table saw, you probably will not be able to cut the materials that are necessary to complete the project.
Although a workshop would certainly be helpful, it isn’t necessary to have a full woodshop to complete any of the suggested woodworking projects in this article, with the exception of the decorative/whimsical planter boxes, and that is simply based on the complexity of your design. Most of the projects here can be completed with simple hand tools like a screwdriver, hammer, fasteners, and a drill.
However, as the complexity increases, so does the tool need. For the mid skill level projects listed here, you are more than likely going to need a few power tools in addition to your basic hand tools. The power tools you will probably need to complete your woodworking projects are a circular saw, a router, a chop saw, a planer, and an impact or standard drill. In addition, there are some specialty hand tools that could be incredibly helpful, and even a necessity for the advanced woodworking project details. These hand tools, like a square, chisels, and files, are great to have, but aren’t usually necessary for the beginning woodworking projects.
As your skill level increases, so will your need for specialty woodworking tools. As with any hobby, you will need to invest in your hobby in order to become a better woodworker. Although most of the beginning woodworking tools are hand tools that are typically found in nearly every home, the advanced woodworking projects will usually require more specialized tools, but not an entire wood-shop.
Can Kids Help Out With These Wood Projects?
As we have discussed, many of the woodworking projects we’ve featured in this article are excellent ideas that you can create as family projects, or simply work on with your child as a team project. However, as a disclaimer, children that aren’t old enough to adhere to safety precautions shouldn’t be working with any hand or power tools due to the risks that are involved.
For all of the beginning woodworking projects in this article, you would be able to involve your children in your project to any point you’re comfortable with. As long as they are old enough to work safely, there is no reason they can’t assist with the woodworking project you’ve undertaken. As long as you give them age appropriate tasks, they can also enjoy the woodworking and gardening projects you’re enjoying.
After the pieces have been prepped and assembled for adhesion, you can have your children help you glue them together or attach them with fasteners, depending on the age of the child. Allow your children to do as much as they physically can, and be there simply as a guide and a safety instructor. One of the most important things you can teach your children when introducing them to woodworking is the common tool and woodworking safety guidelines. Supervise your children at all times, no matter how well versed in safety they may be.
Power tools an be dangerous to children even when they are not turned on. If your child isn’t careful around saw blades, for example, they don’t need to be powered to injure them. It’s best to teach them not to touch a blade, powered on or off. Teach your children the proper personal safety equipment and how to appropriately use it, such as safety goggles and gloves. Also, teach them how to locate and use your first aid kit in times of small injuries that don’t require much more than a bandage. It’s important they know how to locate safety and wellness items, so they can assist in any small emergency that may come to be while woodworking.
Another important safety topic is to wear fitting clothes with no loose material to get caught in power tools. This can cause serious injury to your child, and they should never be around power tools if they don’t understand how they operate. It is very important that your child sees the tool in use and understands the operation and dangers associated with the tool. Once they become acclimated to the machinery, it is much easier to safely teach the child how to operate the machinery.
There are lots of starter projects for woodworking with your children. Some examples are building toolboxes, birdhouses, spice racks, and other small and simple projects that are easy for kids to assemble. It is up to your discretion on which projects you choose to do with your kids, but it can be important bonding and talking time with your children if you engage in woodworking projects together. Much of the point of doing woodworking projects together is the quality time that you will spend together, not so much the outcome of the project.
A Recap Of Woodworking For Garden And Home
Beginning woodworking doesn’t mean that all woodworking projects for the garden and home should be attempted as DIY projects. Ultimately, it depends on your particular level of skill when working with wood that determines if something is a smart project for you to attempt. You are aware of what type of woodworking is in your wheelhouse, and the tools that you have on hand.
Woodworking projects for the garden and home can be a great way to spend time with your spouse and children, and can actually become a great time for the entire family to enjoy. If you would like to try your hand at some woodworking projects for your garden and home, have a look at a few of the ideas that we have listed below and see if anything sounds like an interesting project to you. The projects have a synopsis and estimated completion timeline included in the article to help you decide if it is a task you may want to undertake.
There are literally thousands of options for projects that you might enjoy building for use in your garden. The great thing about woodworking projects for your garden is that they can be useful and functional projects, or they can be purely for decoration. The choice is yours.
In addition, with the up cycled movement, many people are choosing to use both recycled and new material in order to craft woodworking projects for the garden. Some people use solely recycled material in order to keep the cost of their woodworking projects exceptionally low, and to help reduce the strain on the local environment.
There are many reasons that woodworking is considered therapeutic or stress relief. It can be a great way to add beauty and decoration to your garden, but it can also be a very cost effective way to add decorative or utility pieces to your home and garden . By fashioning your own woodworking projects for the home and garden, you can save a great deal of money. That amount can be greatly increased by using recycled or used material.
In addition to saving money, it is also a great way to pass your free time with an enjoyable hobby that also results in a great project for you to show off to your family and friends. Working with wood can be a favorite pastime for your whole family, and it is a great hobby to get kids interested in as well. The beauty that wooden accent pieces such as garden trellises or planter boxes can add to your garden is easily spotted when you look at some of the popular websites featuring gardens. It can make all of us want to turn into weekend carpentry students simply to be able to craft some of the amazing pieces that you see. For example, a steam engine driven train made completely of wood that had railcars that served as planter boxes was just featured on a popular website, and the project and its blueprints quickly went viral.
However, that doesn’t mean that all woodworking projects for the garden and home should be attempted as DIY projects. Ultimately, it depends on your particular level of skill when working with wood that determines if something is a smart project for you to attempt. You are aware of what type of woodworking is in your wheelhouse, and the tools that you have on hand.
All of the woodworking projects that we have highlighted here in this article can be completed in no more than a weekend. Depending on your skill level and speed, it can actually require much less time to complete. However, only you can be certain of the skill level that you are currently at. That being stated, of course, any project where you are allowing young children or inexperienced woodworkers to help will obviously move along more slowly than a project you are working diligently at yourself.
For the beginner level woodworking projects listed in this article, you need only a few basic hand tools and the occasional power tool. However, they do require at very minimum a table saw, some requiring scroll saws, jigsaws, or other specialty woodworking saws. The general guideline for woodworking projects is that if you do not own at least a table saw, you probably will not be able to cut the materials that are necessary to complete the project.
Although a workshop would certainly be helpful, it isn’t necessary to have a full woodshop to complete any of the suggested woodworking projects in this article, with the exception of the decorative/whimsical planter boxes, and that is simply based on the complexity of your design. Most of the projects here can be completed with simple hand tools like a screwdriver, hammer, fasteners, and a drill.
However, as the complexity increases, so does the tool need. For the mid skill level projects listed here, you are more than likely going to need a few power tools in addition to your basic hand tools. The power tools you will probably need to complete your woodworking projects are a circular saw, a router, a chop saw, a planer, and an impact or standard drill. In addition, there are some specialty hand tools that could be incredibly helpful, and even a necessity for the advanced woodworking project details. These hand tools, like a square, chisels, and files, are great to have, but aren’t usually necessary for the beginning woodworking projects.
As your skill level increases, so will your need for specialty woodworking tools. As with any hobby, you will need to invest in your hobby in order to become a better woodworker. Although most of the beginning woodworking tools are hand tools that are typically found in nearly every home, the advanced woodworking projects will usually require more specialized tools, but not an entire woodshop.
As we have discussed, many of the woodworking projects we’ve featured in this article are excellent ideas that you can create as family projects, or simply work on with your child as a team project. However, as a disclaimer, children that aren’t old enough to adhere to safety precautions shouldn’t be working with any hand or power tools due to the risks that are involved.
Crafting anything by hand helps kids develop problem solving skills, but woodworking simultaneously helps them to develop motor skills as well. Woodworking requires you to hold, cut, measure, and attach wooden pieces. It can help both fine motor skills, and your child’s basic math skills.
Building a project out of wood also helps children to develop other skills. For instance, building collapsible furniture introduces a need for understanding basic level mechanics. Building simple stationary furniture can teach them about paint and stains, or using fasteners.
Traditionally the first woodworking project for children is a birdhouse, but that doesn’t mean you should feel limited to only offer small projects of the sort to your children. There are many pre-cut kits for sale that can help you decide on a project to undertake with your child that suits their age and dexterity.
After the pieces have been prepped and assembled for adhesion, you can have your children help you glue them together or attach them with fasteners, depending on the age of the child. Allow your children to do as much as they physically can, and be there simply as a guide and a safety instructor. One of the most important things you can teach your children when introducing them to woodworking is the common tool and woodworking safety guidelines. Supervise your children at all times, no matter how well versed in safety they may be.
Power tools can be dangerous to children even when they are not turned on. If your child isn’t careful around saw blades, for example, they don’t need to be powered to injure them. It’s best to teach them not to touch a blade, powered on or off. Teach your children the proper personal safety equipment and how to appropriately use it, such as safety goggles and gloves. Also, teach them how to locate and use your first aid kit in times of small injuries that don’t require much more than a bandage. It’s important they know how to locate safety and wellness items, so they can assist in any small emergency that may come to be while woodworking.
Another important safety topic is to wear fitting clothes with no loose material to get caught in power tools. This can cause serious injury to your child, and they should never be around power tools if they don’t understand how they operate. It is very important that your child sees the tool in use and understands the operation and dangers associated with the tool. Once they become acclimated to the machinery, it is much easier to safely teach the child how to operate the machinery.
There are lots of starter projects for woodworking with your children. Some examples are building toolboxes, birdhouses, spice racks, and other small and simple projects that are easy for kids to assemble. It is up to your discretion on which projects you choose to do with your kids, but it can be important bonding and talking time with your children if you engage in woodworking projects together. Much of the point of doing woodworking projects together is the quality time that you will spend together, not so much the outcome of the project.
Get started yourself now:
Did I spark your interest in woodworking with this article? Would you now like to become active yourself and realize your first own project? Very well! If you are not yet well versed in woodworking or are still looking for ideas, I have something for you here! Here I offer you a great course that teaches you everything you need to know about woodworking. This course not only gives you knowledge, but also offers you many great ideas that you can realize. There are also countless construction plans and precise instructions, so you can really implement any project. Surprise your wife with a project or work on a project with your children. Believe me, doing something like this is a lot of fun. After you have read the course, you will become a real professional in all things wood and working with wood. Of course, this course is not free, but I haven’t regretted buying this course. It really offers so much for the money! What are you waiting for? Click on the picture and you will see in detail what the course has to offer, I wish you a lot of fun!
