Make Your Own Potting Bench

Instead of burning old wooden pallets or tossing them into a landfill, follow our step-by-step instructions to transform one or two pallets into a beautiful and functional potting bench.

A new line of potting benches at Chicweed, a garden accessories and design boutique in Solana Beach, California, is made from wooden pallets; only the screws are new. Chicweed owner Susie Teisl came up with the idea and asked local woodworker Jon Hawley if he could build them.

He could -- and so can you. Hawley starts with two pallets that initially held boxes of tile because tile box pallets provide the longest and strongest lumber. Teisl says the potting bench's 37-inch-high work surface is perfect for potting plants.

Once you've assembled the bench, you can attach salvaged or inexpensive hardware along the countertop edge to hold gardening tools, or screw casters to the leg bottoms to make the bench more mobile. You might even cut a hole and drop in a plastic or metal pan for holding potting soil or seed-starting mix. You can paint the wooden surfaces lively colors or stain them.

What You'll Need:

One or two wooden pallets

Framing hammer

Pry bar

Measuring tape

Straightedge

Pencil

Miter saw or circular saw

2x4 lumber (optional)

Table saw

1-5/8-inch galvanized exterior screws

Screw gun

Glue (optional)

Level

Drill

Sandpaper

Tack cloth or vacuum

Stain and polyurethane or primer and paint

Step 1: Disassemble the Pallets

Disassemble the pallet(s) using a hammer and pry bar. Be careful not to damage the ends of the boards during deconstruction. Select the widest, best-looking boards for the countertop. Measure the salvaged wood; its dimensions will determine how wide the finished bench can be. (Hawley's benches usually measure 40-42 inches wide.)

Step 2: Make the Boards Uniform

Using a straightedge, pencil, and miter or circular saw, mark and trim away splintered wood and square the edges of the boards -- "unless you want to keep the nail holes," Hawley says. "Some people think they look unique." He suggests cutting off knotholes and other weak parts of the boards.

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