Are plastic flower boxes a thorn in your side? Made of wood, a balcony box harmonises wonderfully with natural planting. This DIY guide explains how you can easily make a wooden flower box yourself.

A balcony box made of wood is easy to build yourself

List of tools and materials

To build a flower box (€16.99) measuring 80 x 40 x 40 cm, you need the following tools and materials:

  • 12 linear meters of 10 cm wide wood (larch or Douglas fir)
  • 4 squared timbers (4 x 4 cm) for the corners
  • 2 angle irons for fixing the floor boards
  • screws
  • saw
  • screwdriver
  • foil
  • wood drill
  • Wood stain and brush

Instead of sawing the boards and squared timber into shape yourself, you can have this work commissioned from a specialist wood dealer for a small additional charge.

Step-by-step to the finished balcony box - this is how it works

Before you screw the boards for the side walls to the squared timber, please sand down all edges briefly. In this way, you ensure that the components fit together seamlessly afterwards. Plan the corner posts so that they overhang the floor by about 2 cm. As a result, the balcony box stands on four wooden feet so that rain and irrigation water run off better and the plants are ventilated from below. How to proceed:

  • Screw the side parts either upright or lengthwise to the squared timber
  • Attach the two angle irons along the lower edge of the inside long sides
  • Insert the floorboards into it with a 1 cm joint spacing as water drainage

As an alternative to the angle iron, you can also screw 2 squared timbers on the long sides to lay out the floor boards on them. The wooden floor does not necessarily have to be screwed tight. Alternatively, place the wooden slats for the bottom of the box in the angle iron without joints and then drill a few holes in them so that excess water can drain off.

Finally, paint your self-made wooden balcony box with a glaze. Please use a product with the 'Blue Angel' as a quality mark.

Make your own wooden balcony box in 10 minutes - DIY instructions for those in a hurry

Do you still have a few boards left over from the construction of your wooden terrace? Then you can turn it into a balcony box yourself in no time at all. All you need is 3 long and 2 short boards, which you cut to the desired dimensions. Screw all parts together with 12 special screws for wooden floorboards. These screws have extra small drill bits so that the valuable wood does not tear.

Drill a few holes in the bottom of the finished flower box so that your plants don't get their feet wet when it rains. Since the planks are weatherproof, there is no need to treat them with wood stain.

tips

Give your self-made balcony box the finishing touch with a foil lining. Even a garbage bag that has been cut open is suitable for this purpose. Pond liner is more durable and stable. Cut a cross in the foil over the water drains and staple the edges to the flower box.

Category:

Indoor plants