DIY Pallet Planter Box for Small Gardens

This article provides the steps for making a garden pallet planter box without using nails. You can re-use the materials you have in the garden for this project.

The steps are easy to follow.

DIY Pallet Planter Box no nails

You can make a pallet planter box with some old pallet timbers, bamboo sticks and ropes. I build these types of boxes many times over for small gardens. Hope this instruction gives you an idea about your planter box project.

(I’ll let you in on a little surprise. It’s about using natural garden ropes from a common plant that grows in many gardens in the UK. It will surely help, do not miss it.)

Check the video link in the article to get more ideas to build your own.

Materials and tools you need for this project

Pallet Planter Box project

The idea is to use bamboo sticks as pegs where the pallet timbers will slot in before tying them together. This will form the 4 sidewalls.

• 1. What you need: x24 bamboo sticks, x12 pallet timbers, ropes, and a crowbar.
• 2. Set dimension: The planter box is 1.5 metres by 1.5 metres all around, and the depth of the box is 0.4 metres.
• 3. Build the first sidewall: Use the crowbar to punch x6 holes in the soil (2 holes opposite each other); put x6 bamboo sticks into the holes.
• 4. Tie bamboo in pairs: Tie bamboo sticks/pegs in pairs with pallet timbers in between them– no need to use nails.
• 5. Build the other sides: use the same idea to build x4 sides.
• 6. Tie the corners: Each corner will now have 4 bamboos, use the ropes to tie all the 4 bamboos, at the corners, together.
• 7. Planting: Finally, add soil. Your planter is ready.

Video instruction: How to build a planter box using pallet timber, simple idea, works every time.

DIY ideas for small garden box planter

There are many ways to build raised planter boxes. It also depends on the materials and tools you have at home.

However, it is important to learn some simple techniques and best practices.

One of the best things that I’ve learnt over time is to use bamboo sticks in pairs as pegs to build the sides. Tie pair of bamboo sticks to hold the pallet timbers together.

The natural plant leaves are perfect rope alternatives for projects like this. There is no need to use nails, cable ties, or other plastic ropes in the garden.

Cordyline australis leaves garden rope alternative

The surprise I promised!

One of the plants that grow in the UK – the Cordyline plants – is the practical alternative for garden ropes and nylon ropes.

I’ve used the leaves to tie tomatoes, flowers, bamboo and many other plants in the garden.

Take a look at the different varieties of Cordyline australis available at Gardening Direct UK.

In this project, I used its dry leaves to tie the bamboo pegs that held the pallet timbers.

The leaves are strong ropes. They can last for more than 24 months, similar to eco-garden tie-ropes. In fact, they are a great alternative for nails and other garden ropes. See this Bamboo Netting project where I used strips of the Cordyline leaves as ropes.

The dry leaves from the Cordyline plants may not be ideal for permanent projects. Yet, they are perfect for tying plants in spring and temporary projects, like the DIY pallet planter box.

So, if you want to use a natural (biodegradable) rope, use the Cordyline leaves. Here is where you can get the plants online in the UK.

(I’ll write a post about preparing the leaves for use in the garden. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, if you are interested.)

Challenges of working with pallet timbers

Working with wooden pallet timbers is challenging because the jawed nails are hard to remove. Sometimes, you can damage the timbers.

To avoid that, Use the right tools to remove the nails and prepare the pallet timbers.

A wrecking bar with a chisel end is a perfect hand tool for removing nails without destroying the timbers.

I hope this article about DIY Pallet Planter Box inspires you to build yours.

If you want more ideas for small gardens, check out my DIY bamboo garden projects.