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Make a Homemade Potting Bench

A potting bench for your garden gives you a place to store tools and supplies, and lets you work comfortably with your plants, without bending over. Becky Lamb, author of Crafting with Wood Pallets, explains how to make this project.

Make a Wood Pallet Potting Bench

Reclaimed Wood Pallets

Making a potting bench from a wooden pallet takes about 3 hours, plus drying time for any paints you apply. This DIY project is for "expert" crafters. Begin by sawing the pallet in half along the center 2"x4" support board. Leave the 2"x4" attached to the side of the pallet. That will become the top of the potting bench.

Measure the Wood Pallet

Attach the Potting Bench Top

Use 1-5/8" screws to attach the boards to the potting bench top.

Making the Potting Bench Legs

For the next step, cut four 2" × 4" pallet boards 36" long for the legs. Then turn the bench upside down and clamp the legs in place. Insert two 2" screws into the front and two 2" screws into the side of the potting bench apron to secure each leg.

Securing the Bench Legs

A clamp holds the wood in place while you insert the rest of the screws.

Making the Bench Back

Measure and Cut

Measure the top 2" × 4" board on the pallet back. Cut the 5 1⁄2"-wide pallet board this length (36" long in the case of the potting bench pictured here).

Make Shelf Brackets

To find the length for the bottom shelf brackets on your potting bench, measure the distance between the outside edges of the legs at the top of the bench near the apron. It is important to measure at the top of the legs and not near the bottom because the legs may not be square. The shelf brackets will help to square up the legs and make the potting bench sturdier. Cut two 2" × 4" pieces the length you measured (16 1⁄4" long for this potting bench).

Measure the Bench Legs

Prepping the Boards

Attaching Shelf Brackets

Placing the Boards

Using the 3-1/2" boards you cut, place them evenly on the shelf brackets. "Attach the pallet boards to the brackets with 1-1⁄4" screws. Create a top shelf by attaching the 5-1⁄2" wide (or wider) pallet board (you previously cut) to the 2" × 4" board at the top of the potting bench back. Secure with 1-1⁄4" screws.

Finishing the Potting Bench

Now you're ready to place the cut pallet boards into the spaces on the potting bench top. Use a brad nailer and 1-3⁄8" brads to secure them. "You could use 1-1⁄4" screws instead," Lamb says. "Accessorize your potting bench with hooks for garden tools, gloves, towels, and a bottle opener. Finish and protect the potting bench with a clear sealer made for outdoor use." Your bench can double as a gardening space or a buffet when you're entertaining. "(It) doesn't have to go outdoors if you have more use for it indoors—it looks great in a kitchen or entryway."