DIY Tiled Planter Box Tutorial

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. 

They other day I shared the news that I was working with Team Depot at a 2015 Celebration of Service Event here in Detroit. The project is to help a local Veteran with a home makeover that includes a new kitchen and bathroom, as well as home repairs and improvements to the exterior of his home. Part of my contribution to the project was to make a Custom Planter Box to gift our Veteran for his front porch. 

Here is what I created…

My inspiration for my planter box design came from beautiful black and white tiles that I found at The Home Depot. Without knowing ahead of time what the color scheme of our Veterans home was, I decided that black and white would be my best option (because black and white looks great with everything). 

This project turned out to be one of my favorite DIY Projects to date. Much of the reason for that was obviously because of the special person it was being made for. But also because working with tile is so much fun. It's not as difficult as one might think. If you would like to create A DIY Planter Box like this for yourself, here are the instructions...

Tools you will need:

A circular saw

A power drill and bits

Nail Gun

A caulking gun

Utility knife

Sand paper block

A paintbrush 

Tape measure

Pencil

Gloves 

Safety goggles

Sponge

Trowel

Materials you will need:

(4) 13"x13" pieces of plywood

(12) pieces of decorative molding cut in 13" lengths

Two 8ft 2x2s

A box of 3" exterior screws

Stain and polyurethane or outdoor paint

(4) Curtain Rod Finials (painted or stained to match planter box)

Construction Adhesive

Newspaper

Simple Mat Tile Adhesive

Tile

Grout

Caulk

Start by putting on your safety goggles and cutting the 2x2s into four pieces of 16" and eight pieces of 12". Using a sheet of fine grit sand paper sand each piece until it is nice and smooth. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove sanding dust. Apply your paint or stain and polyurethane finish according to the instructions on the product and allow it to dry.

Next, pre-drill and countersink the 2x2 pieces together with the 16" pieces forming the legs and the 12" pieces forming the support between the legs. Apply construction adhesive and then screw in the 12" support pieces in so that they sit at 12" down the legs. Then, grab your remaining four 12" 2x2"s, pre-drill, apply some  glue, space them evenly across the bottom and screw them into the frame.

Using the nail gun, secure one piece of 13"x13" plywood to each side of the frame to form a box. Cut the simple mat adhesive sheets to fit each plywood square and apply them per the manufacturers instructions on the simple mat packaging. 

Arrange tiles and press into place. Add decorative molding around the outside edge of the tiles using the nail gun. Caulk all of the seams (between the trim and frame) to give it a nice finished look. Once the caulk has dried, follow the manufacturers instructions to apply the grout to each side using your trowel and wipe away access grout with a damp sponge. 

Allow to set for 24 hours. Once grout is completely cured, give all wood pieces a light sanding to remove any qrout residue. Predrill a hole in the top of each corner piece and twist the finials into place. The last step is to paint over all trim pieces and allow to dry before filling with your favorite plant. 

I filled mine with a potted mum. If you would like to switch out the plants seasonally, using potted plants is the easiest option. Or, if you prefer a longer lasting option, you can line your planter with landscaping fabric secured inside the box with a staple gun, and fill with potting soil and plants of your choice. 

Stay tuned for all the details on the Celebration of Service Event in Detroit where  I delivered this planter to our very special recipient. I will also be sharing my experience working alongside Team Depot making over our Veterans home where this planter now resides. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Don't forget, for each #ServiceSelfie shared during Celebration of Service, Team Depot will donate $1, up to $1 million, to nonprofits that help veterans in need. Follow Team Depot on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I acknowledge that The Home Depot Foundation is partnering with me to participate in this Celebration of Service program (the “Program”). As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot Foundation and its non-profit partners. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.