G’day Folks and welcome to my Scrap Wood Projects for Beginners Blog Post where l’m going to show YOU how to make a simple DIY Cactus Planter! Make sure you connect to DIY For Knuckleheads on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to keep up with all the latest and greatest in the World of DIY For Knuckleheads!
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Here It Is! My Latest How to Make a Simple DIY Cactus Planter Video.
For years, whenever l finished a project, the first thing l’d do is have a massive clean-up and throw everything out!! No if’s or buts, no discretion….. It was either straight in the bin or in the fire. What a waste!
As l’ve grown older , and l’d like to think a little wiser, l discovered that there is a lot of hidden potential in wood that you would have previously thrown out which is why l’ve gone down this rabbit hole of scrap wood projects starting off with this awesome little Cactus Planter!
The Aim:
Using limited tools, make a Cactus Planter from reclaimed scrap wood and for under $5.00! Now, that’s my kind of project!
You Ready?…Let’s Get This Show On The Road.
Materials Needed:
One block of reclaimed wood cut to the following dimensions:
Approximately 400mm long (roughly 14 ¾ “)
Around 100mm (4”) wide and
About 90mm high (smidge over 3 ½ “)
Small amount of water resistant varnish or polyurethane and some
Water resistant woodworking glue.
Tools Required:
Electric Sander. If you don’t have one, you could hand sand if needed.
Pencil.
Cheap Paint Brush.
Please note that all of these tools are available from my Recommended Tools and Resources Page.
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Scrap Wood Project… Step by Step:
Step 1:
Machine your reclaimed scrap wood block down to 100mm (4”) wide x 90mm (smidge over 3 ½ “) high and cut to a length of approximately 400mm (roughly 14 ¾ “). If you can find a piece that doesn’t need all this work done then even better….l’m all for the easy route ?.
When cutting the block for height, don’t cut any lower than the 90mm. Make the block higher if you want but not lower. I’ll explain why later on in the post when it becomes more obvious.
Step 2:
On one end of the cut block, up from any one of the corners, mark with a pencil 25mm (1”). From that mark, using your combination square, draw a 45 degree angle like you see in the picture.
Set your Circular Saw to 45 degrees and cut off that angle along the entire length of the block
Step 3:
Position the block with the freshly cut 45 degree angle on the mitre saw. Make sure that the 45 degree side of the block is resting on the base of the saw. This side of the block is going to be the bottom of the Cactus Planter.
Step 4:
Set your Mitre Saw to 15 degrees
Cut one end of your block at 15 Degrees.
Measure along the top of the block 340mm (bee’s left ear under 13 ½ “) and cut the other end at 15 degrees.
Step 5:
Time to drill the holes for the cactus plants. For this l’m using a 2 1/8th“ Forstner Drill Bit.
Three Holes Drilled.
Drill to a depth of approximately 60mm (just under 2 ½ “). This is where l mentioned earlier in regard to the height of the block. If the height of the block was any smaller and you drilled down to a depth of 60mm the edge of the bit would burst out the side of the block where you cut the 45 degree angle.
Pro Tip:
When using such a large drill bit in an electric drill do yourself a favour and clamp the block you’re drilling into onto the workbench.
Bonus Pro Tip:
Like in the video at the top of the post, if you want to add any decoration or image transfer work to the side of the block, do it now before the next step!!
If you want to know how to do an Ultra Easy Image Transfer, check out below the Link to my How to do an Image Transfer Video:
The explanation starts around the 5.40 mark and ends around the 7.30 mark.
Step 6:
With the holes drilled, now’s the time to cut the single block into 3 different size little blocks like in the photo below. All cuts are to 15 degrees and as l’ve mention earlier, these dimensions are personal choice and you can make yours any size you desire.
Cutting the Block into Three Different Sizes:
Pro Tip:
It’s really important for safety reasons that you clamp the bock to the mitre saw when making these cuts. Please refer to the video at the top of the Blog Post for more information. The clamping starts around the 9.45 mark and goes to roughly the 10.43 mark.
OK….You can now breath a sigh of relief as all the hard work is over. All that’s left is to give the three sections a sand, apply a couple of coats of varnish and then plant the cactus. When sanding you can either use an electric sander like l use in the video, or just sand by hand. It just depends on the finish you want.
Step 7:
This again is personal choice but l decided to paint the ends of the three separate cactus planter shapes prior to applying the final two coats of Exterior Grade Varnish. This was just to give the Cactus Planter a bit of character and make it stand out. I used a spray can as l didn’t want a solid yellow finish. By using the spray, the grain of the wood could still be seen which l really liked!
Once those painted ends have dried, it’s time to apply the two coats of exterior grade varvish or polyurethane. Make sure you get right inside the cactus holes and give that area a thorough soaking with the varnish or polyurethane as you want to make those holes as waterproof as possible.
Pro Tip:
After the varnish dried, l went back and applied a good smattering of Water Resistant Woodworking Glue to the inside of the holes to give that extra little bit of a waterproofing.
PLANTING TIME….YAEEEEH!!
Choose the type of cactus you would like to plant. If you’re stating from scratch, you may need to replant with a Cactus specific potting mix. Hopefully you wont need to purchase this as you can most probably use the potting mix that came with the cactus plant pot.
Pro Tip:
To help push the dirt in around the cactus and avoid getting spiked, l used a pencil to firm up the soil around the spiky cactus.
Pro Tip:
When selecting your cactus, go for a bit of variety in regards to the height, colour and size. It makes the end result far more interesting as we’ll as attractive.
So what do you reckon? I think it looks fantastic! Simple, cheap and quick to make. Ticks all the boxes and with Mothers Day coming up shortly, it makes for a terrific and thoughtful gift.
And that’s it Folks!! I hope you enjoyed and found this Blog Post useful. As per usual you can find me on all the Socials…just scroll to the bottom of the page for all those links.
Alrighty, be safe, and till next time, l’m outta here..Cheers!
