11 Free DIY Raised Planter Box Plans

Stacy is an expert writer for The Spruce covering home DIY projects and crafts. She has over 18 years of journalistic experience, appearing as a DIY expert on the Dr. Oz Show and several radio shows. She has published hundreds of articles and co-authored a book.

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Use one of these free raised planter box plans to get all the advantages of a traditional garden with a lot less work. You'll spend less time pulling weeds, have better soil control, and have the flexibility to move the planter box around (depending on its size and type of construction). Raised planter boxes are a step up from a container garden, giving you more room for everything you want to grow.

Raised planter boxes are relatively easy to make and can be inexpensive to construct in under a day. Whether you fill the raised planter box with vegetables, flowers, or herbs, you'll enjoy the convenience of having a designated area to grow them.

How to Build a Planter Box

This raised planter box from Chatfield Court takes it to the next level with a counter-height box, which makes it easier by not having to bend down to take care of your little garden. It has a nice rustic look plus a lower shelf that you can use for storage or decorations. It would look great on a deck, porch, or patio. This tutorial takes you through each part of the process from selecting the wood to adding finishes. It's a great project if you're an enthusiastic beginner in woodworking. Once you have it finished, you can fill it with flowers or herbs. How to Build a Planter Box from Chatfield Court

Raised Planter Boxes With Sub-Irrigation

This raised planter box plan from Home Made by Carmona gives you the advantage of a raised garden and the luxury of a self-watering system. The instructions include how to build a raised bed out of cedar and add a sub-irrigation system, so you only have to remember to water a few times a month. During the color months, you can use some plastic sheeting to turn your raised planter box into a small greenhouse. What a great way to increase your growing season! This is part of a gardening series on the website that covers how to start seedlings and the basics of container gardening. It's a great way to start gardening the easy way from start to finish. Raised Planter Boxes With Sub-Irrigation from Home Made By Carmona

Raised Vegetable Garden with Compost Bins

This raised planter box plan from Lazy Guy DIY gives you a space for everything you need for a raised vegetable garden. There are three areas for plants in the garden allowing you to grow whatever your heart desires. There are also separate areas for composting. The compost feeds the surrounding plants, giving them the nutrients needed for growth. If that wasn't enough, this planter box accommodates hanging plants at the top of the structure. It's a great way to increase your gardening space. Raised Vegetable Garden with Compost Bins from Lazy Guy DIY

Rolling Planter Box

Make a great-looking raised garden bed that you can move anywhere at any time when you follow this woodworking project. This raised planter box from Kleinworth & Co. adds another advantage to having a raised bed garden; it's on wheels. Casters make this raised planter box easy to move for watering, a shift in light requirements, or transporting indoors or elsewhere in case of bad weather or overwintering. Rolling Planter Box from Taste of the Frontier

Raised Garden Planter Box

This DIY raised planter box plan from Jennifer Meyering is taller than most, putting it at about desk level. Despite being taller, it has the same basic shape as most planters. The application of stain makes the planter look good enough to sit right by your front door. When it is not in use as a planter, it can be used as a potting bench due to its height. Being able to pull double duty really makes this plan attractive. Raised Garden Planter Box from Jennifer Meyering

Stand Up Planter Box

This plan from Jon Peters builds a fairly large planter box, measuring 60 inches by 36 inches. It's also raised 32 inches to reduce the need for bending over so much. The free plan includes a video tutorial. Instead of having a solid bottom, a wire mesh sheet is stapled into the wood bottom, and then, it's framed in with wooden boards to give it extra support. This window box's water drainage solution is a good option for plants that require adequate or fast-draining soil. This is a great planter box to get you started with gardening or to expand your planting area. Stand Up Planter Box from Longview Woodworking

Raised Planter Box With Trellis

Self-taught carpenter Jen Woodhouse made raised planter boxes backed by a trellis. It sits against the side of the home in between the windows. Aesthetically, the design blends in with the size and shape of her home's windows, coming close to the same measurements and giving her home's exterior added symmetry. Vining plants and vegetables appreciate the support, too! Raised Planter Box With Trellis from Jen Woodhouse

Window Planter Boxes

If ground space is at a minimum, or if you live in an apartment and want to try your hand at gardening while never leaving the house, a windowsill planter box fits the bill. You can grow anything in window planter boxes from herbs, flowers, or spillers that liven up the look of your home. This raised planter box uses trim boards that are primed and ready for the outside. Window Planter Boxes from The Spruce

Wooden Pallet Raised Planter

Instead of breaking down a pallet for its wood, you can keep it intact, add some landscaping fabric into the open spaces as a backing and staple it onto the wood. The fabric contains the soil (and plants) while allowing adequate drainage after watering. Another benefit: the water from the upper levels trickles down to the lower levels, saving some water in the process. Building this unique planter can take a few hours—to a few days—it all depends on if you decide to paint or stain it. In most cases, you likely will want to cover it with a layer of outdoor decking paint since most pallets have stamps or markings that might appear unsightly. Wooden Pallet Raised Planter from The Spruce

Raised Garden Bed

This raised garden bed plan uses inexpensive furring strips to create a 50.5" x 50.5" square bed that you can use to plant seeds or seedlings. That gives you a large area to plant whatever vegetables, herbs, and flowers you'd like. It's an inexpensive DIY project that will only take you an hour or so to complete. There are all kinds of directions as well as a video that will help you choose a spot for your raised bed, build the bed, and then installing the new raised garden bed. Raised Garden Bed from Simply Easy DIY

Raised Garden Bed with Legs

If you only have a small space for a raised garden bed, this project is for you. It builds a smaller raised garden and elevates it by attaching wooden legs. This means no bending over and you can easily access everything in the garden bed. It's a budget-friendly project coming in at less than $125, using untreated cedar. It builds a clean-lined planter that would go in anyone's yard or garden. There's also a video available to help you successfully build this raised garden bed.
Raised Garden Bed with Legs from Angela Marie Made