Make Your Own Potting Bench

I am just so pround of myself today! LOL. I have been wanting a potting bench so badly, but honestly I just could not afford one! They are expensive! Yikes. So, I kept thinking, certainly I must be able to make my own. I kept thinking and looking at pictures and finally just headed over to Home Depot to look around.

Who knew there were "remnants," so to speak, at Home Depot?? Not I! As I looked at the remnant cart, I realized that many pieces were already cut to the same length. It would be easy to carry these home in my van. I ended up buying 22 pieces of woods at 51 cents each! Wow!

The basic design of the table was to build two pallets, 5 boards nailed across the top of three 2x4's. Then, I nailed four 2x4 posts (two of one height and then two even tallers ones at the back), onto the sides of the two pallets. I used a tape measure to pencil-mark the heights where I wanted my work shelf and my storage shelf. We semi-sort-of (LOL) used a level to make sure it was perfectly level, but mostly we just used our marks we had made on the posts. My 15-year-old son helped.

I cut a piece of trellis to fit across the back, from which I can hang a few S hooks for storage of lightweight hanging things. Two little 2x4 pieces nailed into the corners and draped across the top with another board gave me a little shelf, and then two long 2x8s were wedged between the posts at the back and nailed into place to create some support and a "back" to the shelf to keep things from falling out.

Forgive me if this sounds convoluted. It sort of was. I just sort of did as I went, and I think it turned out fine! I am now ready to tackle a little tool shed!

The point is that you can cheaply build something and teach yourself and your children along the way. I used a plain, old hand saw to cut any pieces of wood that had to be cut, but, honestly, most did not need cutting. This might be a good time to say BE CAREFUL with tools. YOU are responsible for your own tool use and your children's use of any kinds of tools, wood, nails, etc.

PS - In case you are wondering, "Why did she not cut the posts in the front down to be level with the table?" I just may do that. Right now I like them because they give me a place to hang things like rope, etc., and I think they would be so cute with some kind of finial or birdhouse or what-nots sitting up there! We'll see!

I really felt good about this whole thing when my carpenter husband came home and looked at it. He said I did a good job. He did show me where to put some 2x4's for added support, so I did. Here is the final picture:

A Mother's Journal

Livin N Writin About It

Five In A Row ~ The "Heart" of our Homeschool:

Art of the Month:
"Rowing"

Quotations

"A rich child often sits in a poor mother's lap."
Danish proverb

"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."
Chinese proverb