DIY Projects

March 27, 2015

DIY Drawer Garden

As the weather turns warm, it’s a pleasure to see the outdoors blossoming again. I wanted to bring a few blooms indoors, but it can be hard to find a corner for a group of potted plants. So I decided to turn a secondhand drawer into a table for displaying houseplants. Here’s how:

Materials and Tools

  • Drawer (using a drawer with high sides means plants are less likely to get knocked over)
  • Patio table or table base (look for a table with an attractive base, since you’ll be removing the top)
  • Drill
  • Pencil
  • Wood screws
  • Oilcloth (to protect the bottom of the drawer from moisture)
  • Scissors
  • Double-sided tape

1. Find drawer

My wooden drawer was a lucky curbside find. Look for them at flea markets, or steal a drawer from a dresser relegated to the basement.

2. Choose and prep table

Once you have a drawer, find a table with a base that has the same dimensions or is slightly smaller, so it will support the weight of both the drawer and the potted plants but won’t stick out from underneath. I used a patio table with a slatted wooden top and foldable metal legs. Unscrew (or otherwise remove) the tabletop from the base.

3. Attach drawer

Turn the drawer upside down and place the table base upside down on top. Plan to put one screw in each corner; mark the holes’ locations with a pencil and drill pilot holes in the bottom of the drawer (without them, the wood may crack). (My base had a metal rail with holes for the screws that secured the top, so I simply marked those holes.) Attach the drawer to the table base with new wood screws, making sure the screws are shorter than the thickness of the drawer’s wood. Turn the assembled table right side up.

4. Line drawer

Cut a piece of oilcloth to the dimensions of the inside of your drawer. Secure it inside the drawer using double-sided tape. Fill the drawer with plants and enjoy.

Get more DIY & Home Improvement ideas in our guide.

Author: Joel Bray
Photographer:

Valerie Wilcox

Products:

Drape, natural pots, Tärnö table, Ikea; teal pots, West Elm; runner, Ecarpet gallery; wall colour, Restful (400F-4), Behr.

Source:

House & Home May 2014 issue