Build a Chippendale Planter

Last year I built my mom a large chippendale planter. It holds a 12″ pot of flowers and looks great on my parents’ front porch. This year I wanted to make another version of the planter in a slightly smaller size; one that would look good with a 10″ pot of flowers.

How to Build a Chippendale Planter

Build a Chippendale Planter

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Materials

      Lumber

  • (2) 2 x 4 x 8ft. cedar lumber
  • (4) 1 x 4 x 8 ft. cedar tongue and groove boards

      Other

Tools

  • Miter Saw
  • Table saw or Band Saw
  • Drill/Impact Driver
  • Pocket Hole Jig
  • Wood Clamps
  • Nail Gun
  • Sander + sandpaper
  • Tools for finishing (paintbrush/ stain rag, etc.)

This post provides a complete tutorial. If you’re interested in the cut list, exact dimensions and diagrams, visit:

Regular Size Chippendale Planter Printable Plans

Make Planter Panels

Begin by constructing the planter panels from 3/4″ tongue and groove cedar.

Cedar Tongue and Groove
Cedar Tongue and Groove Planter Panel
Cedar Tongue and Groove Planter Panel Sanded

Prepare Lumber

The legs and panel bottoms are 1.5″ x 1.5,” but I made them from a cedar 2×4. Prepare the legs and panel bottoms by ripping a cedar 2×4 in half using a table saw or bandsaw:

Rip Cedar 2x4
Cedar Planter Legs

Isn’t it amazing how different the cedar looks after trimming it to size and giving a good sanding?

Attach Planter Panel Bottoms and Planter Legs

Make pocket holes on the back face of all the panels (on the bottom, left, and right sides). Using 1-1/4″ exterior pocket hole screws, attach a bottom piece to each panel. Then add legs to two of planter panels.

Cedar Planter Sides

Construct Planter Box

Finish  constructing the planter box by attaching the remaining two panels.

Construct Planter with Pocket Holes
Constructing Chippendale Planter

Add Decorative Panel Pieces

Next, attach decorative panel pieces. If you’re interested in making your own chippendale planter, I’ve got printable pdf plans with a complete cut list and precise measurements.

I found it easiest to attach the decorative pieces starting with the largest, working through to the smallest:

Assembling Chippendale Planter Step One
Assembling Chippendale Planter Step Two
Assembling Chippendale Planter Step Three

After making sure it looks good with a dry fit, add wood glue to the back of each piece and secure to the panel. Clamp a scrap piece of wood to the top to provide pressure across the entire panel:

Clamping Chippendale Planter

Install Top Trim

Cut trim pieces then secure with nails to the top.

Attach Top Trim to Chippendale Planter

Fill the nail holes (and any gaps in the mitered trim) with wood filler. Once dry, sand.

Attach Top Trim to Chippendale Planter with Nails

Add Interior Plant Supports

Using pocket holes and screws, attach two pieces of 3/4″ cedar inside the planter. These supports will hold your flower pot, so the placement of these will vary depending on its height.

DIY Planter Top View

Apply Exterior Finish and Fill with a Pot of Flowers

I applied General Finishes outdoor oil to protect the planter.

Cedar Planter DIY Plans

**To make one for your own front porch, get the printable pdf plans.**

Chippendale Planter Comparison

DIY Cedar Chippendale Planter
Build a Cedar Planter

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two chippendale planters I made. You can see the one on the left that I made last year (with purple flowers) holds a larger flower pot. The decorative panel pieces are the same width in each, yet they appear slightly thinner in the planter on the left because of its larger overall size. You can find the pdf plans at the links below:

Large Chippendale Planter Plans

Regular Chippendale Planter Plans

Bundle Pack : Large and Regular Chippendale Planter Plans

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