Counter Height Garden Boxes by Janet Fox

Counter Height Garden Box by Janet Fox

 

diy raised planter boxes garden

I was inspired to make this project because I love to garden but have neuropathy in my extremities making it very difficult to get off the ground once there. I have made myself 6 of these and am so pleased that I thought I’d share the pattern. Perfect cuts are unnecessary as long as you are within 1/4 inch you will be okay.

 

diy raised garden bed

 

Stick-On Drawer Organizers – Cheap, Quick and Easy!

 

Why Stick-On Drawer Organizer?

  • Quick and Easy – install right in your home with minimal tools in just minutes
  • Removeable without damaging drawers
  • Easy to reconfigure
  • Cheap – about $5 for this drawer as shown
  • Works with almost any drawer, including metal sides

Plastic c channel diy drawer dividers supplies

What You’ll Need

  • 3/8″ or 1/2″ Plastic C Channel (available from Amazon here) – match board thickness
  • 3/8″ or 1/2″ thick wood pieces, 2-1/2″ width most popular but can do other widths for deeper or shallower dividers (available at Lowes nor Mendards) – match c-channel thickness
  • Mounting tape, 1/2″ width, I used this one
  • Pruning Shears or Heavy Duty Scissors
  • Measuring Tape
  • Jigsaw or other saw for cutting wood to lengths

 

 

More About Choosing Wood

3/8″ wood is what is shown in the photos and videos.  I have also done 1/2″.  Both work just fine, really will depend on what wood is available to you.  

The depth shown in these photos and video is 1-1/2″ (may be referred to as 2″ when buying but it is actual dimension of 1-1/2″).  I like this shallow depth because it is easy to reach in small spaces if the depth is short.  Avoid tall, narrow dividers that are hard to reach in.

For wood species, I used pine.  There are other options, even softer wood like balsa, or more expensive hardwoods.  All work just fine.  You could even use hardwood plywood that is ripped into strips.

 

 

How Much Material Do I Need?

For my one drawer shown, I used right at 1 foot of c-channel and about 2 linear feet of wood board.  My advice would be to purchase the pack of c-channel from Amazon, and then just cut and use it up as you go around the house, you’ll be wanting to tackle all your drawers!  

 

 

Planning?

This method is SO simple, I really liked just creating the dividers right in place, so I could section the drawer off with the contents available to measure and fit.  This is the beauty of this method – just open a drawer, add a divider, and keep adding dividers until you are satisfied.  And if you mess up, just unstick and restick it.

 

 

How to Make Your Own Stick On Drawer Dividers

Clear out the drawer and clean it well.  The sides need to be cleaned so the mounting tape will stick.

Measure and mark where the first divider is to be placed.  

diy drawer dividers

Cut the C-channel with pruning shears or heavy duty scissors.  The cut length should match the board width – in my example, I used 1-1/2″ wide boards, so I cut my c-channel pieces 1-1/2″ long.  You’ll need two c-channel pieces per divider.

 

diy drawer organizer

Cut the mounting tape to fit the backs of the channel and stick to backs.

diy drawer organizer

Stick the c-channel pieces inside the drawer.  TIP: I measure out and marked the centers, making sure the mark would be visible when sticking the c-channel in place.

cutting wood with jigsaw

Measure inside the c-channel and cut wood pieces to fit, so the pieces fit snug but not too tight.  I used a jigsaw to cut.

diy drawer organizer

Insert the cut wood piece into the c-channels.

diy wood organizer drawer

Repeat as desired – the more dividers you add in, the more stable the system will be.

diy wood drawer organizer

 

Quick Video of Stick-On Drawer Organizers

Here’s a 30 second video of my tackling a drawer.  I do recommend the pruning shears instead of the scissors for cutting the c-channel, this was a much cleaner method of cutting it.

 

 

FAQ About Stick On Drawer Organizers

  • What else can I use in place of the C Channel?  Metal c channel, PVC shelf edging moulding or u channel are all options.  Also, if you have a 3D printer, you can print your own.
  • Should I pre-finish the wood pieces?  If in the kitchen or bathroom, I would.  A quick clear poly would be sufficient.
  • Can I attach to the bottom?  You may wish to, especially on longer spans.  Just add mounting tape to the bottom of the board when you slide it into the c-channel
  • My plastic pieces are sharp.  What can I do? Try cutting the plastic pieces a little short.  You can also trim sharp edges off with scissors.

 

 

 

See Also: Metal C-Channel Drawer Organizers

This idea was built off my original metal C-Channel drawer organizer tutorial.  The metal channel is harder to do, as you have to file down the metal pieces so there’s no sharp edges, but it does produce a nice finished product.  

diy drawer dividers

 

Tall Wood Cake Stand

How I Built this Cake Stand

To build this cake stand start by cutting and prefinishing your boards, sand any rough edges.

cutprefinishTo assemble, you will glue and nail the first side piece.

gluenailnail

Next glue and nail the other side piece.sidesideendFinally add the 3rd and 4th sides, they will span across the exposed ends, nail and glue here too. 

side

nailsideendSuch an easy way to make a wood cake display with simple customizations.

beauty close up

 

Free Plans for Tall Cake Stand

Ready to elevate your cakes to new heights?  Get this one built!  Here’s the free step by step plans from Ana-White.com

Cupcake Tiered Display Stand

Make an easy and inexpensive cupcake display in just a couple of hours!

 

How I Built this Cupcake Stand

I recommend prefinishing all of the boards. 

prefinish

 

After letting them dry time to assemble.

Using a nailer and glue repeat this process for all 4 “U” shaped pieces.

assemble

u shape

pieces

Once all the pieces are nailed, it’s time to glue and stack them. 

glue

stack

I recommend taking the extra step of further securing the stacked boards with a scrap 1×2, it made it much stronger and secure.

support

Now add the treads with more glue along the side and back. If you need to secure it more, nail to side edges.

treadassemble

treadsI touched up the paint after assembly and love how it turned out! I think it would also work to transport easily if you omit the glue and just reassemble each time with the 1×2 on the underside and just set the treads. Happy Building!

cupcake stand beauty

 

Free Plans to Build Your Own Cupcake Display Stand

Ready to build your own?  The free plans for this cupcake display stand follow.

Wood Lantern Tutorial

 

What Materials Do I Need?

To build these wood lanterns, you’ll need pine or “whitewood” boards for the base, in 1×6, 1×8 or 1×10 sizes (depending on the size of lantern you are building).

For the 3/4″ x 3/4″ pieces, you can buy 3/4″ square dowels online or at most home improvement stores.  If you are building in bulk, it is much less expensive to take a wider width board, like a 1×8 or 1×12, and rip it into 3/4″ strips.  Ripping is not easy for this small of a piece, do not attempt without experience using a table saw.

wood lantern styles

Different Style Bases

This plan include three different style bases, for your personal preference.  Use the cut list that matches your base to build your lantern.

1×4 Wood Cake Stand Plans – 10" and 18" Sizes

Build this stacked cake stand in an hour or less!

How I Build these Cake Stands

Start by cutting all of your boards, be sure to sand any rough edges. Now you may leave the wood natural or I recommend prefinishing the boards. 

boards

stain

For assembly, you will nail and glue the 4 side piece together.

nail

glue

gluebox

Next set the planks across the top keeping them flush to each side. Nail and glue each board down to the box base.

plank

nail

plankYou will build the next box with the same steps as the first and then just stack! This DIY cake stand is easy to personalize with initials or a name. Plus you may customize the size or how many boxes you stack. Something this simple, why not take an ordinary cake to the next level?

stacked

beautyI love that it holds a small cake and cupcakes. This was a super fun and easy build, now it’s your turn! 

 

Free Plans for Two Tiered Cake Stand

Ready to build yourself?  The free plans for this tiered cake stand are below.