This post shares how I dreamed up a DIY modern planter project using plywood and hairpin legs. It’s a simple but chic large planter that will look great in any room.

DIY Modern Planter: Plywood With Hairpin Legs

Hey guys! Today I’m finally sharing a project I made using the other half of the PureBond plywood sheet I used for the cat house side table. A DIY modern planter that looks seriously chic! I wanted to put them in the same room, and I wanted them to complement one another without being too matchy matchy.

What do you think? And don’t worry, there’s no waterproofing involved here because the plant isn’t actually sitting down in the plywood. There’s a twist…and a cheap and easy one, too 😉

Here’s what I used:

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Materials:

• Purebond 3/4″ birch plywood (I used a different piece of scrap plywood for the base, which is why it looks a bit different)
• Pocket hole screws
• Wood glue
• Home Depot Homer bucket
• 12″ plastic drainage saucer
• Hairpin legs

Tools:

• KregJig K4
• Table saw or skill saw
• Drill and shorter pocket hole bit/square bit or right angle attachment depending on your drill
• Orbital sander

Finishes:

• Black latex paint
• Black spray paint
• Minwax stain in Pickled Oak
• Varathane Water-Based Polyurethane in Matte

For the full step-by-step and the cut list, download the free plans!

And here’s how I made this DIY modern planter with hairpin legs.

(Remember to wear a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with wood, and wear an appropriate mask while working with stains and finishes. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and/or supervision. Read my full terms of use here.)

Step 1: Cut and prep pieces

First I cut my pieces according to the printable plans. We cashed in some help form my dad in the form of using his table saw. Then I sanded all of the rough spots and edges.

My orbital sander was great for this part. It gets the job done quickly and easily, especially when compared to sanding by hand!

Step 2: Drill pocket holes

I drilled pocket holes as follows. (Note: I did not end up using the bottom pocket hole on the bottom of the side pieces because I couldn’t reach it. Oops! So no need to drill that one.)

Note that All of my sides were Purebond plywood, but the base was a scrap piece of regular plywood I wanted to use up. That’s why it looks different. It’s actually a nice comparison so you can see how different the quality is.

Step 3: Begin Assembly

I used pocket hole screws to attach two of the side pieces to one another. Then I repeated that step for the other two side pieces, which left me with two L-shaped pieces.

I took one of the L-shaped pieces and attached it to the bottom piece using pocket hole screws. Then I repeated this step for the other L-shaped piece. (Depending on the size of your drill, you will likely need a shorter pocket hole bit or right angle attachment to reach some of the trickier holes.) See my post about how to drive pocket hole screws in tight places.

Step 4: Paint and finish off

I painted the inside black and stained the outside using Minwax Pickled Oak and three coats of Varathane water-based polyurethane in Matte (same stain and finish as the cat house side table).

After everything was dry, I flipped the planter over and used wood screws to attach the hairpin legs. They add such a nice touch to this piece and look great in the same room at the slightly smaller hairpin legs on the cat house side table.

Step 5: Finish bucket

I removed the handle to my bucket and gave the bucket a coat of black spray paint. I only painted the top of the inside and top half of the outside since those would be the only parts showing once I put the bucket in the planter.

Once the paint dried, I used my drill and a large bit to drill two drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket. You could do this before painting if you were worried about scuffing the paint job.

Last step—I popped the plastic drainage saucer in the bottom of the planter and dropped the bucket with a plant in 🙂

And here’s the finished DIY modern planter with hairpin legs. Ahh, she’s a beauty.

If you like this, you’ll love a roundup of my DIY planters to help you decorate with plants, my stainless steel bowl hanging planter, my thrift store bowl hanging planter, how to remove paint from clay pots, and how to taking care of succulents indoors.

Pin my DIY modern planter box project!