Outdoor Planter Steps or Benches

This is two simple 2x8 boxes stacked on each other, sized so the top step sits back far enough from the bottom step's edge to actually be walkable — or, since both boxes are just as happy holding soil as bearing weight, the same structure doubles as a two-tier garden bed or a stacked bench depending on where it lands in the yard.

The two steps use slightly different lumber on purpose: the bottom step is built from 2x8s while the top step also uses 2x8s, which makes the bottom step 1-1/2" taller than the top — a detail the source is upfront about accepting if the base will be surrounded by grass anyway. If matched step heights matter for your use, swap 2x6s into the bottom step instead, since a plain height mismatch stops being invisible once there's no grass to hide the difference.

Build both boxes with self-tapping deck screws, then set the top step on the bottom and adjust for square before adding the treads and trim. The 45°-mitered 2x4 top trim is the one part that needs real corner-cutting care — everything else is straightforward butt joints in construction lumber. Use materials genuinely rated for outdoor and ground-contact exposure — anything less breaks down fast sitting directly on soil or grass.