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This planter's whole visual interest is the tall back panel leaning away from a much shorter front — the kind of asymmetry that reads as a display piece rather than a plain box. The trick is that the height difference lives entirely in the two leg frames: cut one pair of legs long in front and one pair long in back, build both frames identically otherwise, and the tall-back shape falls out of the frame geometry rather than needing an angled cut anywhere.
The upper support boards are the one detail worth double-checking before you fasten anything: they mount on the OUTSIDE of the frame, and — this is the part that's easy to miss — they're placed differently on each side, mirrored rather than identical. Dry-fit both frames side by side and confirm they mirror each other before driving a single screw.
Cedar fence pickets are the assumed stock throughout, sized to a nominal 5-1/2" width. Real pickets vary, so if yours run narrower, don't try to force the plan's exact spacing — space the gaps out evenly across whatever width you actually have, and the finished look holds up fine. The back boards are explicitly a cut-to-fit step, measured off the assembled frame rather than a fixed number, which is standard practice anywhere a plan's frame dimensions could drift slightly from the page.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ftLong cuts first — the back legs are the longest pieces. | 3 each |
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" widePer one planter. If your pickets measure narrower than 5-1/2", space the gaps out evenly instead of forcing this spacing. | 9 each |
| Self-tapping screws, 2-1/2" | 20 each |
| Exterior fasteners, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Exterior wood glue | 4 oz |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Front legs2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 22" |
| Back legs2x4The tall-back shape lives entirely in this length difference from the front legs. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 71 1/2" |
| Leg horizontal supports2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 16" |
| Side pickets, frontCedar fence picket | 8 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 19" |
| Side pickets, backCedar fence picket | 8 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 20" |
| Back picketsCedar fence picketCut to fit the assembled frame rather than to this exact length. | 9 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 18 3/4" |
Buy 9 boards at 8 ft.
3 boards
6 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Build two identical leg-and-support frames — one with the short front legs, one with the tall back legs — using 2-1/2" self-tapping screws, two per joint.
Attach the upper support pieces to the outside of each frame. These mirror each other rather than mount identically — dry-fit both frames side by side and confirm the mirroring before you commit to screws.
Attach the side cedar pickets to the outsides of the two frames with 1-1/4" exterior fasteners and exterior wood glue.
This plan expects 5-1/2"-wide pickets. If yours run narrower, evenly space the gaps across the actual width instead of forcing the plan's spacing.
Attach the front cedar pickets to the fronts of both frames, keeping the outside edges flush.
Measure your assembled frame and cut the back pickets to fit — the tall-back panel is a cut-to-fit step, not a fixed length. Attach with 1-1/4" fasteners and exterior wood glue.
Sand and finish before planting.
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