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This is a simple two-compartment open bin with a low, angled front lip that keeps the contents from spilling out while leaving them easy to grab. It's pitched as a vegetable bin (onions, potatoes, garlic) but works just as well as a toy bin — the source builder notes exactly that.
The interesting technique is the planked panels. Rather than using wide 1x12 boards, each panel — two sides, two dividers, a top and a bottom — is glued up from 1x4s for a planked look. The key trick: alternate the grain direction of adjacent boards (look at the end grain, alternate cup-up and cup-down) so the panels resist warping to one side. If you'd rather skip the glue-up, the plan says you can just build the box from 1x12 boards instead — same result, less work.
The box itself takes almost no load — the bottom sits on the floor, the top rests on the sides — so it's nailed together with glue, no pocket holes needed. The front lip is a shaped 1x4: cut the diagonal sides, then attach a straight 1x4 lip across them. If you want a steeper lip for smaller items (Legos, Lincoln Logs), the plan's tip is to use a 1x6 for the lip instead of a 1x4 and trace its edge onto the lip sides. Paint it and it's done.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x4, 8 ftAll panels and the lip — or substitute 1x12 for the panels. | 5 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4 in and 2 in | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 bottle |
| Wood filler | 1 each |
| Paint | 1 quart |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Top/bottom panel boards1x4Glue up into a top and a bottom panel. | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 31 1/2" |
| Side panel boards1x4Glue up into two side panels. | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 12" |
| Divider panel boards1x4Glue up into two divider panels. | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 10 1/2" |
| Lip sides1x4Cut the diagonal — mark 10" and 2", draw the diagonal, and cut. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 12" |
| Lip1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 31 1/2" |
Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.
5 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 →
Join 1x4 boards with the pocket-hole jig to make the panels: two sides, two dividers, and a top and bottom. As you join them, alternate the grain direction of adjacent boards — check the end grain and set them cup-up, cup-down, cup-up — so the panels resist warping to one side. You can skip this entirely by building the box from 1x12 boards instead.
Nail the box together with glue and 2" nails, leaving 10" between each side and the adjacent divider. Pocket holes aren't needed here — the bottom sits on the floor and the top rests on the sides, so there's minimal load on the joints.
Check the box for square, then attach the back with 1-1/4" nails and glue. Nail into the dividers as well as the sides so the whole box is tied together and can't rack.
Cut the two lip sides from 1x4: mark 10" up one edge and 2" up the other, draw the diagonal between them, clamp the boards down, and cut along the line. This gives the angled profile that holds contents in while keeping them reachable.
Attach the lip sides, then run the straight 1x4 lip across their front with glue, drilling a few pocket holes from underneath to fasten the bottom edge. For smaller items like Legos or Lincoln Logs, make the lip steeper by using a 1x6 instead and tracing its edge onto the lip sides.
Fill nail holes, sand, and paint.
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