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Home > How To > DIY Projects > Hit Refresh: From Toolbox to Plant Shelf!

Hit Refresh: From Toolbox to Plant Shelf!

Create a stylish and clever wall-mounted plant station by making over an old wooden toolbox.

DIY repurposed plant shelf

1. Shop It

To start, look for a wooden toolbox with a structure similar to the one we chose. You can find vintage versions on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace or in your local thrift stores; you can also buy them new at hardware stores like Lowe’s.

2. Pick Pots

Before breaking out any tools, find a couple of tapered pots that are an inch smaller than the depth of the surface they’ll be recessing into. Since your planters won’t be sitting on a surface with a saucer, make sure you choose ones without drainage holes, so you can water your plants without having to remove them.

3. Cut It Out

Turn your toolbox on its side so that it’s oriented in the same way you’ll be hanging it. Take your tapered planters and center them, rim down, on the surface where you plan on having them recess. Trace the rim; remove the pots, then trace a circle about 1/8 inch inside the other circle and drill a hole inside the new circle using a bit that’s larger than the width of your jigsaw blade. Insert your jigsaw blade through the drilled hole and cut out the inner circle.

4. Paint & Mount

Lightly sand the cut edges and any imperfections, then prime and paint (we used Valspar Subtle Peach) your toolbox. To mount it, locate studs in your wall using a stud finder, level your shelf on the wall, and screw it into the studs. Can’t find any studs? Make sure you use wall anchors to safely and securely keep your shelf in place.

5. Place Your Plants

Once you’ve secured your shelf to the wall, recess your pots into the cut holes with the plants already in them. Play around with the rest of the shelf space and add plants and accessories, like scissors for trimming dead foliage and a mister to keep your plant babies hydrated. The bar in the center is perfect for hanging plants, and if your shelf is mounted high enough, a trailing plant will make a statement! Round things out by adding pretty objects like a patterned tin or footed bowl so you have some variation and added interest.

“Usually we’d want our toolbox to be full of tools, but this plant-astic refresh is the next best thing!”

—Drew

Before

plant box before DIY

This simple toolbox was the perfect size to mount and house petite plants and indoor gardening accessories.

By Hannah Baker | Photograph by Carson Downing | DIY design and before photo by Jeni Wright

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