Today I have joined a challenge with 16 other awesome bloggers (seriously, I have to pinch myself to believe I’m even included in this group) to use a single board to create something awesome.
If you want to see their entries into this challenge, you can check them out here (You really should visit, I’m in awe of these beautiful things the other bloggers came up with!)
Katie, Addicted 2 DIY – Rustic Step Stool / Jaime, That’s My Letter – Bench
Amy, Her Toolbelt – Kids Step Stool / Elisha, Pneumatic Addict Furniture – Modern 3-Leg End Table
Sandra, Sawdust Girl – Three Tiered Display Shelf / Brittany, Pretty Handy Girl – Cubby Storage Box
Karah, the space between – Wood Shelves / Brad, Fix This Build That – Kids Bookshelf
Jenn, Build-Basic – Round Mirror / Mindi, My Love 2 Create – Floating Nightstand
Pauline, My Altered State – Indoor Planter / Bethany, Sawdust & Embryos – Geometric Art
Kim, The Kim Six Fix – Flower Box / Sarah, The Ugly Duckling House – Modern Step Stool
Jessica, Decor Adventures – Hexagon Plant Stand / Emily, Merrypad – Floating Corner Shelf
I decided to challenge myself one step further by aiming to use AS MUCH of the board as I possibly could; to throw nothing away (or have any scraps leftover) and to end up with something useful. And although my end product isn’t 100% awesome, it is unique in that it has virtually no waste. I calculated the cuts to use the exact area of the board (or pretty darn close.)
So what did I create? I ended up with this tapered planter box. (Yeah, not nearly as awesome as some of those other projects, but it is a Kim Six original!)
My inspiration piece was actually this planter box I saw at Home Depot:
I couldn’t believe it was $70!! (Keep in mind my 1x8 pine board only cost $8.91!)
Before starting, I sat down and calculated exactly how big I could make it with only my single board and this is what I came up with:
I transferred all the measurements onto the board and used my miter saw to make the cuts.
You can see on the schematic that the only waste are those three tiny slivers of wood that are left over when you make the tapered sides and ends:
Here is what my actual board looked like cut down:
Here are my scraps! Practically sawdust. *wink*
Next I assembled the box using deck screws and the nail gun. (The nails held it together so it was easier to insert the screws)
Unlike the inspiration piece I decided to add some handles on each end (mostly because I had a few extra pieces of wood!) and I mitered them to make it look a little more polished. 
I added some strips underneath to support the weight of the plants
Then I sanded it all down really well (because the sides are angled but nothing is actually mitered, the pieces didn’t line up perfectly, so sanding made it all even.
The finished project!
This was just stock pine lumber and not pressure treated so I decided to stain and seal it with weatherproofing deck stain (the same stuff I used on my x-leg storage bench) in Cordovan brown (since that is what I had leftover.)
Just like my Pottery Barn Knock off planter, I lined it with a trash compactor bag to keep the soil moisture from coming directly in contact with the wood. (It works! That PB planter is more than 2 years old and is looking GREAT.. no indication of any sort of water damage even when full of plants and wet soil the entire time.)
The little planter box came out pretty well considering the constraints. And now I”m fired up to start the next challenge project!
Make sure to come back next month and see what the challenge will be!
