Easy DIY Potting Table

Hi Everyone!

I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we often don’t get summer weather until after July 4th, and that is definitely the case this year.

Today I’m sharing a simple workbench / potting table project that is perfect for a beginner woodworker.  Straight cuts and simple assembly make this a good afternoon project. I built this table 4 years ago as one of my very first woodworking projects.  I was so intimidated by power tools, but I overcame my fears, learned how to safely use a miter saw, and I haven’t looked back since.

I used this table in my workshop, and it has been wonderful.  I now have plans for updating my workshop, and I no longer need it in there.  So, I gave it a little refresh, and repurposed it as a potting table for my garden.  It makes a nice place to store my extra garden pots, cloches, and watering cans.

To build this table, I used the sturdy work bench plans from Ana White.  Her website is a treasure trove of DIY woodworking projects for all levels.  Definitely check it out, especially if you are considering embarking on your first woodworking project.

***This post contains affiliate links.  For my full disclosure, see here.***

I had originally painted the table green, which wasn’t working for me anymore.  So, I refreshed it with some exterior white paint I had leftover from my house trim.  I also added wood planks to the top.  They are the same planks that I used on my outdoor farm table.  I just cut them to size and screwed them to the existing top with deck screws.  You can see how I refinished the planks here.  By the way, I left the planks on the outdoor farm table uncovered outside all winter, and they held up great.  Just needed a little cleaning this spring.

These vintage style scissors are so pretty and practical, too.

I added a couple of antique style garden spigot hooks to the front.  You can find similar hooks here.

This table is heavy and substantial, so I added casters to make it mobile.

The shelf makes a nice place to store my garden supplies.  I customized the height of the shelf to allow storage space underneath as well.  If you build this table, you can place the shelf height at a level that works for your needs.

I picked up the shutters at Ballard Reuse, which is a wonderful local Seattle salvage store.  I gave the shutters a coat of primer and exterior white paint.  I picked up a bag of small S hooks and just slipped them over the shutter louvers to create a hanging space for my lavender, herbs, garden tools, etc.

This English lavender is ‘Munstead’ and it grows like a weed in my garden.  It is so beautiful, and it smells divine. The bees love it, too.

These Endless Summer hydrangeas are quickly becoming my favorites.  I discovered them last summer, and picked up another one this year.  I popped it in a basket on my patio for now, but will plant it in the garden in the fall. They rebloom which is fantastic.

This pretty blue lantern is from Pier One.  The flameless candle inside is from the Goodwill.  It adds a little glow to the garden in the evening. It’s also waxless, making it great for outdoors.

Thanks so much for joining me today.  Have a great weekend!