Family Do-It-Yourself: Three Simple Summer Projects from ReStore

Gather your whole family to make these simple, inexpensive summer projects. Start by shopping together for materials, then plan time to measure, cut, drill, assemble the project and paint. Select a family photographer to document the project.

Potting Bench A potting bench is practical and convenient for any kind of hand gardening. Create potted arrangements for your patio or deck, transfer seedlings to larger containers or divide overgrown indoor plants.

Make a potting bench with a door—solid or with windows—attached to a table made of scrap lumber, the top of which should be at counter height. Add a shelf or two to the door and hooks to sides of the table for hand tools. Scale down the bench for little gardeners. ReStore doors start at $5, scrap lumber $1.

Adapt the potting bench to make an outdoor sink to rinse garden vegetables, hand tools, muddy boots or sand toys. Select a faucet tall enough to fill a watering can. You may connect it to an outdoor faucet using a washing machine hose and adapter. Attach PVC pipe beneath the sink to drain away water. ReStore kitchen, laundry and bar sinks start at $10.

Shutter Flower Box Building a flower box from a shutter is one way to add bright blooms to small spaces. Use scrap wood for the box sides, back and bottom, line it with a planting tray and paint it a sunny color.

To make a shutter screen for a deck, build a wood frame and secure it to the deck.

Screw tall shutters together then attach them to the frame. ReStore shutters start at $3.

Sandbox Let the kids build a simple sandbox. Help them measure, cut and join the sides. Line the bottom with landscape fabric. For a cover, hem a piece of patterned outdoor fabric, add grommets or ties, and attach it to posts at the sandbox corners. A 4’ x 8’ lattice cut to size also makes a good cover.

For more inspiration, check out the Family DIY photo album on our Facebook page – While you’re at it, “Like” us to stay updated on our latest products and sales.

And remember—ReStore appreciates donations of surplus materials from outdoor projects: brick, pavers, lumber, planters, mulch, landscape materials, tools and working lawnmowers.

By Barb Machowski, Communications Intern, Twin Cities Habitat ReStore

Potting bench photo courtesy of Robojunker.com; Flower box photo courtesy of Sandflatfarm.blogspot.com