10+ inexpensive and inspiring DIY potting bench ideas to get you in the mood for spring gardening. They can do double duty as a serving station on your porch, deck or patio.
I started out this spring wanting to make my own potting bench. As in going out to the garage, grabbing one of the power tools, cutting some wood (hopefully no fingers) and nailing it all together.
And then setting a pot on it and the whole thing come crashing to the ground.
Seriously though, I feel like spring is flying right by and I'm not sure I'm going to have time to make my own, so let's use these ladies' potting benches (which look quite sturdy BTW) as inspiration for what I'm looking for.
I could go the old wooden door and plumbing pipe industrial look, which is a super cute idea.
Creating A Garden Workspace by Homeology Modern Vintage
Or vintage sink with yummy barkcloth skirting. Sigh.
Sweet Vintage Of Mine's Potting Sink Complete With Barkcloth Skirt
Carlene's longer vintage sink with double drainboards is a great option. She always does such a great job of accessorizing her potting bench for the seasons.
Organized Clutter's Potting Area
Sarah from Sarah Joy has a wonderful farmhouse style potting bench.
Farmhouse Style Potting Bench from Sarah Joy
This upcycled potting bench from Marianne at Songbird started out life as an outdoor dining table. After reconfiguring it to the perfect size and adding a galvanized sheet metal top it is not only very functional but pretty darn cute!
Songbird's Upcycled Potting Bench (from a garden table)
Oh, look! Here's my old potting bench/table from a few years ago.
It didn't have enough storage for me and since I bothered to restore the vintage enamel top table in the first place, I didn't want to leave it outside all year long. But it is a good example of how a simple table and a few accessories can be used for potting.
House Of Hawthorne's Vintage Enamel Table Turned Potting Bench
Pamela from Flowerpatch Farmhouse shows how she made this potting bench on her sister blog Back Woods Cottage.
Back Woods Cottage's instructions for Building Your Own Potting Bench
Liz from Loves Grows Wild DIY'd this gorgeous potting bench for her back patio and she has a full blown tutorial on her site showing you how she did it.
Love Grows Wild's Covered Potting Bench
Heather shows how to make this one from scratch. Sort of what I had in mind before spring swept right past me.
Love that little sink and hose reel!
Setting For Four's DIY Potting Bench With Sink
Great idea of using the potting table for a serving table on the patio also. And Debbie made this in one afternoon!
I probably watched 2 episodes of Fixer Upper on the couch while eating Cheetos in the time it took to make this!
Refresh Restyle's Easy 2x4 Potting Bench Plans
You could do something as simple as turning an old washtub into a potting area. The tub is just simply filled with potting soil and tiny shovels and the mess stays inside the tub.
Old Washtub Turned Potting Area by Minnie's Milestone's
Gail took some shutters and an old unused desk to make a cute repurposed one. And it's blue . . . who doesn't love blue!
My Repurposed Life's Potting Bench Made From Repurposed Shutters And Desk
Jeanette at Snazzy Little Things has free plans for this cool looking DIY Potting Bench for the deck.
Snazzy Little Things' DIY Potting Bench
And finally we have Kristen's potting area made from a yard sale find!!! You gotta love a girl who isn't afraid to redo a $1 yard sale treasure.
Ella Claire's Simple yet utterly adorable Repurposed Potting Bench Area
Are you making a potting bench this year? If so, I'd love to see it!
Sharon
I loved all the cute ideas. I'm with you all on the mice and snakes. We leave the door open to our garden building all the time. Less inviting to the uninvited guests. Love the old time sinks. No skirts. Love the wheelbarrow idea too. Thanks for sharing.
Vickie
You've gathered up so many inspiring potting bench ideas here, Pam. I just bought my first plants last night, so I'm finally thinking spring thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
Eme
Hi
Those little sinks are called Bar sinks. In my bathroom, I used to have an old dresser as a vanity and when I had to replace the sink I was told that it was a bar sink. But anyway, I love all the ideas. I had one made about 15 years ago before I met my handy husband. Now I wish I would have put drawers in it for seed packets. I seen one on Pinterest and the drawers were open and overflowing with cascading flowers. So pretty.
Pam
The seed packet drawer idea is cute!
Sue
I have a wonderful potting shed I bought from a gentleman down the road. He was getting an ugly divorce, it was the soon to be ex's. Let's just say it was a bargain! Anyway, seed packets are the first thing the mice and chipmunks eat when they visit the shed! Grrrrr! I do encourage the snakes, yea sorry, but they eat the mice....and so do my chickens! Love my chickens! Love the beautiful ideas, thank you so much for sharing!
Suzanne
I love to garden and have always wanted a potting shed and YIPPY when we moved into this house I got one. From the outside its adorable but oh boy don't go in! We don't have a garage and because we get LOTS OF SNOW in the winter it is used to store everything. And as much as I would love a pottingbench I'm sure it would have everything on it but not my potting supply's.
Pam
Exactly why my potting bench would stay on my back porch 🙂 There's too many "friends" living in my shed for me to make it all pretty and useful!
Pam Spencer
These are all so adorable. I do have a darling potting shed made by my husband, but ladies,
how the heck in a handbasket do you keep every crawling, flying, slithering creature from
getting into everything? I mean, I could NOT put anything fabric near my shed, but some
of these outdoor beauties actually have settees in them? Not to even think of having tea
inside mine! But I do love it. Pam
Erin
This is my thought too. We have black widows and scorpions that would love to make these their own every spring and summer! Ack!!!
Pam
I'm with you on the potting sheds! I have a shed that I keep shovels, extra pots and extra lawn furniture in and every year in the spring when I want something out of there I have to have my husband go get it because every year I find a SNAKE SKIN in one of my pots!!! I HATE snakes with a passion! Oh, and I think the reason we have snakes in there is because they go in there to eat the mice that come in from the farmer's fields!
Gina
Love all of those ideas, but the last one is seriously practical and sweet! I have been on the hunt for a baker's rack to spray paint and use as a potting bench for years! I need to get to trolling the thrift stores!
Pam
You could seriously find a baker's rack at the thrift store! Great idea!
taryterre
They are all nice but i LOVE the SEASHELL'S one the best. Though, the pipe one is intriguing too.
Pam
The Seashell one looks pretty easy to make too!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
So much great garden inspiration...I've been in love with that skirted sink forever...
Pam
If only my local Habitat Restore would have sinks like that!!! I don't know what they do with them, but they must sell them elsewhere because they never have anything other than 70's harvest yellow sinks!
Mary W Ferguson
WOW, they are great and I would love any of them. I have a old potting table that I got many years ago at World Market. It's kinda of beat up, but I sprayed it a peacock blue and it looks great. Most of the time I use my wheel barrel. Put dirt in the bottom and then take my pots to it and fill them up with the plants. I have a watering can so I can water them after they have been planted.
Looking forward to which one you decide on. I have seen where they get a old desk or chest of drawers and make it into a potting table/bench. Good luck.
Happy Mothers Day.
Pam
I saw a few online that looked cute too, but it's so hard to tell how sturdy they are without seeing them in person. Your wheel barrel idea sounds like a winner!
Debbie
Thanks so much for including my potting bench table 🙂
Pam
You are very welcome! I loved your easy to follow tutorial!