Normally a project like this is only free if you are able to snag a free wine barrel, because usually, wine barrels are expensive! For example, at a home improvement store, I’ve seen a “less-than-half-barrel” planter that is nothing special at all for sale for a minimum of $45 a piece! Crazy, right?!?! I think so too.
Because of this, I haven’t yet ventured into building any for our home. I’ve actually been waiting to snag some barrels for free, and the opportunity came calling (literally) this month (that’s right, my No $$$, Big Results month- perfect timing!!!)!
Doug Tolson of Doug Tolson Construction and Sol Boards (oh yeah, and DIY Network fame) called because he “had something to show me.” I love Doug’s mystery phone calls! I hung up the phone and swung by his house to find that he’d inherited an extra wine barrel and he thought it’d be a perfect project for me!!! He was totally right!
Last year I’d posted a bunch’o wine barrel inspiration, so I knew that we should tackle making a planter and that is exactly what Doug had in mind! Before we get started, Doug had some amazing, invaluable tips for breaking down wine barrels before using them to create planters, or just about anything else!
Tips to Break Down Wine Barrels for Projects, courtesy of Doug Tolson:
How to Build a Raised Wine Barrel Planter:
1- Cut wine barrel in half using a circular saw, with the wine barrel’s metal band as your saw guide
2- Set aside smaller half- this will become your planter
3- Remove metal rings from larger half- to do this, use a grinder to “break the bands.” Once the bands are broke, use a pry bar and hammer to separate the bands from the wood and the barrel will begin to fall apart as there are no screws/nails/etc. holding it together.
4- Sort the wood planks into piles by size (generally, they are all not a specific size, but to get the leg widths relatively uniform, it helps to sort the wood into small/medium/large piles)
5- Select the “legs” for your planter.
6- Align the legs on “planter” and decide desired location.
TIP: We used a spare piece of plywood and drew a perfect “X.” Then we placed our planter upside down and used the plywood markings to mark our planter for perfectly spaced legs.
TIP: All of the boards have a natural widening to them, so when trying to align them “straight,” make sure to keep this in mind- you can’t just align one edge because then you’ll definitely be off mark!
7- Drill out two holes on each leg for carriage bolts to attach the legs to the planter body, making sure to have consistent symmetrical holes for a uniform, polished look.
TIP: When drilling the holes for the carriage bolts, be sure to drill an additional width, to allow space to “counter-sink” the carriage bolt into the leg.
TIP: Feel free to create a “jig” for this if you want. Just use a spare piece of wood and align, make your marks, and use to create all the holes.
8- Now, attach the legs one at a time! To do this…
a- align leg to marking made earlier
b- using drill, pre-drill holes in barrel through holes in legs (for carriage bolts to pass through)
c- insert carriage bolts through legs and into inside of barrel
d- secure carriage bolt by placing washer over bolt, up against the body of the barrel
e- finish by tightening a nut over the washer
9- Drill 4-5 drain holes in the bottom of the planter to allow for proper drainage
10- ENJOY YOUR WORK!!!
Optional beautification:
Break the Edge- what does that mean? It means, take either a palm sander or belt sander and run it along the edge to “break” the sharp, splintered edge to reveal a smooth, finished line.
Make Your Mark- Since I am in LOVE with all things Sol Board and Doug Tolson’s many projects, we figured this was the perfect opportunity for me to sport some “Sol Boards” branding in our back yard! Fun stuff, right?!?!? Don’t have a cool branding stamp? Make your mark another way- decorations, burns, paint… the options are endless!
Want to build your own Wine Barrel Planter, here’s the supply list:
- wine barrel
- carriage bolts
- washers
- nuts
Tools needed for the build:
- circular saw
- grinder
- wrench or drill with proper attachment (for tightening nut for carriage bolt)
- drill with large bits (to drill out for carriage bolts and for drainage holes)
- pry-bar
- hammer
Hope you guys enjoyed the tutorial and many thanks to Doug Tolson Construction for thinking of me! 
As soon as the weather really clears up and isn’t all bi-polar on us, we’re going to get to planting something stunning in this!!!
ANYONE GOING TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE AND BUILD SOME PLANTERS? ANY OTHER WINE BARREL PLANTERS ON THE HORIZON?
Linking up…
Momnivores Dilemma
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Young House Love
Bower Power
Hi Sugarplum
The Great Indoors
