20 Inexpensive Raised Garden Bed Ideas to DIY

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These inexpensive raised garden bed ideas will help you create the garden of your dreams in no time!

This post was originally published on June 6, 2018 and has since been updated to give more ideas.

Raised garden beds are an excellent solution if you don’t have a lot of space in your backyard, but they are also great productivity-wise.

They act as a barrier against pests and weeds, which means healthier plants with less work on your part.

Soil layering is super important for raised gardens, and if you do it right, your plants will grow much faster compared to the typical in-ground gardens.

You’ll be surprised to see building raised garden beds can be achieved using various materials: wood, cinder blocks, corrugated metal, and the list goes on.

Even better, these projects are as frugal as they can get. Yes, you can totally build your own raised garden, even on a low budget!

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20 Easy and Affordable Raised Garden Bed Ideas

1. DIY Greenhouse & Raised Garden Bed

Following basic instructions from Home Depot’s app, you can build some practical raised garden beds with minimal effort.

The DIY greenhouse is amazing too, so if you have the space and the funds, it’s worth tackling this project too.

Credit: homemadebycarmona.com

2. DIY Raised Garden Bed From An Old Sofa Table

Having woodworking skills will certainly come in handy if you want to build a frugal garden bed.

No need to start from scratch, though. You can simply take an old table and give it a brand new purpose.

Credit: refreshliving.us

3. How To Build A Raised Garden Bed For Cheap

Cedar is affordable and naturally rot-resistant. If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on your raised garden materials, cedar makes one of the best options.

Even better, you’ll need just a few basic tools to make these raised garden beds. No excuses!

Credit: farmouseonboone.com

4. DIY Raised Herb Garden

Another option to make a budget-friendly raised garden is to use wood for the frame and corrugated steel roof paneling for the sides. Both herbs and flowers seem to grow beautifully in this type of container.

Credit: twopeasandtheirpod.com

5. How To Build A DIY Raised Herb Garden

I love that these raised herb gardens are tall enough you don’t need to bend over when you perform maintenance. The bottom shelf is also nice to have. Who could say no to extra storage space?

Credit: loveandrenovations.com

6. DIY Raised Garden Beds

The tin used for this project is a special kind that snaps together and looks like shiplap or planks. It definitely makes the raised garden look very elegant.

Credit: tidbits-cami.com

7. DIY Cold Frame Garden Beds

Gardening is more difficult in some areas. A cold frame garden bed will extend growing season and keep wild animals away. These issues can be a thing of the past with such a clever design!

Credit: danslelakehouse.com

Not everyone is an experienced woodworker or has a shed full of power tools. This tutorial is probably one of the easiest raised garden bed DIYs out there.

You just need to connect the boards with the corner blocks. No tools required!

Credit: graceinmyspace.com

9. How To Build A Raised Bed On A Sloped Yard

Having a sloped yard will make building raised beds trickier. Truth be told, it’s totally doable if you’re willing to put in some extra work.

Plus, this is one of my favorite inexpensive raised garden bed ideas because it will actually increase the visual appeal of your sloped area!

Credit: deeplysouthernhome.com

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10. DIY Tiered Raised Garden Bed

Time to put your woodworking skills to good use! Function aside, this tiered raised garden bed will make your backyard much prettier. It really looks gorgeous.

Credit: anikasdiylife.com

11. DIY Cinder Block Raised Garden Bed

Here’s another beginner raised garden idea. It’s super easy to work with cinder blocks – you can even use them to build outdoor furniture!

Credit: fabeveryday.com

12. How To Build A Raised Garden Bed With Wood

If you’ve been thinking of making a raised garden bed, don’t get discouraged by your tiny backyard. Raised gardens look great even in small spaces.

Credit: bybrittanygoldwyn.com

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13. DIY Raised Garden Bed

You don’t need fancy tools to make wood garden beds. Just a saw, a drill, and a good mood!

Credit: themerrythought.com

14. DIY Raised Bed Covers

Wild animals can be a serious threat to your greens. Making garden bed covers is an inexpensive idea that will keep animals at bay.

Credit: hydrangeatreehouse.com

15. DIY Raised Garden Beds With Corrugated Metal

I love the look of corrugated metal garden beds! Making them from wood doesn’t provide any additional benefits.

Make sure to layer the soil properly. This is one of the most important things that ensures your plants grow strong and healthy.

Credit: mycrazygoodlife.com

16. DIY Raised Bed Using Concrete Blocks

Concrete blocks are the perfect “ingredient” for an easy raised garden bed project. Even more, this post offers useful tips on how to plan your garden, which will streamline the build phase.

Credit: acultivatednest.com

17. Easy & Inexpensive Raised Garden Beds

Even if you’re not an expert woodworker, this is a basic project you can finish in 30 minutes! You only need a drill and a saw, and all the cuts are easy ones.

Credit: thefrugalhomemaker.com

18. DIY Raised Garden Beds With Drawers

Tall wood garden beds such as these look amazing! This DIY is a bit labor-intensive, although totally worth it. The drawers are just a welcomed bonus!

Credit: wilkerdos.com

19. DIY Raised Garden Bed In 4 Easy Steps

You’ll notice this raised garden has a grid on top. It’s a really useful feature if you want to plant various species.

The cage on top is optional. If you live near the woods or wild critters often enter your yard, you’ll probably want it.

Credit: abeautifulmess.com

20. DIY Raised Garden Boxes With Organic Soil

If you decide to make these gorgeous garden boxes, you will instantly give your backyard a facelift.

The tutorial includes the complete cut list and step-by-step instructions. As long as you follow them, you will have outstanding results.

Credit: withinthegrove.com

Our Favorite Raised Bed Material

Our backyard raised garden beds have always been made out of cedar. We just think it’s the way to go and thought it would be good to share with you why we think that!

If you’re considering building one of the above ideas, and the design is made of wood, we’d encourage you to purchase cedar for the material and here’s why.

5 Reasons Cedar Raised Beds are the Best Way to Garden

1. ROT AND WEATHER RESISTANT

Cedar has a natural rot-resistant chemical in it that helps it resist decay and weather the seasons.

2. EASY TO WORK WITH

When dry, cedar boards are tough and don’t split easily, so pre-drilling isn’t necessary when constructing the raised beds.

3. RELATIVELY LIGHTWEIGHT

Compared to other wood types, cedar is relatively lightweight. This makes it easier to maneuver when it comes to moving it from the store to your home, as well as in the building process.

4. BIODEGRADABLE

As a natural element, cedar lumber biodegrades well meaning, when you decide to replace or deconstruct the raised bed, you can easily dispose of the boards!

5. BEAUTIFUL

I mean, this is why I like them best. 😉

Of course, a natural wood board like cedar will always look more appealing than its counterparts (like recycled plastic or composite) in a garden filled with greenery and other natural elements.

So, what do you think? Will one of these inexpensive raised garden bed ideas suit your needs?!

If so, I would encourage you to try building your own to save on cost – plus, as I always say with DIY, you can customize it to exactly what you need!

Let me know if you have any questions.