How to Build a Raised Garden Bed (Frugal + Easy)

How to build a raised garden bed to grow your own food this summer! Check out my step-by-step tutorial showing you how to build a frugal raised garden bed to save money on food + eat healthier! It’s super easy to build, and simple enough for any living situation – whether you rent or own your home!

Written by Mr. Crumbs.

Mrs. Crumbs has been on a garden kick.

Earlier this year she started a small potted garden, modeling her step-mother and good friend who successfully garden every year.  Roughly four weeks into the gardening season, when all of the plants started sprouting in her egg crate planter, she quickly realized we didn’t have enough pots (large and small) to house all of her budding veggies.

She tried to find second-hand pots affordably, but they were either too small or too expensive.  Naturally, she came to me and kindly requested that we build a raised garden bed to help grow the additional produce.  Grow a garden, harvest, save on the grocery bill, right?

Tasked with building a 4’x8′ raised bed, I marched into the hardware store and headed straight to the lumber section.  However, my optimism was crushed when I read this:  8 Foot Cedar Plank – $25.

We would need 3 of those for the bed.  Plus hardware.  And the near 10% tax.  Suddenly, this fun little project was creeping towards $100.  Online kits ranged from $80 to $100 too.

I thought we’re supposed to be SAVING money here…

Once I got back home, I noticed a large dumpster near our home at the time.  It was one of those temporary ones – you know, the kind used for construction sites.  This temporary dumpster was filled with scrap lumber!

Inside the dumpster were planks well over 8 feet long and 8 inches high.  Just perfect for a raised garden.

I dove in and found three wonderful 8′ planks.  Although riddled with nails, they were free and would do the trick.  I shared my new plan with Mrs. Crumbs, talking about the remaining supplied we’d need and the approximate cost.

When we tallied the total cost to be approximately $15, she was thrilled!

What you’ll need to build a raised garden bed

Supplies:

• Lumber, preferably free.  Look in dumpsters, discard piles at construction sites, trash piles on the side of the road, old pallets or online.
  • Freecycle and your local city’s Facebook group.
  • Don’t pay for the wood if at all possible.
• Corner Brackets.  You need a total of eight, two for each corner.  Your local hardware store should have some similar to these on Amazon.  I recommend the 3″ bracket, but you can use a 4″ bracket if they’re cheaper.
• Paint or Stain, optional.  This would be to protect the wood, but it’s entirely optional.  Check the “oops” colors of paint at your local hardware store for cheap paint.  We picked up one quart for just 50¢ to supplement the random leftover paint in our garage.
• Paint Brushes.  A must-have if you’re going to paint.

Step 1:  Measure the wood

Step 2:  Cut the wood to the desired length

Borrowing a saw, we trimmed the ends and cut one of the planks in half.  If you have jagged edges or edges with angles, aim to cut those off.

Step 3:  Pull any stray nails, cut off large stray pieces and sand extremely rough edges

Remember that this will be on the ground, level with the kids and animals, so eliminate the obvious dangers.  Designate someone to hold a pail for discarded nails so none get left behind in the yard.

Step 4:  Mock assemble the wood

Just a precaution to make sure the pieces are cut to correct size.  Fix any obvious errors.

Step 5:  Paint or stain the wood

If you’re short on paint, only one side and edge need really to be painted – a perfect assignment for the kids.

And garden-crazy wives!

Step 6:  Prepare the ground

While the kids and other helpers are busy, adults can level the ground and pull large weeds.

Step 7:  Assemble the bed using the corner brackets

Having another adult available to hold the wood steady is helpful.

Step 8:  Lay your new raised garden bed down on the prepped ground

The bed should sit level.  Add/remove dirty or sand as necessary.

Step 9:  Fill with dirt and plants!

Tips for Building your Raised Garden Bed

• Your biggest expense will be lumber, which is why I suggest digging around to find some for free before paying for it.
• Additionally, you likely could get by with using only four brackets, instead of eight.
• The paint brushes are the no-name brand, basic brush just like these.
• Before you buy ANYTHING, scour your garage and closets for supplies.
  • Old shelves and mix/matched “not quite the same” hardware will work just as well, and you just might be able to build a raised garden bed for free!

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5 Days to DIY Natural Living

Being healthy isn’t just what goes IN your body, it’s what goes ON your body too. Download my free guide 5 Days to DIY Natural Living to learn how to save money while getting rid of harmful toxins throughout your home.
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