How to Make a Planter Caddy

Planter caddies help you move your large and heavy container plants from one area to another without having to do heavy lifting. Also known as "planter trolley," "plant dolly," or "pot mover," a planter caddy is basically a set of caster wheels attached to a platform. The platform can be made of cast iron, metal rods or wood slats. Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for making a wooden planter caddy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 6 slats of wood measuring 1-inch thick, 4-inches wide and 12-inches long (adjust to suit the trolley dimensions you prefer)
• 4 caster wheels
• 16 1 1/4-inch wood screws
• Jigsaw
• Power drill
• Drill bits

1. 
   Cut out the curves.

   Mark a curve on the outer edges of four of the wood slats and cut out with a jigsaw. You can skip this step if you prefer to have a square-edged trolley.

2. 
   Align wood pieces.

   Align the wood pieces to form a crosshatch. You may want to check the wood if there's a side you may want to choose as the topside.

3. Apply wood glue, weigh down the pieces and let dry. This will make it easier to screw the pieces together.

4. 
   Screw wood pieces together.

   Insert screws from the underside. You may need to drill pilot holes for the screws. Remember to check the size of the screw against the drill bit you will use for the pilot holes; make the pilot holes just a tad smaller than the screws.

5. 
   Drill pilot hole for wheels.

   Drill pilot holes in the four corners for the caster wheels. Check the size of the posts of the caster wheels to ensure that your pilot holes are a tight fit.

6. 
   Insert caster wheels.

   Insert caster wheels into pilot holes.

7. 
   Finished planter caddy.

   Flip caddy upright, put planter on top and roll away.

Tips & Warnings

• To make the perfect corner curve, measure the width of the wood then mark the same measurement from the end of the wood down its length along the inner edge. Mark this as your pivot point. Fold a piece of string around the tip of a pencil; hold the pencil on the corner edge of the wood, and the two strands of string on the pivot point. The string will help guide the pencil into drawing the perfect corner curve.
• Instead of gluing the pieces together, you can use clamps to keep the slats aligned for screwing.
• Paint your planter caddies with your favorite colors to match your planters, your decor or each other.
• Use hard rubber caster wheels--they're friendlier to hardwood floors.
• For very heavy or large pots, design a planter caddy using five caster wheels for better strength and stability.
• Always wear protective gear when using power tools.
• Wood deteriorates when constantly exposed to water and moisture. To minimize damage to wood caddies, use dishes, catchers or waterproof containers under the potted plants.

Resources

• HGTV: Trash to Treasures: Plant Caddy
• KidsGardening.com: Cast Iron Plant Caddy

[GreenGardenChic]

on 1/22/2008 This looks so professional, I have to try it. Thanks.