{"id":16858,"date":"2018-11-26T18:51:42","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T18:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.homedepot.com\/?p=113214"},"modified":"2018-11-26T20:39:49","modified_gmt":"2018-11-26T20:39:49","slug":"diy-potting-bench-apple-cider-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/diy-potting-bench-apple-cider-bar\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Potting Bench + Apple Cider Bar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/h2>\n
\n
Jennifer Caroll of Celebrating Everyday Life<\/a> builds a potting bench that can transition into any season. Find out how she creates a beautiful apple cider bar that any guest will compliment this fall season.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

DIY Potting Bench + Apple Cider Bar<\/b><\/h2>\n
It’s no secret that I love to entertain and I’m always looking for creative ways to improve my outdoor entertaining area. This year I decided that I wanted to create something that was flexible and beautiful. After all, I don’t want my patio cluttered with a bunch of furniture. Plus different celebrations have different needs, so I decided to create a multi-season\u00a0party and gardening station. It is a perfect spot for prepping pots and planters and since it’s on wheels I can roll it anywhere I need it for stylish entertaining on the go! Let me show you how I built it and how I styled a beautiful fall apple cider bar on it!<\/div>\n
\"Jennifer<\/div>\n
\n

STEP 1:\u00a0<\/strong>Make a plan + gather supplies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I drew a custom plan for this potting bench that gave me maximum table space for working and setting up an impromptu party buffet. I gave it sweet willow and copper details to add both style and function.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The dimensions for my potting bench are 6′ tall by 4′ wide and 2′ deep.<\/p>\n

Here are the supplies you will need to make your own:<\/p>\n

2 – 4″x 4″ x 8′\u00a0Posts<\/span><\/a>
\n5 – 2″ x 4″ x 93″ Wood Studs<\/a>
\n1 – 1″ x 8″ x 6′ Board<\/a>
\n2 –\u00a01\/2″ x 24″ x 48″ Plywood Sheets<\/a>
\n2 – 6″ x 8″ Black Celtic Scroll Brackets<\/a>
\n1 – 1\/2″ x 5′ Type M Copper Pipe<\/a>
\n1 –\u00a048″ x 120″ Bamboo Expandable Willow Fence or Trellis<\/a>
\n2 – 4″ x 4″ Copper Pyramid\u00a0Post<\/span>\u00a0Cap<\/a>
\n4 –\u00a04″ Swivel with Brake Non-Marking Rubber Casters<\/a>
\n1 pack –\u00a01-13\/16″ Flat Black Single Prong Robe Hook Value Pack<\/a>
\n3 – 1-3\/4″ (45mm) Bronze with Copper Highlights Oversized Round Cabinet Knob<\/a>
\nSaw for Cutting Wood<\/a>
\nHand Sander for Sanding Wood<\/a>
\nDrill + Drill Bits<\/a>
\nWood Screws<\/a>
\nLevel<\/a>
\nWood Glue<\/a>
\n3\/4 in. Hot-Dip Galvanized Staples<\/a>
\nHammer<\/a>
\nJr. Tube Cutter for Cutting Copper Pipe<\/a>
\nConstruction Adhesive<\/a><\/p>\n

STEP 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Cut your wood<\/strong><\/h3>\n

OK, now it’s time to get cutting! First,\u00a0cut your two 4″ x 4″ x 8′\u00a0posts<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to 5′ 6″ tall. This will give you two remaining pieces that are 2′ 6″ tall – these will be for your front legs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cut four of your 2″ x 4″ by 93″ boards<\/a> to 48″ in length. You will end up with four 48″ inch boards and four 45″ boards. Set your\u00a048″ boards aside.<\/p>\n

Cut all four of your\u00a0remaining 45″ boards into 21″ pieces. You will now have eight 21″ piece boards.<\/p>\n

Cut your remaining 2″ x 4″ x 93″ board<\/a> to 42″ – keep the 42″ piece and put the remaining piece in your wood stash for a future project.<\/p>\n

Cut 1″ x 8″ x 6′ piece of wood<\/a> to 1″ x 8″ x 4′. This is for your top shelf. Put the remaining two feet piece aside for a future project.<\/p>\n

Give all of your wood a quick once over with your hand sander<\/a> for a nice, more pro looking finish. Plus, it reduces the chances of you giving yourself a splinter while you’re working!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

STEP 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Assemble your boxes\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now you want to begin assembling the boxes, these are the supports for your countertop and your shelf.<\/p>\n

Use your drill and appropriate sized drill bit<\/a> for your wood screws<\/a> to pre-drill your holes for connecting the wood. To make this easier on me and more uniform, I created a little pattern on paper for where my holes would go. I then placed this on the piece of wood at the end where I needed to drill and drilled through the paper.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I used the same pattern over and over with each piece. It got a little tattered but still useable and\u00a0really helped keep me on track with my drilling.<\/p>\n

You will need holes on each front end of your 48″ pieces and one hole on the forward end of your side pieces.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Connect 21″ side pieces to 48″ long pieces to form a box. Evenly space to 21″ short pieces inside to give your box even greater stability. Be sure to use a level<\/a> to make sure you are keeping your box nice and square.<\/p>\n

STEP 4:\u00a0<\/strong>Attach boxes to the posts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now that both of your boxes are assembled it’s time to attach them to the\u00a0posts<\/span>. I put my short\u00a0post<\/span>\u00a0legs on the inside of my boxes and attached the back of the boxes to the outside of the back\u00a0post<\/span>\u00a0legs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This allowed for the top counter piece to be perfectly flat and flush and require no cutting. Giving me maximum counter space.<\/p>\n

You will need to notch out the front corner of your lower shelf but with a jigsaw, this is a simple cut to make.<\/p>\n

Attach the front, short legs to the inside of the box first. Remember to use your level<\/a> to make sure you’re keeping everything nice and even.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then, lay your tall back leg\u00a0posts<\/span>\u00a0on the ground, and balance your short box legs on a chair or have a friend support them while you attach the box to the back legs. I found it was easier to do it like this than try to support those giant (and heavy!) back legs!<\/p>\n

STEP 5:\u00a0<\/strong>Attach casters to the posts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While your potting bench is laying on its back, drill your pilot holes for your casters<\/a> (and go ahead and attach them too!)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Again, use a pattern if necessary to make it easier.<\/p>\n

Be sure to lock your wheels once you raise the bench to its feet so it doesn’t roll around on you until your ready!<\/p>\n

STEP 6:\u00a0<\/strong>Attach countertop + shelves<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now that your potting bench is on its feet, we want to add our countertop and storage shelves.<\/p>\n

Hold one piece of plywood up against the front legs to determine the spacing for your cuts to allow for the\u00a0posts<\/span>\u00a0on the bottom shelf.<\/p>\n

Use your jigsaw to cut out those 2 notches on the front long end of the plywood. Apply wood glue to the top of the box and place the notched bottom shelf. Add wood screws to help secure the shelf to the box.<\/p>\n

Apply wood glue to the top of the top box and place uncut plywood onto it. Add wood screws for extra hold. You now have a smooth wood top!<\/p>\n

Now we want to add the brackets<\/a> to the back\u00a0posts<\/span>\u00a0to hold a smaller shelf.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First, attach your 42″ piece of 2″ x 4″ between your back\u00a0posts<\/span>\u00a0at the height you desire your top shelf. I put mine 6″ from the top of the\u00a0posts<\/span>. Since it is only 42″ wide you want to center it leaving some room for the shelf brackets to go on each side on the\u00a0posts<\/span>. This piece of wood is going to help your shelf not sag over time.<\/p>\n

Now, attach the brackets to the\u00a0posts<\/span>. Remember, drilling pilot holes can really help this process go more smoothly.<\/p>\n

Once your brackets<\/a> are in place, put your piece of 1″ x 8″ x 4′ top shelf wood onto the brackets. Use regular wood screws to attach the back edge of the shelf to the base piece of wood. Then, use the small nails that came with your brackets to attach the bracket to the wood shelf.<\/p>\n

STEP 7:\u00a0<\/strong>Finishing touches<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now you just have a few finishing touches to add!<\/p>\n

TRELLIS:\u00a0<\/strong>
\nFirst, let’s attach the trellis<\/a> to the back of our bench. This is super simple to attach using 3\/4″ staples<\/a> that you tap in with a hammer<\/a>. Simply stretch the trellis open and place a staple over an “x” juncture of the trellis and tap the staple into the back of the shelf bracket. Then repeat this step on the bottom of the trellis, attaching it to the back of the top “box.” Finally, repeat the top and bottom steps on the opposite side. You can add a couple more staples in the middle for extra security.<\/p>\n

KNOB\/HOOK DETAILS:<\/strong>
\nI wanted to make that shelf bracket be fun and functional by adding some cute knob<\/a> and hook<\/a> details. These are great for hanging tools as well as cute signs like I did for my Apple Cider Bar!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Simply choose your hook and knob placement on the front of the wood. Use a drill<\/a> to pre-dill your holes and then attach with your screws. Easy! I used three knobs and two hooks on this piece.<\/p>\n

COPPER DRAPERY ROD:<\/strong>
\nI then put two hooks under the countertop on the front legs to act as holders for a piece of copper pipe<\/a> that I turned into an impromptu drapery rod. I decided to add this because I realized that there are going to be many times when I’m storing bags of potting soil or other more utilitarian items and would prefer to hide them with a pretty piece of fabric. This way, I’m adding a touch of shiny copper which is pretty and perfectly on-trend at the moment but it can easily move out of the way if I’m wrestling large items or just get tired of the rod.<\/p>\n

The rod comes in a 5′ length so I used a Jr. Tube cutter<\/a> to cut the pipe. Simply open the width of the “mouth” of the tube cutter and insert the tube into it. Tighten the blade onto the pipe and begin to turn the pipe. This will score the pipe. Continue turning and tightening as you can. In just a moment or two, you will have cut your pipe. I was worried this step would be hard but it was actually easy! Yay!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The hooks<\/a> come in a pack of six – you can add the remaining two hooks on the side of the bench for extra storage or use them on another project.<\/p>\n

COPPER\u00a0POST<\/span>\u00a0CAPS:<\/strong>
\nTo repeat a touch of the copper accent and to give my\u00a0posts<\/span>\u00a0a more finished look I decided to place two\u00a0post<\/span>\u00a0caps<\/a> on the tall\u00a0posts<\/span>.<\/p>\n

To attach each\u00a0post<\/span>\u00a0cap style to the\u00a0post<\/span>, apply an exterior-grade construction adhesive<\/a> to the underside of the\u00a0post<\/span>\u00a0cap and place firmly on the\u00a0post.<\/span><\/p>\n

And there you have it, a beautiful and functional DIY potting bench!<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer<\/p>\n

Styling Your DIY Potting Bench as an Apple Cider Bar<\/strong><\/h2>\n

OK, now let’s get to the fun part – styling your new potting bench as an Apple Cider Bar for fall!<\/p>\n

First I made this fun and easy DIY Apple Cider sign – please visit my\u00a0blog<\/span>\u00a0CelebratingEverydayLife.com\/<\/wbr>AppleCiderBarSign<\/a>\u00a0for the full tutorial and to get your FREE Apple Cider bar stencil template!<\/p>\n

Signs like this are easy to make and really take your party styling up a notch.<\/p>\n

Next, I began thinking about textures and colors that evoke fall. I gathered a couple of cozy throws, a beautiful pillow from Home Depot, and a mix of platters and baskets to include.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I like to create DIY self-serve stations like this when entertaining because it’s a great way to engage guests and help them feel at ease. Sitting around awkwardly is never a good thing. Having a station gives guests an anchor point.<\/p>\n

I chose to serve my cider in a glass dispenser. If you are planning to serve hot cider consider a thermal dispenser instead. Glass like this can break with very hot beverages so watch out for that. Be sure to add some slices of apples, oranges and some cinnamon sticks for extra visual appeal to your cider jar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Copper is a terrific choice for fall and\u00a0HomeDepot.com<\/a>\u00a0has a tremendous selection of copper mugs<\/a> for you to choose from. You can get monogrammed mugs or plain ones like these. When hung on a mug rack like the one I used here, they do double duty and are both festive and functional.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Toppings just make things better, don’t they? Let guests have fun customizing their drink with a mix of garnishes ranging from sweet to exotic flavors. Here I’ve used cinnamon – both sticks and ground options, sweet butterscotch chips, and some ground chili powder for those who are feeling extra adventurous. There is, of course, delicious caramel sauce they can pour on and even some whipped cream to make their cider over the top delectable.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer<\/p>\n

Consider adding some sweet treats to further tempt your friends. Here I’ve gathered a few favorite flavors of donuts and displayed them both on a galvanized pedestal and hung them from some hooks on our mug rack. Presenting old favorites in a fun way is a simple idea that adds instant pizzaz to your gathering.<\/p>\n

Apple slices (dipped in lemon water to keep them from turning brown) and some orange slices make pretty garnishes for the cider cups too.<\/p>\n

A few candied\u00a0apples and some grab and go snacks like candy corn mixed with salted peanuts are all you need to delight your friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally, fill in your apple cider bar display with baskets of apples, oranges, fall colored mums, and even some pumpkins for two. A mix of metal and woven baskets will add interest and lend fall charm to your setting.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer<\/p>\n

I encourage you to look around your home for the foundational supplies to create your bar and then visit your local Home Depot or\u00a0HomeDepot.com<\/a>\u00a0for everything else you need to create a beautiful and memorable apple cider bar!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For more fall style inspiration, check out the Halloween and Harvest Style Challenge<\/a> series on The Home Depot blog.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The post DIY Potting Bench + Apple Cider Bar<\/a> appeared first on The Home Depot Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jennifer Caroll of Celebrating Everyday Life builds a potting bench that can transition into any season. Find out how she creates a beautiful apple cider bar that any guest will compliment this fall season. DIY Potting Bench + Apple Cider Bar It’s no secret that I love to entertain and I’m always looking for creative…<\/p>\n

The post DIY Potting Bench + Apple Cider Bar<\/a> appeared first on The Home Depot Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":16859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2216,6,1,1795,1855],"tags":[2282],"class_list":["post-16858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backyard-ideas","category-diy","category-home-improvement-blogs","category-outdoor-living","category-thd-owned-content","tag-uncategorized","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}