Two spare EUR pallets, some scrap timber and four paving slabs became our garden potting bench. It is large, extremely stable and cost us very little because most of the material was already lying around.
The basic idea
Stand two EUR pallets parallel to each other, connect them with timber and use paving slabs as the worktop. I also added a lower shelf, which gives storage space and stiffens the entire frame.
Materials we used
- Two EUR pallets, 120 × 80 cm
- Four 600 × 400 × 40 mm paving slabs
- Scrap timber for cross-members
- Decking boards for the lower shelf
- Screws
- Paint
- Optional reinforcing mesh as a trellis/tool-hanging panel
How I built it
- Stand the pallets parallel at the depth you want.
- Remove selected boards from the front pallet to create access to the lower shelf.
- Connect the pallets at the top with strong cross-members.
- Add boards across the lower section to form a shelf and brace the structure.
- Paint the timber if desired.
- Place the paving slabs on top as the work surface.
Why paving slabs work well
They are heavy, flat and completely unbothered by potting soil, wet pots and spilled water. The weight is a disadvantage while building and an advantage forever afterwards.
The lesson I would keep from this project is to design around materials you already have. The exact measurements matter much less than comfortable working height, stability and a top surface that tolerates garden abuse.
