How to Make a Mini Potting Shed – Easy DIY
We love pottering around in our garden, especially this time of the year. There’s always so much to do, bulbs to plant, lawns to mow, edges to trim and tackling that odd creeper that seems to have taken over the world while we weren’t watching. It’s also the ideal time to finally make a little potting shed for our smaller garden tools. What is it with small garden tools? Whenever I look for them they’re MIA. It’s probably my own fault, I have this really bad habit of just leaving them somewhere when my mind changes gears. We’ve even found them in the fridge on one or two occasions. Yup, gardening is thirsty work 😉 This mini potting shed is the ideal solution when you don’t have space for a real life-sized version. It’s easy to make and just big enough to hold the little garden necessities.
Everything in one place
How to Make a Mini Potting Shed
We drew a very rough plan and threw some ideas around. The potting shed needed to be big enough to store all our little gardening tools and these metal signs fit the bill perfectly. We bought a whole bunch a few weeks ago and used them to make this really cool light form my son’s bedroom and a chilled beer caddy. They’re 31 cm (12 1/8″) wide and 15 cm (6″) tall. Just the right size for the sides of the potting shed 😉
A few license plates and a rough plan
Add some pallet wood and we were good to go. We cut two pieces to make the top and base for the shed and another piece to for the door. The top and base measure 23 cm (9″) by 15 cm (6″), while the door is 31 cm (12 1/8″) by 23 cm (9″). The pallet bits were sealed with a weather-resistant stain to protect the wood from soil and water damage. Once the stain was dry we nailed the metal signs onto the sides of the base and top and attached the door with a piano hinge.
Adding hinge and the license plates
I couldn’t find any handles (they’re probably in a fridge somewhere) so we used an old stripped valve and copper saddles instead. To “age” the saddles Hubby used his blow torch to add a lovely old patina.
Use a blow torch to age the copper
They look so much better and tone in nicely with the valve.
New to old with a blow torch
I wanted the valve handle to sit flush against the door, so we had to make a small hole to accommodate the bottom rounded bit of the valve and then we just screwed it on using the saddles.
Attaching the valve
Valve handle
To hang we attached two picture mounting plates to the back.
Our mini potting shed
She’s just big enough to for all our little gardening bits and when the door flips open we can use her as a mini potting bench.
Just big enough
Perfect working space
I’d love to hear your thoughts about our mini potting shed. Does it work for you?
Don’t forget to pin it if you like it
Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.
Sending blessing and loads of love as always
Love it Michelle…everything you do is AMAZING!!!
😉 Thank you Michelle
This is the best. I am always losing my gardening tools. I hate that. Especially when I leave them out and the wooden handles get all messed up in the weather. No one to blame but myself. I bet if I had a pretty little potting shed, like this one, I would take better care of them. Going to have to show this to my husband and have him make one for me! Thanks for the directions. I love the spigot as the handle, so cool.
I know what you mean Nikki, there’s nothing worse that getting splinters from those wooden handles when you’re working in the garden. Thanks so much for your lovely comment.
Love your mini potting shed! Great idea! I had made a mini photo studio similar to this at the other house we had, and it worked really well for my jewelry.
I love your handle, so cool! I am hoping to build me a potting bench once we get our house remodeling over with. I’ll have to remember the faucet valve love that idea. Maybe I can incorporate it into my potting bench.
I’m so glad you like it Linda. Everyone needs a potting bench, they come in so handy
We don’t have any space for a potting shed so this might be an option. Where did you get the metal flag from?
Hi there William, we got the flags at the China Mall. But you can find them on-line too – this link might work https://www.aliexpress.com/cheap/cheap-flag-license-plate.html
My husband and I are waiting to move into a place with a small rooftop. Maybe I could have a mini potting shed for it!
Oh I’m so excited for you Sarah. The mini potting shed would be absolutely perfect for a small rooftop garden
I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned to you but my house is full of Anglophiles. We love anything having to do with Britain and the union jack. So you know I fell in love with this the minute I saw it. I didn’t even care what it was. Until I read the post and realized how clever you are and what a great repurpose of materials this is. Sheer perfection in my book!
Wow, I didn’t know that Mary. I learn something new about you every day 😉 Thank you for you lovely comment, I’m really glad you like it
I often find random things in my fridge and microwave – my camera was the most worrying! So pleased to learn it’s not just me! Lets hope it’s because we have creative minds rather than just being a bit daft lol
Oh thank goodness I’m not the only one 😉 If I used the microwave more often I’d probably also leave stuff in there. I better stay out of the kitchen
I really love how funky this little shed is. Stylin, in all its shabby glory. It would be really handy hung beside the garden house. Pinned.
Glad you like it Leanna and thank you for the pin 😀
Michelle, everything you design and make turns out just brilliant! I’d love this mini potting shed, because we do not have a lot of room either and this is so darn cute! What a cool idea and that handle is so well repurposed! Lol, about finding tools in the fridge!
Aawww Katrin, thank you. The fridge thing happens to me quite often 😉
Love this – very creative.
Thanks so much Melissa 😉
I Love everything about this and I have a strange fetish for the Union Jack. The water faucet handle is brilliant!
Hello Kat from the Hat 😀 How’v you been? I’m really glad you like it, wacky minds think alike 😉
Michelle, I love, love this!! You had me cracking up about how you’ve found garden tools in the refrigerator, too funny! I love the rustic elements to this. I really like the faucet handle and the metal signs!! This is such a great idea to make it a small potting shed! Another brilliant project!!
Lol, Keri, we often find the strangest things in our fridge, largely due to me having a bit of a squirrel complex 😀 So glad you like our mini potting shed