Raised Bed Building Guide
The following instructions are to build a simple 8-foot-long, 4-foot-wide raised bed that is 12 inches high.
We use cedar lumber boards that are 1 inch thick, but you can use any type of wood (non-pressure-treated) that fits your budget.
- Gather your supplies
- Ensure you have the necessary tools
- Measure and cute your boards
- Take one of the 1″x12″x8′ boards and measure the halfway point. (It should be close to 4′ in length).
- Cut the 1″x12″x8′ board in half, resulting in 2, 1″x12″x4′ boards.
- Take one of the 2″x4″x8′ boards and measure 11 inches.
- Cut at the 11″ mark, and repeat, measuring and cutting 5 more times.
- You will have 6, 2″x4″x11″ boards, with some of the board left over. These are the braces.
- Attach the braces
- Take one of the 2″x4″x11″ boards (brace), and place it underneath one end of a 1″x12″x8′ board.
- Attach the 2″x4″x11″ brace to the 1″x12″x8′ board using 6 screws.
- On the other end of the 1″x12″x8′ board attach another 2″x4″x11″ brace.
- Repeat this process for your other 1″x12″x8′ board.
- Attach the corners
- Place the 1″x12″x8′ board with the attached 2″x4″x11″ brace upright.
- Take one of your 1″x12″x4′ boards and line up the edges to your braced board so it makes a corner.
- Attach the 1″x12″x4′ board to the brace using 4 screws.
- Place your second 1″x12″x8′ board upright and align next to the two boards you attached in steps 2 and 3.
- Attach this board to the 2″x4″x11″ brace using 4 screws. You will now have 3 sides of your box completed.
- Take your second 1″x12″x4′ board, and align it with the edges of the two 1″x12″x8′ boards.
- Attach this 1″x12″x4′ board by screwing it into the 2″x4″x11″ brace. Repeat on the other end.
- You now have a rectangular bed, 8 feet long and 4 feet wide.
- Reinforce the Sides
- Measure the midway point, (about 4 feet), of your 8′ board.
- Take one of your remaining 2″x4″x11″ and attach it at this midway point using 6 screws.
- Take the other 2″x4″x8′ board, align it with the 2″x4″x11″ brace in the middle, and attach it using 2 screws.
- Using your last 2″x4″x11″ brace, place it under the 2″x4″x8′ board across from the other midway brace.
- Attach the 2″x4″x8′ board to this brace using 2 screws.
- Using 6 screws, attach the 2″x4″x11″ brace to the 1″x12″x8′ board.
- Finally, cut off the excess of the middle 2″x4″x8′ board.
- Your raised bed is now ready to be filled with soil.
