DIY Chalkboard Garden Shelf
Florida’s climate can be brutal when it comes to patio furnishing. The humidity will rust out metal shelves in just a few weeks. The relentless sun will destroy plastic resin just as quick. Not to mention our wind that can turn just about anything into flying debris and any moment. If you want a tough and durable outdoor shelf that can withstand the elements, here’s an idea for easy storage space with a Florida flair, that you can easily customize to fit your needs, try out this simple masonry plant and storage shelf.
It is virtually indestructible and is strong enough to hold just about anything you can put on it, whether it is a large clay pot or small starter trays. If you like growing your plants and herbs from seeds the chalkboard paint is an excellent way to keep track of them. You can expand it as high or as long to meet your needs. And best of all, you won’t need any tools to assemble it.
DIY Chalkboard Garden Shelves
What you’ll need (for two layers of shelves):
- 4 8x8x16″ Standard 20.01 concrete blocks
- 4 8x4x16” Standard 10.01 concrete blocks
- 4 5.5x1x(?) cedar or other hardwood planks (length can vary depending on your desired size of shelves)
- Chalkboard spray paint (in black)
- Chalk paint (we used aqua)
How to assemble:
- If you haven’t already, cut the planks down to equal lengths (most hardware stores will cut them down for free)
- Coat the wood with chalkboard paint of your color choice.
- Align the large bricks so that the solid sides face outward. Allow at least four inches (2 inches on each side) of overlap for the boards which will serve as the shelves.
- Slot the planks into the openings of the smaller bricks.
- Repeat for each additional level.
Add a doormat from Orchard Supply for a punch of color, and your patio is transformed easily! The focus of my hero project was the patio and exterior paint. By using paint that is fine for both interior and exterior use, I know that it will last through our Florida summer storms.
We topped the new shelves with fresh plants from the nursery at Orchard Supply Hardware, including some of my favorite succulents. The ceramic pot also came from Orchard along with this awesome fish planter!
What I love about this project is the sides are chalkboard finished so you can use chalk to identify herbs or the last time you watered your plants.
It’s also an easy way to use concrete blocks to transform your space into something new. I am all about reusing items we already have, so the concrete blocks actually came from a “kayak holder” my husband had created a year or so ago. No longer needing a kayak, we used those for this simple new project.
It’s a small change that truly does transform our neighbor’s apartment patio space.
Chalkboard Garden Shelves
A cute way to display your plants outside.
Materials
- 4 8x8x16" Standard 20.01 concrete blocks
- 4 8x4x16” Standard 10.01 concrete blocks
- 4 5.5x1x(?) cedar or other hardwood planks (length can vary depending on your desired size of shelves)
- Chalkboard spray paint (in black)
- Chalk paint (we used aqua)
Tools
Instructions
If you haven’t already, cut the planks down to equal lengths (most hardware stores will cut them down for free)
Coat the wood with chalkboard paint of your color choice.
Align the large bricks so that the solid sides face outward. Allow at least four inches (2 inches on each side) of overlap for the boards which will serve as the shelves.
Slot the planks into the openings of the smaller bricks.
Repeat for each additional level.
I would love to hear how you spruced up your outdoor space. Do you have a garden?
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