Box of beauty

Mark Rayner comes up with a portable container for easily changed displays of potted flower plants or growing herbs.

You will need:

12mm exterior plywood cut to the following dimensions:
- 408mm x 276mm for the base
- Two 408mm x 110mm for the front and back
- Two 252mm x 110mm for the sides
- 384mm x 110mm for the central divider
- Four 120mm x 110mm for the dividing inserts
- Two 400mm x 50mm for the handle supports
- 35mm dowel cut to 408mm for the handle

Also required: 30mm zinc plated panel pins, PVA glue, hammer, nail punch, sandpaper, filler, saw, rule, paintbrushes including a small artist's brush, Resene Quick Dry water borne primer undercoat, Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Palm Leaf, Resene testpots In the following colours, Resene Ravine, Resene Parsley, Resene Hippie Green.

To get the look: Mark chose six red cyclamen to fill the tray with instant 'potted colour'.

More ideas: Use the same design for a handy tray for potted herbs. And if preferred, substitute a thick rope handle that will tuck out of sight when not in use.

Step one
Cut the plywood and dowel to the above dimensions and smooth any rough edges with sandpaper. Assemble the sides and central divider, as shown, fixing with PVA glue and panel pins.

Step two
Position the dividing inserts, as shown, ensuring each is evenly spaced, and fix with PVA and panel pins.

Step three
Fix the base into position using PVA and panel pins, nailing through from underneath.

Step four
Position the handle supports, fixing with PVA and panel pins. Position the cut dowel between them, as shown, securing with PVA glue and panel pins. Punch in nail heads with a nail punch and fill holes with filler. Once dry, sand smooth.

Step five
Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to the entire carry tray and allow to dry for one hour.

Step six
Apply two coats of Resene Palm Leaf to the carry tray apart from the front, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step seven
Apply two coats of Resene Ravine to the front of the carry tray, as shown, and allow two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eight
Paint a mosaic pattern on the carry tray's front face with the artists' brush and Resene Parsley and Resene Hippie Green. Allow to dry for two hours.

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