31 Easy and Inexpensive DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas

Level Up

This DIY tiered raised garden bed from Anika's DIY Life is made from cedar fencing. 2×4's, and braces. A built-in trellis for tomato and cucumber plants adds a decorative touch that creates a focal point in the backyard.

Use Stock Tanks

Most Lovely Things used stock tanks to create a raised garden in this Connecticut backyard. Filled with herbs and tomato plants on a backyard patio, the galvanized metal containers add an industrial farmhouse touch. The tanks were installed on a bed of gravel lined with plastic to minimize weeding.

Add DIY Tomato Cages

This DIY tomato cage trellis from My 100 Year Old Home is made from pine boards that weather over time for a natural look that works in this farmhouse-style garden, built along the side of an unused driveway. The tomato cage structures are topped with a decorative finial to add a finishing touch.

Repurpose Livestock Panels

These raised garden beds from blogger Liz Marie have DIY trellises made from leftover livestock panels and T-posts to create a solid structure to support the weight of climbing plants. The simple materials can be sourced inexpensively at any home store.

Add an Arched Trellis

Delia Creates added a DIY arched trellis that stretches between two raised garden beds in this large outdoor space that adds charm and a romantic feel.

Divide and Conquer

A Beautiful Mess built this easy four-step backyard DIY raised garden bed from affordable cedar wood, then added a grid made from PVC flat trim to keep it organized. The simple rectangular design is accessorized with pots of flowers and a pair of pink garden flamingos on opposite diagonal corners to keep things light.

Keep It Simple

The Merrythought made this simple DIY raised garden bed from untreated wood and corner braces and placed it in a sunny backyard spot, planting it with compost-rich soil and everything from carrot seeds to rhubarb, asparagus, garlic, and sprouted sweet potatoes.

Terrace a Sloping Lawn

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona added terraced raised garden beds in varying heights to the sloping lawn outside her DIY shed-turned greenhouse to counteract the uneven ground.

Made from non-toxic pressure-treated wood, the beds are lined with cardboard and filled with a mix of soil from the surrounding woods and garden soil from the local home goods center, a layer of moisture-absorbing wood chips, and finished with a layer of insect-repelling cedar chips.

Keep the Bunnies Out

Most Lovely Things chose galvanized stock tanks that are two feet high, making them easy to maintain without bending over, and keeping local bunnies from feasting on the garden.

Use Repurposed Materials

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona made these raised garden beds using salvaged pallet wood and salvaged castors from a piece of furniture picked up along the side of the road.

Vary Heights and Sizes

Finding Lovely incorporated raised garden planters of varying heights in this enclosed garden space that is planted with everything from vegetables to flowers.

Add a Cover

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona created a low-maintenance garden by placing self-watering raised garden beds on an outdoor deck. Leftover PVC pipe was used to create a shade cover for transplanted seedlings that is particularly helpful on especially hot days.

Add a Cage Cover

A Beautiful Mess built a DIY cage for this DIY-raised garden bed to keep animals from chewing up plants.

Give It Space

Blogger Liz Marie used stock tanks with plenty of space between them to create a neat and organized feel to the farmhouse garden.

Add a Picket Fence

Blogger Liz Marie Blog added a picket fence around her raised bed garden that helps define the space while adding cottage charm.

Plant a Mini Herb Garden

Maison de Cinq planted a mini herb garden that's perfect for someone who loves to cook with fresh ingredients and can be located anywhere from the backyard to a patio or porch.

Mix Fruit, Flowers, Veg, and Herbs

This cottage-style fruit, flower, vegetable, and herb garden from Lobster and Swan is filled with everything from blueberry plants to sweet peas, strawberries, salvias, and roses.

Use Douglas Fir

My 100 Year Old Home used Douglas Fir to build these inexpensive DIY raised garden planters along the side of an unused driveway.

Accessorize It

Inspired By Charm customized a premade planter by planting it with salad ingredients on top, storing garden accessories on the bottom, and accessorizing it with gold knobs for hanging tools and gloves, and chalk plant markers.

Use Leftover Fencing

Matching the garden bed to the backyard fencing creates a cohesive look, like this outdoor space from Fantastic Frank.

Make It Cottage Style

Rustic fencing and reclaimed materials add authentic charm to this DIY raised bed cottage garden from Lobster and Swan.

Plant a Cutting Garden

My 100 Year Old Home planted a cutting garden to grow a year-round supply of flowers for the house. The raised cutting garden beds were planted with a lively mix of snapdragons, ranunculus, salvia, tulips, bearded iris, dahlias, and gerbera daisies.

Add Fencing

Finding Lovely built a series of DIY raised garden beds in this spacious garden that sit on a bed of gravel and are surrounded by a tall fence protected with metal mesh to add a second line of defense in keeping critters at bay while maintaining an open feel.

Anchor It With a Greenhouse

Blogger Liz Marie added structure, height, and charm to her farmhouse backyard with a DIY greenhouse that anchors a large raised vegetable garden bed.

Keep It Natural

Lobster and Swan added an effortless feel to these generously planted raised DIY garden beds with plant cages made from sticks and twine.

Involve the Whole Family

Finding Silver Pennies made building a backyard-raised garden bed a project for the family to tackle together. It took an afternoon to build these DIY beds filled with tomato plants, marigolds, and chili peppers. Reclaimed fence posts with an aged patina were used to train the tomato plants.

Plant Some Flowers

You can also use raised garden beds to plant decorative flowers that complement the style of your home and outdoor space. For a bold but minimalist look, consider choosing one type and color of flower in large numbers.

Finding Lovely planted DIY raised garden beds with generous amounts of pale-colored tulips that create a dramatic but calming feel in the farmhouse garden space.

Make an Herb Garden Coffee Table

If you don't have a backyard or your outdoor space is limited, you can build a micro-raised garden bed like this DIY herb garden coffee table from A Beautiful Mess. The project is made from plywood and cost $75 from start to finish.

Located on the porch, the mini raised herb garden bed coffee table is both decorative and practical, with room to rest your lemonade or cocktail and fresh mint at the ready when you want to pop a sprig in your drink.

Upcycle a Vintage Wine Barrel

In this Swedish country house outdoor dining space from Fantastic Frank, large raised garden beds were made from weathered wood and an upcycled vintage wine barrel.

Mark Your Territory

Finding Silver Pennies made beach stone garden markers with local rocks and an oil-based paint pen for these coastal Massachusetts DIY raised garden beds that help keep track of what's been planted while blending in with the natural feel.

Take a Shortcut

If you don't have the time for a DIY project, you can create a casual homemade feel with premade raised garden bed planters and potted plants.

Madison Cleventine of Musings by Madison used premade raised garden bed planters as decor on the side yard of her home and added colorful potted flowers and plants inside and on the ground below to create an English garden feel.