Bob's Free Woodworking Plans


Build a Wooden Wheelbarrow Planter

Solid Cedar Wheelbarrow Flower Planter

Cedar Wheelbarrow Flower Planter with a Spoke Wheel


With our free plans, you can build your own wooden wheelbarrow planter that looks like an antique but you can easily make it yourself! What a great addition to any flower garden or landscape! With some good potting soil, a little fertilizer and water you can have flowers overflowing the sides of these beautiful planters.

We offer two different styles to choose from. The heart wheel style is a very simple project that is designed with the beginning woodworker in mind. The spoked wheel style is designed for the more experienced woodworker. Either style is sure to delight the gardener in your life and will provide years of beauty and enjoyment.

Solid Cedar Wheelbarrow Flower Planter

Wheelbarrow Planter Loaded with Flowers

This wheelbarrow features a spoked wagon wheel which is a little more challenging to make than the simple heart wheel design shown below. The handles and legs of this design are made of 1 1/2 in. thick wood. The tub and spokes are made od 3/4 in. thick wood.

The plans consist of over 20 pages of detailed drawings and instructions and includes patterns for pieces that require cutting with the scroll saw.

To complete this project, You'll need:

  A table saw, scroll saw, and router.

  A drill press with a 5/8 in. round plug cutter for the ends of the spokes and a 5/8 in. forstner bit for spoke holes in the rim sections.

  A tapering jig to cut the tapered sides of the spokes.

  A tenoning jig to make the necessary cuts on the spokes.

Finished size is Approximately 53 in. by 19 in. by 19 in.

Solid Cedar Wheelbarrow Flower Planter

Wheelbarrow Planter with Heart Wheel

While this wheelbarrow is very similar in design to the one shown above, it features a much simpler wheel and handles. I call it the Heart Wheel design, which is easier to make than the Spoke Wheel design. The handles, legs, tub and wheels of this design are made of 3/4 in. thick wood.

The plans consist of over 20 pages of detailed drawings and instructions and includes patterns for pieces that require cutting with the scroll saw.

To complete this project, You'll need:

  • An electric saw, scroll saw, and router.
  • A pocket hole jig and basic hand tools.

As with any woodworking project, choosing the correct materials is essential. These planters needs to be weather proof and decay resistant. For that, you should choose either treated lumber, cedar, cypress, redwood, or other decay resistant wood.

The planters pictured in the top and lower images are made of solid cedar. The one filled with flowers is made of pressure treated wood that is finished with a distressed finish look.

Check out the following sample pages from our free wheelbarrow plans. Since the plans are free, you can download and read through them before deciding to build the project

Download instructions for the complete plans file are at the bottom of this page.

Assembling the Legs



Top View of Assembling the Wheelbarrow Legs

The Top View drawing above shows how the leg components fit together as viewed from the top.


Isometric View of Assembling the Wheelbarrow Legs

Assemble the legs, cross member, and back brace as shown above. The legs are attached to the cross member using 1 5/8” coated deck screws as shown. The 11 1/2” edge of the cross member is flush with the side of the legs that have the 83 degree angle.


Isometric View of Assembling the Wheelbarrow Legs

Since the 11” side of the cross member has nothing attached to the surface, it does not need to be flush with the legs. Next, fasten the back brace to the legs and crossmember using 1 5/8” deck screws. The cross member does not extend completely to the edge of the legs to allow room for the rounded edges of the legs.



Assembling the Frame

How to Assemble the Wheelbarrow Frame

The drawing shown above illustrates how to assemble the frame for the Heart Wheel Wheelbarrow. The assembly for both styles are similar and the specific plans provide instruction for that specific project.

Assembling the Wheelbarrow Tub Sides

Assemble the Wheelbarrow Tub Sides

The tub's side panels are assembled as shown in the drawing to the left. Use 1 1/4 in. coated exterior screws to attach the braces to the side panels. Note that the bottoms of the braces must be 3/4 in. above the bottom of the side panels.


Assembling the Ends of the Tub

How to Assemble the Wheelbarrow Tub

The image to the left shows how the sides and ends are assembled. Note that the rear end appears to point towards the back. This is done to show an inside view of both ends.

Assembling the Tub bottom

How to Assemble the Wheelbarrow Tub bottom

The tub's bottom panels are assembled as shown in the drawing to the left. Use 1 1/4 in. coated exterior screws to attach the braces to the side panels. Note that the bottoms of the braces must be ¾” above the bottom of the side panels.


Open View - Inside of Tub

A View of the Tub' Inside



This view shows an inside view of how the tub all goes together.


Spoke Wheel Parts Drawings

Spoke Wheel Parts Drawings

Parts Drawings for the Spoke Wheel.


Heart Wheel Drawings

Heart Wheel Drawings

Partial Drawing for the Heart Wheel.


Copyright Notice

Please be aware that these plans are copyrighted and may not be distributed by any person or company except here on www.bobsplans.com. We hope you enjoy the free woodworking plans offered on this site. You are invited to download any of the plans free of charge for your own use.

Copyright © 2021 by Robert E. Reedy (All Rights Reserved)
Wheelbarrow.htm (09-17-2023)