DIY Parcel Box Using Leftover Wood

DIY Parcel Box Using Leftover Wood
By Cassie Fairy and photography by Andy Greenacre

If you want to create a place outdoors where deliveries can be left, while still keeping packages sheltered from the elements, why not create this parcel box? We used leftover wood that we found lying around the garden rather than buying new timber, so this delivery box is cobbled together with offcuts of decking, thin trellis wood and a piece of marine ply. Have a look in your shed, garage or garden to see what you’ve got lying around. Pallet wood would work well for this project, as would any pressure-treated timber or offcuts from DIY projects.

The only hardware you need is a piano hinge or a few smaller hinges and a handle. We found these items in our tool shed, having taken them off things that were broken ‘just in case’ we needed them in the future. However, if you don’t have these hardware items, you could build the lid a little larger to just lift off the box rather than hinge up. Or you could make a handle by screwing on a block of wood. It’s all about making use of the materials you have to create this useful parcel box.
Parcel-Box-Finished-with-parcel-2-opt.jpgYou will need:
  • Leftover wood and marine ply
  • Saw 
  • Drill 
  • Screwdriver
  • 40mm and 20mm wood screws 
  • 1 long piano hinge or a few smaller hinges
  • Handle (or block of wood) 
  • Outdoor paint or stain
  • Paint brush
  • Shed felt and tacks (optional)

Step 1

Step-1.jpgUsing whatever wood you can find in storage, build a frame for the parcel box. We’ve used 37 x 18mm trellis wood and have cut it to the following measurements to create the four sides of an angled frame:
Step-1-Parcel-Box-Measurements-opt.jpg4 x 56cm width
4 x 44cm depth
2 x 44cm height at the back
2 x 44cm height at the back with a 15 degree angle
2 x 36cm height at the front
2 x 36cm height at the front with a 15 degree angle

However, you can use whatever measurements you like in order to make the parcel box bigger or smaller, depending on how much wood you have available.
 

Step 2

Step-2opt.jpgUsing 40mm wood screws, attach two sides, a top and a bottom piece of wood together to make a 2D frame. Repeat with the other pieces of wood to make four 2D frames. Then screw the four frames together to make a 3D box frame.
 

Step 3

Step-3-2opt.jpgUsing offcuts of decking, fencing planks, shiplap or featheredge timber, clad the outside of the box frame to make it solid. Screw the planks to the frame using 40mm wood screws and, where the final plank meets the angled top of the frame, cut it at an angle so that it is flush with the top edge.
 

Step 4

Step-4-2opt.jpgCreate a lid for the parcel box using a piece of marine ply or, if you don’t have any, you could use more pressure-treated planks or a piece of regular ply, although you may need to cover the lid with felt to make the lid water-resistant. Cut a frame from the thinner trellis/framing wood to the following measurements:

2 x 70cm
2 x 53cm

Screw these together using 40mm wood screws and then attach a piece of marine ply to the top using 20mm wood screws. If you’ve made the box bigger or smaller, please adjust this top to fit the measurements you’ve used.
 

Step 5

Step-5opt.jpgAttach the lid to the back of box frame (the taller side) using a piano hinge or multiple smaller hinges and 20mm wood screws.
 

Step 6

Step-6opt.jpgIf the base of the box isn’t going to be sitting on concrete or decking, you might want to add a wooden base to the inside of the box using offcuts of fencing planks or another piece of marine ply.
 

Step 7

Step-7opt.jpgYou can either leave the outside of the box in a wood finish or give it a coat of shed paint or fence treatment to protect it. We added two coats of grey decking paint to even out the colours of the wood and cover up any stains or water marks from where the wood has been stored.
 

Step 8

Step-8opt.jpgFinally add an old handle to the front edge of the lid using 20mm wood screws. If you don’t have a handle, you can add a block of wood to use as a handle instead.
 

Step 9 (optional)

If you haven’t used marine ply or are worried that the lid might not be water-resistant, you can use an offcut of shed roofing felt to cover the lid. Use tacks to attach the piece of felt to the top of the parcel box.
Parcel-Box-Finished-on-deckingopt.jpgPosition the parcel box in your porch, against the fence or beside your front door. Don’t block any paths and, for safety, please use brackets and masonry or wood screws to attach the parcel box to the structure of your garage, decking, shed or fence to keep it secure. 

As with all our projects, please take care while using tools, materials and equipment and all projects on the Safestore blog must be completed at your own risk. We do not take responsibility for any harm or injury that may occur. Be safe!
 

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