I wanted to dress up my porch railing, but rather than build flower boxes out of wood, I took a shortcut and used plastic rain gutters.

I cut them about 3 feet long, slipped on the mounting brackets and end caps, and drilled 1/4-inch holes in the bottom for drainage. Then I fastened them directly to the railing with a couple of decking screws.

I lined the bottom with landscaping fabric before adding soil and flowering plants.

Watch the video above for details.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Joe Truini

Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

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