Brighten Home, Yard With Bovine Planter

These days, it seems cows are as popular in urban homes as they are on farms and ranches. Decorating with cow themes remains as trendy as ever.

Here’s a do-it-yourself project that will add a little of that bovine charm to your home or yard. This cow planter can be used indoors or out; just fill it up with potted plants or flowers and put it on the porch, in the yard or in the kitchen or den.

This is an especially fun and easy project. Made from pine, the cow planter requires just 10 different wood cuts and 17 pieces in all. Full-size patterns for the curved cuts take the guesswork out of sizing the parts; after tracing them onto wood, simply saw around the lines. Exact measurements are given for the straight cuts.

Putting the cow together involves a few basic steps. After cutting and sanding the pieces, assemble the planter using wood screws, nails and glue and apply black and white paint as shown. When it dries, tie a bell around the cow’s neck and add a tail made of rope and ears made of scrap leather. Then cut wooden knobs in half to make the eyes.

The completed cow planter measures 37 inches long by 14 inches wide by 21 inches high.

The Cow Planter plan, No. 825, is $7.95 and includes step-by-step directions with 15 photos, full-size traceable patterns, exploded diagrams and a shopping list.

A package of three animal planter plans, No. C103, is $16.95 and includes this cow planter, a deer trio and a donkey cart planter. A catalog picturing hundreds of projects is $3.95. Prices include postage and handling (for first-class mail, add $1 per item up to $3 maximum).

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