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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wishing Well Planter Adds Color To Yard

Don And Dave Runyan U-Bild Features

Even though this do-it-yourself wishing well doesn’t hold water, it does hold plenty of plants and flowers and brightens any outdoor setting. Set it up near a shade tree and add a couple of benches, and you’ve made a big improvement to the yard without spending big money.

Several work-saving steps make the project easy to build, even for amateur do-it-yourselfers. The “bricks” that form the walls of the well, for instance, are 8-inch-long sections cut from standard 2-by-4 lumber. They are laid on a template, nailed and glued. There’s no masonry involved.

The rest of the well also uses standard lumber: 4-by-6’s for the posts, 2-by-6’s for the eaves and a single 4-by-8 sheet of plywood for the roof. Both redwood and red cedar lumber work well, because both withstand the elements and require little maintenance. Fir or a similar plywood is used for the roof.

The completed well is 4 feet in diameter and almost 7 feet tall, and includes finishing touches like an authentic bucket and an operating windlass and crank handle.

The Wishing Well plan, No. 371, is $7.95 and includes detailed step-by-step instructions with 13 photos, fullsize patterns for all curved cuts and a shopping list and cutting schedule.

A package of decorative outdoor plans, No. C112, is $17.95 and includes this project plus plans for a lighthouse and a windmill. A catalog picturing hundreds of projects is $3.95. Prices include postage and handling. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery (for first-class mail, add $1 per item up to $3 maximum).

MEMO: To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383; (800) 828-2453. Please specify plan numbers.

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383; (800) 828-2453. Please specify plan numbers.